You probably thought I was referring to palm oil.
While that particular cooking ingredient has been found to be harmful to everything from the cardiovascular system of humans to the animals whose habitats are destroyed in the production of it, the oil I’m speaking of that has been linked to cancer, heart disease and dementia is…
Researchers were shocked to find that cooking with vegetable oil can release dangerous chemicals that are linked to a variety of diseases.
The chemicals in question, as reported by The Telegraph, are known as aldehydes. Various studies (such as this particular study), have conclusively linked aldehydes to cancer and a host of other serious illnesses.
The release of the aldehydes occurs when the vegetable oils are heated up. The following chart compares this across various types of oils.
Via The Telegraph
Lead researcher Martin Grootveld, professor of bioanalytical chemistry and chemical pathology, says the concentration of aldehydes in vegetable oil is up to 200 times that of the safe daily limit ordained by the World Health Organization.
But while the temperature at which vegetable oil will catch fire is much higher than that of olive oil, thereby making it safer while you’re cooking with it, the safety pretty much ends there.
The same study found that coconut oil is by far the safest to cook with. It produces the lowest levels of aldehydes.
And coconut oil is pretty fantastic for other things too – check out this list we put together citing 11 core functions of coconut oil.
More Reasons To Avoid Vegetable Oil
Authority Nutrition put together quite an interesting list filled with even more reasons to avoid vegetable oil.
For one, vegetable oils are actually far from natural. In fact, the production process is anything but.
They also contribute to inflammation and have tons of trans fats.
So there you have it – vegetables aren’t always good for you. Who knew?