Hydrogenated Fats: Another Reason to
Ditch Unsaturated Cooking Oils

Hydrogenated oils and fats

First of all, no dietary fat or oil is 100 percent saturated or unsaturated.

Soybean oil is often called "polyunsaturated" because of its 61 percent Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid (PUFA) content.

But like all vegetable oils, it also contains some "monounsaturated" and "saturated" fatty acids as well.

Hydrogenation?

Hydrogenation is a process wherein unsaturated fatty acids are converted into more saturated fatty acids. With hydrogenation, it's possible for unsaturated vegetable cooking oils to become highly saturated.

But why make unsaturated cooking fats more saturated in the first place? Excellent question!

Unlike unsaturated fatty acids, saturated fatty acids are very stable. They can resist oxidation (decomposition) and handle free-radical generation much better. Saturated fats, of which coconut oil is the mega star, can withstand heat extremely well and stay fresh for a pretty long time.

Hydrogenated or Trans Fats

By blasting it with hydrogen atoms, unsaturated vegetable oils become much more saturated. Partial hydrogenation transforms polyunsaturated liquid oils like corn oil into a richer, creamier solid and more stable products for the baking of breads, pies, cookies, biscuits, chips and other processed foods.

In reality though, the oil "remains" unsaturated. Partial hydrogenation does not saturate the oil. What it really does is create trans fatty acids or trans fats.

All hydrogenated oils contain menacing trans fats that are foreign to the human body. Your body doesn't know how to handle these man-made fat molecules in a constructive manner. The result is cellular destruction until entire organs are compromised.

Quintessential Cooking Oil

Coconut oil is 92 percent saturated, making it the most saturated dietary fat known to man. No need for hydrogenation to remain stable as a cooking oil. It has no trans fats and cholesterol.

Highly saturated coconut oil is ideal for use with food, especially if you're going to cook or store the food for any length of time.

Hydrogenated fats is a product of technology and may be the most devastating food additive in common use today. Conventionally processed unsaturated vegetable oils contain between 15 and 20 percent trans fatty acids. Some may even run as high as 47 percent.

With coconut oil, you don't have to worry about trans fats or free radicals ruining your health. It's so stable, it acts as an antioxidant.

You can heat and reheat coconut oil to normal cooking temperatures without consuming or producing anything that would damage your health.