In this part I will be chatting about whether hydrogenated oil is healthy.

#1. Partially hydrogenated oils – most often soybean and vegetable oil – contains high levels of trans fats.And what’s trans fats? Trans fats interfere with the metabolic processes of life by taking the place of a natural substance that performs a critical function (definition of a poison). As such trans fat are poisons, just like arsenic or cyanide. Your body has no defense against such poisons, because they never even existed in our two billion years of evolution — so we’ve never had the need or the opportunity to evolve a defense against them.

Unsaturated fat, usually a vegetable oil, is mixed with hydrogen gas and platinum catalysts, then heated to temperatures in excess of 500 F to make it more solid and to give it a longer shelf life. This recipe results in changing the molecular makeup of healthy fatty acids into disfigured, twisted molecules—trans fat—often listed on food labels as hydrogenated fats or oils.

The trans fat is an otherwise normal fatty acid that has been “transmodified”, by high-heat processing of a free oil. The fatty acids from unsaturated fat can be double-linked, cross-linked, bond-shifted, twisted, or messed up in a variety of other ways.

Serve them hot or cold, and your body will deliver this toxic, inflammatory mixture to every cell in your body, including your brain cells. Chronic exposure to man-made trans fat found in thousands of processed foods from salad dressings to snacks, margarines to cake mixes can be very toxic to everyone.

“Nathan Pritikin, perhaps the most well-known advocate of the lowfat diet, committed suicide after realising his hydrogenated fats diet – something like 7 to 10% of the recommended total caloric intake – did not prevent him from getting Cancer and Leukemia.”

“The food processing industry is very powerful. As long as using trans fat saves money, increases food shelf life, and provides more flavor, they will continue to use the hydrogen process, unless forced to stop.” – Pamela McDonald, author of groundbreaking book at http://www.apoegenediet.com

#2. Soya beans (partially hydrogenated oils = trans fat) contains a toxic known, phytic acid (research done in 1966!), that has ability to target specific organs, cells and enzyme pathways – which prevents the human body from getting complete nutrition it needs. The toxic’s effects can be devastating. As with any toxin, there will be a dose at which negative effects are not observed.

People who have other diseases like cancer and diabetes, can have their medical treatments greatly reduced by the phytic acid.

#3. As if the above is not bad enough, soybean oil depresses the thyroid–which lowers your energy levels, makes you feel less like exercising, and generally makes you fatter! Partially hydrogenated oils like soybean oil, will not only kill you in the long term by producing diseases like multiple sclerosis and allergies that lead to arthritis, but in the meantime they will make you fat!

There are also people developing severe allergy to soy (anaphylactic shock type).

#4. high concentrations of manganese found in soybean-based baby formula can lead to brain damage in infants and altered behaviors in adolescents

You’ll even find some items on the “health food” shelf contain partially hydrogenated oils! Many soy products, candy bars, diet bars etc that contains partially hydrogenated oils marketed as a “health food” calls for a class action lawsuit on the basis of false advertising.

“Most of what is labeled “vegetable oil” in the U.S. is actually soy oil, as are most margarine. Soy oil is the most widely used oil in the U.S., accounting for more than 75 percent of our total vegetable fats and oil intake. And most of our soy products are now genetically engineered.” – Dianne Gregg, HiddenSoy.com

The more labels you read, the more astonished you will be at the variety and number of places that this insidious little killer shows up.

The American obesity epidemic began when it was replaced with partially hydrogenated vegetable oil — most often soybean oil. Some argue it started with the food pyramid which places meat as of higher importance than wholemeal, nuts, legumes and grains.

“Inherently, soy contains anti-nutrients such as enzyme inhibitors, which interfere with the digestion of protein.” – http://www.rwood.com/Articles/Soy_Toxin_or_Tonic.htm

“Soya beans also contain hemagglutinin, which causes red blood cells to lump together. Soya beans are also high in phytates, an organic acids which blocks the uptake of calcium, magnesium, iron, and especially zinc and contributes to widespread mineral deficiencies. In fact there are more phytates in soybeans than in any other grain, bean, or plant studied and these phytates are remarkably resistant to reduction techniques. Only a long period of fermentation will significantly reduce the phytate content.” – http://www.zenzibar.com/Articles/issoysafe.asp

Melamine that was found in children’s milk powder some time back contain similiar damaging proteins found in unfermented soya beans.

Why is soybean oils mentioned instead of Canola or other oil? Because most other vegetable oils do not have the dangerous phytic acid, which naturally occurs in unfermented raw soyabean oil.

Here are other things you need to be aware of:

• cooking TV programs and food recipes that tells u soy bean oil is healthier than coconut oil – it’s the WRONG and outdated information. When an oil is not often promoted it doesn’t mean it is not better.
• milk powder companies (most are actually pharmaceutical companies producing other kinds of prescription “medicines”) that say soy milk is healthier alternative to cows’ milk powder. While breast milk is best, goat’s milk powder may be a better option than soy milk powder as again, the soya beans in soy milk powder is unfermented.

It holds true that too much of a good thing such as soya beans can be bad/toxic.

For example, other than the meat’s trans fat (high in saturated fat), “non-meat” trans fats may come from either unsaturated fats, hydrogenated and polyunsaturated fats. You may find many nutritious foods in these groups of fats but it may make sense not to have too much of any foods in these 3 fat groups.

How to get Goodies of Soya Bean without its Baddies?

Of course, soybeans have been used for centuries in Asia – but only as FERMENTED soya bean products. The best way to go about having the goodness of soya beans without the ills of it, is to go only for FERMENTED soya products like tempeh or Japanese miso.

Fermented products (except yoghurt) are much forgotten. Pickled olives originating from Italy are almost forgetten saviours of the human bodies. Same for the Malays’ Achar (picked cucumbers, carrots and chillis).

Good news is: your soy sauce is safe because it is usually fermented.

So is hydrogenated oil healthy? The answer is NO.  Myth busted!  lol

Interestingly, I’ve not found a soybean milk powder made from fermented soya beans yet. If you have – please share the info!

Related Info you may be interested in (in no particular order of importance):
Quality Fat – NOT low fat – is the secret to getting your Healthy Fat
WholeFoodMarkets recommend sprouting, soaking of fermenting soy products to reduce phytic acids
Holistic Health Counsellors at LiveEatBetter.com
Why Tofu wrecks your brain
Practical Tips of avoiding Chemical Overload

This was first published via BB.

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