There is a current broo-ha-ha going on about the oils from seed. Are they good or bad for us. The controversy between Animal Fat and Seed Oil has been going on for ages.
I am 89. Being this old has advantages. I have lived through many decades. My first memories are during WWII when I was about 10 years old. I remember the food rationing and scarcity. That was when I first encountered margarine. Originally, Wikipedia says, it came from animal fats and was called oleomargarine. The oleo came from the Latin for oleum which means olive oil, which doesn’t sound like animal fat.
It came as a solid white block but also had a little yellow dye bead we could knead into it to make it look more like butter.
The Oils from Seeds
So how did I get to talking about margarine? It is one of the controversial products today made from the oils from seeds. I did some research about the origin of margarine and it was pretty gruesome. The first versions were created by taking the fat from recently butchered beef and pulverizing it. It was an attempt to create butter or a butter-like substance. We all know butter comes from cow’s milk. Over time, vegetable oils replaced the attempted pulverization of the animal fats. And by World War I margarine was almost exclusively made from these vegetable oils.
It became even more popular during the Depression and World War II. It was cheaper and there was a scarcity of butter. But the popularity took off after that. Doctors and other Health professionals began to shun traditional saturated fats (such as butter and lard). They began to promote the use of vegetable oil-based products instead. Saturated fats are blamed for the rise in heart-related deaths.
That is a familiar era for me. It was in 1965, that my father, at age 56, died of a massive heart attack. At that same time, my diagnosis of having high cholesterol. Hence, High cholesterol, heart health issues, and obesity plague all of the family.
Alas, Margarine has been in my diet for a very long time.
During My Time
So that brings us a little closer to the current controversies of seed oil. Is vegetable oil the same thing as seed oil? No, While olive oil is made by pressing the olives, olives are basically a fruit. And, the fruit contains a seed or pit, which is not used.
The much used Canola oil on the other hand is a vegetable–based oil extracted from the seeds of the rape plant,
The controversy comes into play because of the means used to extract the oil and process it for consumption. Some of the seeds are not edible in their original form.
More Oils from Seeds
The list includes the following:
Sunflower. Sunflower oil comes from the seeds of the sunflower plant. We have been relishing sunflower seeds forever.
Cottonseed. Cottonseed oil is a popular cooking ingredient pressed from the seeds of cotton plants and contains gossypol. This is a natural toxin in the seed’s oil which serves as an insecticide. This oil undergoes a refining process to make it safe and edible.
Canola oil is a vegetable–based oil extracted from the seeds of the rape plant (Brassica napus). Rapeseed is a relative to mustard, turnips, and other cabbage plants.
Safflower. Safflower oil comes from the seeds of the safflower plant. There are two types of this oil. One, the monounsaturated oil, has a high smoke point. This makes it ideal for high-temperature cooking, like frying, sautéing, and baking. So, beware of the fast-food french fries
Sesame. Sesame oil is an edible oil from sesame seeds. And we have been eating sesame seeds for generations.
Conclusion
So we seem to have a dilemma. Which way do we go? It would seem that the only conclusion can be to take all things in moderation and try to embellish our diets with more fresh fruits and vegetables. We all know that the Half-pounders from the drive-in aren’t good nutrition. And the same with store-purchased cookies and snacks. We have some awesome popcorn that is pretty wholesome. Add more chicken and fish and minimize the red meats. Try to cook more at home where we can control the ingredients and use the best ones we can manage.
