Omega-6 Apocalypse - Are vegetable oils driving the rise in obesity, heart disease and type 2 diabetes

[Art Of Flowers]

There are quite a few videos about the serious health effects from vegetable oils such as sunflower oil …

 

[Deleted member 532959]

Are vegetable oils driving the rise in obesity, heart disease and type 2 diabetes​

No!

 

[Lamont D]

Yes, and I'm living proof of it.

But it doesn't cause all the types of T2.

It is all to do with inflammation.

 

[Art Of Flowers]

Some interesting studies regarding vegetable oil and its impact on death rates, heart disease, cancer, obesity, dementia and depression.

https://www.jeffnobbs.com/posts/death-by-vegetable-oil-what-the-studies-say

 

[zand]

Yes

 

[Resurgam]

Stopping using sunflower oil meant that I stopped burning in the sun. I used to use factor 50 just to go outside in the summer, I used to go lobster pink but simply allowing the sunlight to touch my skin was painful. If I missed a patch with the sunscreen I could feel it, distinctly painful.
It took a while, and I did not realise it had happened for some time.
During the same time I have lost quite a lot of weight, and gone into remission from type 2, but no sunburn is such a relief.

 

[Lamont D]

Stopping using sunflower oil meant that I stopped burning in the sun. I used to use factor 50 just to go outside in the summer, I used to go lobster pink but simply allowing the sunlight to touch my skin was painful. If I missed a patch with the sunscreen I could feel it, distinctly painful.
It took a while, and I did not realise it had happened for some time.
During the same time I have lost quite a lot of weight, and gone into remission from type 2, but no sunburn is such a relief.

I hope I read that right @Resurgam?
You used sunflower oil to cook with?
And you had skin issues when in the sun?
Hence the factor 50.
You stopped using sunflower oil.
Along with other benefits, the skin wasn't burning?

I'm tired!

 

[Art Of Flowers]

A few points from the 2nd video in in opening post - Omega-6 Apocalypse ...

Since the year 2000 Sugar and Carbohydrate consumption has declined in the USA any many other countries, but Obesity and Diabetes rates have skyrocketed. The increase in obesity and diabetes mirrors the increased use of vegetable oil for cooking and food ingredients plus its use in animals feed that people eat.

It looks like just cutting back on sugar and carbs may not stop the huge rise in type 2 diabetes. There is some other factor involved.

I am glad I chose extra virgin olive oil to start making salad dressings recently instead of one of those highly processed vegetable oils.

 

[Lamont D]

Reactive Hypoglycaemia is a very complicated condition.
And when I was diagnosed, there was no where to look for guidance.
my endocrinologist was brilliant but he had to follow the same NHS as was the same advice for most endocrine conditions which of course includes T2, metabolic conditions and so on.
after going through masses of information, a food diary full of my results for pre and postprandial tests, notes on why I thought what was happening to me. I kept learning and researching.
And all this time my body was becoming healthier, I had lost a lot of weight, my results were very good.
my energy levels were incredible, my cholesterol was back into normal.
And all because I had a keto diet.
And then my doctors were still concerned about my liver and kidneys function tests, they wouldn't normalise or stabilise.
By chance as in most things, when you have a weird condition. I had my six month appointment with my endocrinologist. And we went through it all again. My endocrinologist suggested not trying my eggs etc, which I adore, he suggested that the cat could have an impact on my organs.
So not using frying, for my eggs, my next test showed an improvement in the function results. Also, everything was still improving.
My next endocrinologist appointment, I met some students, one of them had heard that there was research done which highlighted certain oils that increased inflammation and inflammatory conditions.
I would be still using vegetable oil.
I then read about other oils and the scourge of modern manufactured, the hidden ingredients, process ingredients and the rise of the likes of palm oil, soya, sunflower, rapeseed and so on.
It is all over the internet, that these types of oils are not very good for those susceptible to metabolic conditions.

This was ten years ago. And I'm into my seventieth year, was out with the grandkids having a kick around.

