Vegetable Oils: The Hidden Killer

Summary

This video delves into the controversial use of vegetable oils in popular restaurants, comparing their health impact to severe obesity and excessive alcohol consumption. It explores the history of oil usage, the rise of hydrogenated oils, and the potential risks associated with their high levels of unsaturated fats and oxidation. The script questions the current dietary guidelines, suggesting that the saturated fats demonized for decades may not be as harmful as once believed, while the overuse and misuse of vegetable oils could be more detrimental to health than previously thought. The video concludes with practical advice on reducing vegetable oil intake and the importance of further research in this area.

Takeaways

• 🍲 Vegetable oils, such as sunflower, safflower, canola, soybean, and corn, have been widely used only for about 200 years and became popular due to government subsidies on crops like corn and soy.
• 🥦 Traditional oils like olive, coconut, and avocado have been used for thousands of years and are less controversial in terms of health compared to modern vegetable oils.
• 🚫 The hydrogenation process used to create margarine from cottonseed oil and other vegetable oils produces trans fats, which are detrimental to health, increasing bad cholesterol and causing inflammation.
• 🍟 Fast food chains and restaurants that repeatedly use the same oil for frying can increase the oxidation of vegetable oils, leading to compounds that are harmful to health.
• 📊 A study found that increasing vegetable oil intake by 12% of total calories could increase the risk of death by 62%, although this was based on a relatively small sample size and more research is needed.
• 🍳 Home cooking with vegetable oils is less of a concern as long as the oil is changed frequently to prevent oxidation.
• 🧀 Saturated fats, once thought to be universally harmful, have been reconsidered in recent research, with some studies suggesting they may not be as detrimental to heart health as previously believed.
• 🍽 The American diet typically includes a high consumption of vegetable oils, with the average American consuming 600 to 1200 calories from vegetable oil daily.
• 🌽 The popularity of high-fructose corn syrup and other corn-based products is largely due to government subsidies on corn, making it a cheaper alternative to other ingredients.
• 🍕 The health effects of vegetable oils are complicated and not fully understood, with some studies suggesting potential links to chronic inflammation and other health issues.
• 🌿 A balanced approach to dietary fats is recommended, including reducing consumption of processed and fried foods, and considering alternatives like butter or olive oil for cooking at home.

Q & A

What is the main concern regarding the use of vegetable oils in the food industry as discussed in the script?

The main concern is that certain vegetable oils, particularly those that are highly refined and used in restaurants for frying, may have detrimental health effects due to their high levels of unsaturated fats, which can oxidize quickly, leading to potential health risks.

Why have traditional oils like olive, coconut, and avocado not raised the same health concerns as modern vegetable oils?

Traditional oils such as olive, coconut, and avocado have been used for thousands of years and are known for their health benefits, including high antioxidant content and anti-inflammatory properties. They also have lower oxidation compared to modern vegetable oils, making them less problematic.

What role did government subsidies play in the widespread adoption of certain vegetable oils?

Government subsidies for crops like wheat, soy, and corn have significantly contributed to the adoption of vegetable oils derived from these crops. The subsidies make these oils cheaper to produce, leading companies to use them extensively, even when they may not be the healthiest option.

Why did McDonald's switch from beef tallow to vegetable oil in the 1990s?

McDonald's switched to vegetable oil due to the influence of Phil Sokoloff, an American businessman who had a heart attack and believed saturated animal fats were the cause. He campaigned for restaurants to remove high saturated fat items from their menus, leading McDonald's to make the change in the 1990s.

What health risks are associated with the consumption of hydrogenated oils?

Hydrogenated oils are high in trans fats, which are known to raise bad cholesterol levels, lower good cholesterol, and are linked to long-term inflammation, insulin resistance, and even cancer, especially in individuals with obesity or excessive weight.

How does the oxidation of vegetable oils impact health?

Oxidation of vegetable oils, which can occur quickly due to their high unsaturated fat content, leads to the formation of compounds that can cause major cell damage and harm overall health. This is especially problematic when these oils are reused for frying in restaurants.

What is the significance of the Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratio in vegetable oils and health?

Vegetable oils are typically high in Omega-6 fats and low in Omega-3 fats. An imbalance between Omega-6 and Omega-3 consumption may contribute to chronic inflammation, although research on this topic is not consistent and requires further study.

