by Ching M. Alano
Okay, oil right, we received some e-mails as a rejoinder to Dr. Jun Respicio’s absorbing piece on canola oil, where he separated fat, er, fact from fiction and dwelt on the good, the bad, and the oily. For instance, one anxious reader wanted to know what oil we use for cooking before she makes the dramatic shift from canola oil because she did not want to be jumping from the frying pan into the fire (figuratively speaking, of course). Another housewife asked which is the best bet when it comes to cooking oil. Here’s an e-mail to answer the latter query:
I enjoyed reading your article on canola oil in the Nov. 4 issue of Philippine STAR. I am the son of the late Dr. Conrado Dayrit and have been doing research on the chemical aspects of VCO (virgin coconut oil). This research is funded by DOST. I am quite familiar with the issues regarding vegetable oils, including the tropical fats scare, polyunsaturated fats, the American Soya Association lobby, and canola oil. Let me share with you some thoughts on canola oil. Actually, canola oil is being genetically engineered not only to remove the erucic acid content, but to boost its lauric acid content to levels beyond that in coconut oil. This is significant to us for two reasons:
1) While I am not opposed as a matter of scientific principle to GMOs, GMO food products certainly have their concerns. In this case, the consumer no longer knows what s/he is getting because the composition of the canola oil has been changing. I am sure that the canola oil of 15 years ago was not the same as the canola oil of today. This can be dangerous.
2) This is an example of double standard or doublespeak by developed countries against developing countries. Even as they badmouth coconut oil (which is a high lauric product) for being high in “saturated fats,” they develop their own high lauric product.There’s a lot of political and economic bullying in the international food industry. Unfortunately, our coconut has been at the receiving end of this for over 50 years now. We have to keep our faith in our own coconut. While there’s no such thing as the perfect food (it’s always good to have diversity in one’s diet), I believe that coconut ranks as one of the best. It’s our challenge to prove this and to convince people of it.
— Dr. Fabian M. Dayrit
Dean, School of Science & Engineering
Professor, Department of Chemistry
Ateneo de Manila University
— Dr. Fabian M. Dayrit
Dean, School of Science & Engineering
Professor, Department of Chemistry
Ateneo de Manila University
Loyola Heights, Quezon City
Source: Philippine Star
Coconut oil is extracted from the kernel or meat of matured coconut harvested from the coconut palm (Cocos nucifera). Throughout the tropical world it has provided the primary source of fat in the diets of millions of people for generations. It has various applications in food, medicine, and industry. Coconut oil is very heat stable so it makes an excellent cooking and frying oil. It has a smoke point of about 360 °F (180 °C). Because of its stability it is slow to oxidize and thus resistant to rancidity, lasting up to two years due to high saturated fat content
ReplyDeleteThat shows what our priorities are smh RT "Among 30 developed countries we rank 25th in math and 21st in science."
ReplyDeleteI think you should be careful of what you consider "harmful fats". The reason the French have such low rates of heart disease is because they eat saturated fats along with produce and wine. I do not know why the Spanish or Fins have more heart disease, but I do know that humans have been eating saturated fats for thousands of years without a problem.
ReplyDeleteSo, it is the hydrogenated oils, refined sugars, exercise levels, stress, and cigarettes we should be considering when we look at heart disease statistics