And for something that also needs looking into, it's intolerance into our grains. You should include gluten, but what they are not telling you is wheat intolerance itself.
Why is oats, corn, and wheat used so widely in our food?
Never mind the sugars.
It is an absolute minefield out there for someone like me.
Weird, yes, but there are so many out there with food issues.

Have you noticed the words healthy, have been removed from breakfast cereal?
I wonder why?

 

[AloeSvea]

Some interesting studies regarding vegetable oil and its impact on death rates, heart disease, cancer, obesity, dementia and depression.

https://www.jeffnobbs.com/posts/death-by-vegetable-oil-what-the-studies-say

Thanks heaps for posting these!

I have long been on the side of 'Yes' on the side of ultra processed vegetable oils being a major driver of metabolic disease.

Loved the final pars in above:

"FINAL THOUGHTS​

There are likely many factors that contribute to today’s chronic disease and obesity epidemic. Sugar, pesticides, plastics, factory farms, refined carbohydrates, gluten, hyper-palatable junk food, iPhones, and television have all been accused of causing obesity and disease. We’re a long way off from being in agreement about the true causes of today’s largest health problems, but the more I study the issue, the more I’m convinced that vegetable oils play a much larger role in the diseases of modernity than most people realize.

In a world without vegetable oil, we may be twenty pounds lighter, have half the amount of heart disease and cancer, live longer, think clearer, feel better, and be happier and less depressed.

In the long list of things we’ve gotten wrong and need to improve in order to get ourselves out of this chronic disease epidemic, I think reducing vegetable oil consumption is the lead domino."

Who knows right now at least, if it's the "lead domino" or an equal front player? (I would tend to go with the latter, but again - who knows right now?)

 

[Melgar]

I am very iffy with fats. I do have problems metabolizing fat. The only fat I use is olive oil. That’s my go to oil. I don’t use vegetable oil to cook with, then again it’s not often I fry anything that requires a high temperature fat such as vegetable oil. I think when vegetable oil is heated over and over there is a chemical shift in the oil. It’s this repeated heating of vegetable fats that are linked with inflammation . These heated oils, such as sunflower, soy, and canola have been shown to trigger the body to produce inflammatory markers. I know growing up my parents would repeatedly use the same oil in the deep fat fryer over and over.

I have found that my inflammatory markers have come down, namely my C- reactive proteins (CRP). My CRP markers have dropped from 1.9 mg/L down to 1.1 mg/L which I am pleased about. I have put this down to exercise. In Canada the lab range for CRP levels is less than 5.0 Mg/L but interesting anything over 2.0 mg/L is considered a risk enhancing factor for cardiovascular disease. Anything lower than 0.3 mg/L is considered normal and optimum. 0.3 to 1.0 is also seen normal, but slightly raised. Anything above 1.0 is considered a moderate elevation. Putting these figures in perspective an infection may raise your CRP levels way above those 2 mg/Ls, something like 40 mg/L.

Of course many things can raise your CRPs, including infections and autoimmune disorders such as RA and Lupus.
Interestedly there are a number of studies that connect chronic inflammation with TD2 diabetes and atherosclerotic cardio vascular disease along with risk factors such as unhealthy diets, being over weight a lack of physical activity. Inflammation has also been cited in TD1 around the inflammation of beta cells.

In DT2 obesity and its association with metabolic syndrome and raised bio markers for inflammation within the body are all related to risk factors for cardiovascular events. “ The Role of Inflammation in Diabetes: urgent Concepts and Future Perspectives”.

As @Lamont D mentions, what’s with all the gluten in everything. As a person whose system cannot tolerate gluten it’s shocking that so much of our foods contain so gluten. Unless you have a food intolerance these added ingredients are invisible. Why do our foods contain wheat, barley and rye. They don’t add any flavour. They are just in the list of ingredients. Its not a surprise that Gluten has been cited as a contributing factor in child onset TD1.