How does the consumption of vegetable oils compare to other unhealthy habits in terms of health risks?

The script compares the health risks of vegetable oil consumption to those of smoking, sugar intake, processed meat, bad air, red meat, and physical inactivity, suggesting that the excessive consumption of vegetable oils may be nearly as harmful as severe obesity.

What is the average American's daily consumption of vegetable oil, and why might this be concerning?

The average American consumes around 600 to 1200 calories of vegetable oil per day, which is a significant amount. This high consumption may be concerning due to the potential health risks associated with the oxidation and high unsaturated fat content of these oils.

What are some of the recommendations made in the script for reducing the health risks associated with vegetable oils?

The script suggests using butter or olive oil at home instead of vegetable oils, reducing the frequency of eating out to limit exposure to restaurant frying practices, and being mindful of the overall consumption of vegetable oils as part of a balanced diet.

What is the current stance of experts on saturated fats, and how does it relate to the consumption of vegetable oils?

Recent research has led to a more nuanced view of saturated fats, with some studies suggesting they may not be as harmful as previously thought. This complicates the narrative around vegetable oils, which are often promoted as a healthier alternative due to their lower saturated fat content.

Outlines

00:00

🍟 The Perils of Modern Vegetable Oils in Fast Food

This paragraph discusses the widespread use of potentially harmful vegetable oils in popular fast-food chains such as McDonald's and KFC. It contrasts these with traditional oils like olive, coconut, and avocado oils, which have a long history of safe use. The speaker highlights the rise of refined vegetable oils like sunflower, safflower, canola, soybean, and corn oils, which have been in use for a relatively short time and have been linked to health concerns. The government subsidies for crops like corn and soy have led to the prevalence of these oils, especially in processed foods. The narrative also touches on the history of Krispy Kreme and the shift from healthier oils to cheaper, hydrogenated alternatives, which are detrimental to health.

05:00

🚭 The Comparative Risks of Vegetable Oil Consumption

The second paragraph delves into the health risks associated with consuming vegetable oils, drawing a stark comparison with well-known health hazards like smoking and obesity. It presents data from a study that indicates a 62% increase in the risk of death from increasing vegetable oil intake by just 12% of total calories. The paragraph questions why, despite the health benefits of vegetables, their oils could be so harmful, discussing the issues with hydrogenated oils, trans fats, and the rapid oxidation of unsaturated fats. It also addresses the imbalance of Omega-6 to Omega-3 fats, which may contribute to chronic inflammation, and the potential long-term impacts on testosterone levels due to the consumption of certain fats.

10:02

🔄 The Complexities of Vegetable Oils and Health

In the final paragraph, the script acknowledges the complexity of understanding the health effects of vegetable oils. It points out that while hydrogenated oils are clearly harmful, non-hydrogenated vegetable oils present a more nuanced picture. The paragraph discusses the issues with oxidation, especially in the context of restaurant frying practices, and the high consumption of vegetable oils in the American diet. It also touches upon the evolving scientific opinion on saturated fats and the potential benefits of vegetable oils in reducing cardiovascular problems. The speaker calls for more research and suggests practical steps for consumers and the food industry to mitigate the risks associated with vegetable oil consumption, emphasizing the need for a balanced approach to dietary fats.

Keywords

💡Vegetable Oils

Vegetable oils are plant-derived oils that are commonly used in cooking and food processing. In the video's context, they are portrayed as potentially harmful to health, especially when compared to oils like olive, coconut, and avocado oils that have been used for thousands of years. The script discusses the modern use of highly refined vegetable oils such as sunflower, safflower, canola, soybean, and corn oils, which have been linked to health concerns due to their high levels of unsaturated fats and potential for oxidation.

💡Oxidation

Oxidation, in the context of the video, refers to the process where oils go bad or deteriorate over time, especially when exposed to heat or air. This process is emphasized as a significant health concern because it can lead to the formation of harmful compounds. The script mentions that vegetable oils, being high in unsaturated fats, are particularly prone to oxidation, which can be exacerbated by repeated heating, as often occurs in commercial frying processes.

💡Hydrogenated Oils

Hydrogenated oils are a type of fat created through the process of hydrogenation, where unsaturated fats are converted into saturated fats by adding hydrogen. The video script points out that these oils, once popular in products like margarine, are now recognized as harmful due to their high trans fat content, which can negatively affect cholesterol levels and contribute to inflammation and other health issues.

