New research shows that refined vegetable oils–specifically soy and peanut oils–are highly unlikely to trigger allergic reactions. Which seems like great news for people with peanut allergies…But just because they won’t put you into anaphylactic shock doesn’t mean these oils are good for you.
In fact, remember the classic Roberta Flack song, “Killing me softly…”? Well, that’s exactly what’s happening with these oils.
Both are high in omega-6 polyunsaturated fats, which are pro-inflammatory and increase your risk of heart disease and stroke. Soybean oil is particularly harmful, and shows up in tons of packaged foods. Salad dressings, shortenings, margarines, crackers… you name it.
You’ll see soybean oil listed on nutrition labels as “partially hydrogenated oil” or “hydrogenated oil”–which translates as trans fat. And,by now, you’re probably well aware of the hazards associated with trans fats, particularly that they can increase LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and lower HDL (“good”) cholesterol.
Peanut oil is only slightly better. I advise using it only if it’s organic–and even then only on rare occasions.
You’re much better off with macadamia nut oil. It’s one of the richest sources of healthy monounsaturated fats in the world (making it even healthier than extra virgin olive oil). Plus, it’s so much more versatile than those other oils. Not only does it taste great on its own, drizzled directly onto salads and other foods, but you can also cook with it safely since its smoke point is so high.
It truly makes healthy eating simple–and delicious…What’s not to like about that?