Vegetable Oils May Be Worse For You Than Thought

Oil is a necessary ingredient when it comes to cooking. Although cooking with saturated fats such as animal fat and butter may taste better, we've always believed that cooking with vegetable oil is at least marginally healthier.  But, according to the LA Times, this is a belief that could be wrong.

A study in Canada has shown that vegetable oil can increase the chances of heart disease.  The research provided by the Canadian Medical Association Journal has shown that the polyunsaturated vegetable oils don't show any benefits toward heart health.

These oils have lots of omega-6 linoleic acid, but very little omega-3-linolenic acid. Livestrong says Omega-6 linoleic acids are "considered essential fats that support brain function, bone health, reproductive health, hair growth, and regulation of metabolism." Your body doesn't produce these fats; it's only accessible through foods. The other fatty acid, Omega-3 linoleic is also crucial for blood clotting and building cell membranes. Similar to Omega-6, this is a fatty acid that you can only get through food. What separates the two is that only the omega-3 acid has shown to lower your chances of heart disease, something cooking oils are missing.

These oils are everywhere from your salad dressing, to the mayonnaise you put on your sandwich, to the chips you eat.

The authors of the study are "asking the government to reconsider its labeling eligibility" for those with corn and safflower oil labeled as "healthy replacement for saturated fats."  

Don't get us wrong; cooking with oils does have its benefits. From lowering your cholesterol and your chances of coronary artery disease, it's still a better choice than cooking with saturated fats!