I'm starting a project where I go line by line through the 80/10/10 diet book by Douglas N. Graham and back-up each and every claim with scientific evidence. [1] I'm finding increasingly from arguing online and in person people are aware of the raw food diet, yet disagree and dismiss it. The answer to make convincing arguments backed with copious amount of scientific evidence.
I'm also basing this upon my own personal experience. I was aware of the raw food diet, but I wasn't convinced it was worth investigating. I'm sick of making claims like fats turns rancid when cooked, and people being like so what? That doesn't prove anything. I see it as its up to me to prove forcefully that these people are wrong, that fats being rancid is a problem.
"
So what's wrong with eating rancid oils?
"There are at least two," says lipid specialist and University of Massachusetts professor Eric Decker. "One is that they lose their vitamins, but they also can develop potentially toxic compounds" that have been linked to advanced aging, neurological disorders, heart disease and cancer.
"They're carcinogenic, pro-inflammatory and very toxic," says integrative medicine specialist Andrew Weil. "They are also widespread in the food chain."[2]
"Fats can become rancid through oxidation, irradiation, enzymatic lipolysis, and heat." [3].
"the consumption of rancid oils and fats represents a possible health hazard for the population." [4].
"Rancidity is a form of spoilage that occurs in fats and oils and, therefore, in all foods that contain fats and oils: nuts and seeds and the oils derived from them, vegetable-based salad and cooking oils, margarine, butter and other animal fats and all grains but most especially wheat. Rancid foods are unpleasant and not healthful" [5].
I just wanted to establish three basic claims, first, that fat can become rancid. Second, fat can become rancid via heating. Third, that rancid fats are unhealthy. Its surprising how people not only don't know this, but will fight seemingly forever that these facts aren't true.
Since such people seem to be everywhere both in person and online, more peer review journals backing up these claims are needed. It seems like so much work to push through even the most basic concepts. Never can have too much proof on your side.
Links.
1. http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/80+10+10+Diet
3. http://nutritionnutsandbolts.com/2012/08/01/rancid-fat/
4. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12017293
5. http://www.nytimes.com/1983/02/19/style/touch-of-rancidity-can-spoil-the-feast.html
Replies
Found supporting evidence that heating oil is a bad idea.
"In rats, the intake of fried oil led to higher levels of lipid peroxidation and a lower concentration of plasma antioxidants." [1]
"We have recently proposed that lipid peroxidation may be a common mechanistic pathway by which obesity and hypertension lead to increased renal cell cancer risk."[2]
"It is well known that lipids in edible oils are susceptible to auto-oxidation and photo-oxidation during processing and storage (12). This has long been recognized as a major problem for the oil industry, leading to undesirable flavours and taste, decomposing the nutritional quality, and leading to production of toxic compounds. "[3]
"Lipid oxidation in foods is one of the major degradative processes responsible for losses in food quality. The oxidation of unsaturated fatty acids results in significant generation of dietary advanced lipid oxidation endproducts (ALEs) which are in part cytotoxic and genotoxic compounds." [4]
"However, lipids are also one of the most chemically unstable food components and will readily undergo free-radical chain reactions that not only deteriorate the lipids but also: (a) produce oxidative fragments, some of which are volatile and are perceived as the off-flavors of rancidity, (b) degrade proteins, vitamins and pigments and (c) cross-link lipids and other macromolecules into non-nutritive polymers. Free-radical chain reactions are thermodynamically favorable, and as a result, evolutionary selection has strongly influenced the chemistry, metabolism and structure of biological cells to prevent these reactions kinetically." [5].
"Since poly-unsaturated fatty acids are particularly susceptible to oxidation by free radicals during the storage, cooking and frying of foods, the potential risk of exposure to lipid degradation products is likely to have increased." [6].
Processing of oil, via cooking causes the release of toxins. Not only that but lipids are chemically unstable, meaning they change more quickly than the other macro nutrients via processing including cooking.
1. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12117428
2. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1851400/
3. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3118035/
4. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17854006
5. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10335367
6. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7704185
There is people that simply won't even think about what you just said, they will be thinking on how to spell their thoughts. Then there is people who doesn't understand, at all. And the ones who are agreeing with you… well, there is no debate with them. So yes, its a tough journey, but worth it.
Oh yes! I forgot those who disagree with interesting answers and questions, but they are almost none. Haha!
Keep up the good work!
Thanks for the links.
Cheers and peace!