 

[Art Of Flowers]

Some interesting studies regarding vegetable oil and its impact on death rates, heart disease, cancer, obesity, dementia and depression.

https://www.jeffnobbs.com/posts/death-by-vegetable-oil-what-the-studies-say

I just read precursor to the above article ... https://www.jeffnobbs.com/posts/what-causes-chronic-disease

It makes some interesting reading. It looks like chronic disease is still increasing despite people following government health advice. People are smoking less, drinking less, exercising more, eating more fruit and veg. Despite all that chronic conditions such as heart disease, cancer, asthma and diabetes has grown 700% in the USA since 1935. Could the increased use of vegetable oils be the culprit?

 

[Resurgam]

I hope I read that right @Resurgam?
You used sunflower oil to cook with?
And you had skin issues when in the sun?
Hence the factor 50.
You stopped using sunflower oil.
Along with other benefits, the skin wasn't burning?

I'm tired!

You got it - I cooked with sunflower oil and added it to salad, but at diagnosis I really questioned everything which had been pushed at me as how I should eat.
I eat the fats which are naturally present with the sources of protein, which has actually resulted in me eating less fat than I was, but it is not the unsaturated seed oils.
It took me a couple of years to realise that sunlight on my skin was no longer painful, as I had lived with sunscreen and long sleeves or skirts for so long.

 

[Lamont D]

You got it - I cooked with sunflower oil and added it to salad, but at diagnosis I really questioned everything which had been pushed at me as how I should eat.
I eat the fats which are naturally present with the sources of protein, which has actually resulted in me eating less fat than I was, but it is not the unsaturated seed oils.
It took me a couple of years to realise that sunlight on my skin was no longer painful, as I had lived with sunscreen and long sleeves or skirts for so long.

You would think that these sort of conditions would be highlighted in the health care system!
They do know!

 

[Resurgam]

You would think that these sort of conditions would be highlighted in the health care system!
They do know!

I'm afraid that my experience has been that I can tell HCPs anything and have it immediately dismissed or made the reason for being ridiculed or insulted if it goes against accepted dogma.

 

[Lamont D]

I'm afraid that my experience has been that I can tell HCPs anything and have it immediately dismissed or made the reason for being ridiculed or insulted if it goes against accepted dogma.

The biggest issues around HCPs, GP's, dsns, is that they only have a limited knowledge from their training. Because they have to cover so much in practice.
It's not until they specialise.
That is when you get the expertise.
And with the system, the way it is, and not going to get any better soon.

 

[Art Of Flowers]

I just discovered this video which explains the link between vegetable oils and heart disease ...

There are two problems with vegetable oils ...
1: Plant Sterols are involved with blood clots
2: They cause inflamation

 

[BadgerPaul]

I’ve been reading all these comments and it’s interesting. I’m a little confused as I moved to cooking with coconut oil. Is this okay. Also should we all be moving back to cooking with lard as we did in my younger years??

 

[AloeSvea]

@BadgerPaul, what take you make from this oil/fats controversy is entirely up to you! As with everything else to do with T2D - how or if you track your bio markers, your food and drink, your meds or no meds, your choice of exercise or not - this ball is in your court. It's one of the things that makes metabolic disease such a big deal is there is SO much on the person with the metabolic disease to decide on. And it's all under the rubrick 'lifestyle'. And 'lifestyle choices'.

Saying that, I can say what I do, which is absolutely cook with coconut oil when I want that flavour. I grew up eating coconut meat and drinking coconut milk, and could crack one open on concrete pretty well, and was surrounded by folks who had coconuts in their ancestral diets, (living in the south pacific) and had lean muscular physiques on it, and low levels of heart disease (as most peoples did pre industrial revolution and the 20th century I take it - we died too early of other things back then). I bake with coconut oil as well, and coconut flour, and dessicated coconut. Almond flour is my main flour, as it is lower carb than coconut flour, but I like the flavour. You can buy unscented coconut oil as well of course.

Re traditional European animal fats like lard - if you want more info Nina Teicholz's work on the subject is magnificent. A seminal book, and lots of youtube vids on the main info, I believe.

 

[BadgerPaul]

Thanks