💡Trans Fats

Trans fats are a type of unsaturated fat that becomes saturated through hydrogenation. The script highlights that trans fats are considered the 'worst types of fats' due to their ability to raise bad cholesterol (LDL) and lower good cholesterol (HDL), and their association with long-term inflammation, insulin resistance, and even cancer, especially in individuals with obesity.

💡Omega-6 Fatty Acids

Omega-6 fatty acids are a type of polyunsaturated fat that the video script suggests are abundant in vegetable oils. While they are essential in the diet, an imbalance with omega-3 fatty acids may contribute to chronic inflammation. The concern raised in the video is that the high consumption of vegetable oils, rich in Omega-6, coupled with a low intake of Omega-3s, could negatively impact health.

💡Saturated Fats

Saturated fats are fats that are typically solid at room temperature and found in animal products like butter and beef tallow. The video script discusses a shift in perception regarding saturated fats, where recent research has challenged previous negative views, suggesting that they may not be as harmful as once thought, and in some cases, might even have protective effects on heart disease risk.

💡McDonald's

McDonald's is mentioned in the script as an example of a company that historically used beef tallow for frying its fries. However, influenced by health advocate Phil Sokoloff, the company switched to vegetable oil in the 1990s, which was met with controversy due to changes in taste. The video uses this example to illustrate the impact of health campaigns on corporate practices and consumer perceptions.

💡Government Subsidies

Government subsidies are financial supports provided by the government to farmers or industries to lower the cost of production. The script explains that subsidies for crops like wheat, soy, and corn have contributed to the widespread use of vegetable oils derived from these crops, such as corn oil, due to their lower cost and the drive for companies to utilize these subsidized ingredients.

💡High Fructose Corn Syrup

High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is a sweetener made from corn, which is heavily subsidized in the U.S. The video script points out that HFCS became popular because of the cost advantages provided by corn subsidies, leading to its widespread use in place of traditional sugar. This example is used to illustrate how subsidies can influence food production and consumption patterns.

💡Inflammation

Inflammation is the body's natural response to injury or infection but chronic inflammation can lead to various health problems. The video script connects the consumption of hydrogenated oils and the imbalance of Omega-6 to Omega-3 fats with the potential for increased inflammation, indicating a link between dietary factors and long-term health outcomes.

💡Food Processing

Food processing refers to the transformation of agricultural products into food through various methods. The script discusses how the advent of food processing technologies, such as the ability to turn cotton seed oil into margarine, has led to the creation of new food products that may have unintended health consequences, such as the widespread use of hydrogenated oils.

Highlights

Some restaurants use vegetable oils that may be worse for health than drinking 14 bottles of alcohol a week.

Olive, coconut, and avocado oils have been used for thousands of years and don't have the same health concerns as modern vegetable oils.

Extra virgin olive oil is beneficial for health due to its antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties.

Highly refined recent vegetable oils like sunflower, safflower, canola, soybean, and corn are problematic and have only been widely used for about 60 years.

Government subsidies for wheat, soy, and corn have led to the widespread use of high-fructose corn syrup and other cheap alternatives.

Krisco's history involves turning cotton seed oil into margarine as a cheaper alternative to butter or olive oil.

Hydrogenated oils, which include trans fats, are harmful to health, increasing bad cholesterol and causing inflammation.

McDonald's switched from beef tallow to vegetable oil in the 1990s due to health concerns, impacting the taste of their fries.

Increasing vegetable oil intake by 12% of total calories can increase the risk of death by 62%, according to a 7-year study.

Vegetable oils are high in Omega-6 and low in Omega-3, which may contribute to chronic inflammation.

Oxidation of oils, especially when repeatedly heated, can cause cell damage and harm overall health.

High consumption of vegetable oils may have a negative impact on postprandial testosterone levels.

The average American consumes a significant amount of vegetable oil, which may be excessive.

Recent research has questioned the negative reputation of saturated fats, with some studies showing neutral or protective effects.

Vegetable oils may reduce the risk of cardiovascular problems, according to multiple studies.

Oxidation of vegetable oils in restaurants is a major problem due to the constant reuse of oil for frying.

The health effects of vegetable oils are not well understood due to the lack of long-term studies and recent introduction to the diet.

Reducing the reuse of oil in frying and consuming less vegetable oil at home can help mitigate potential health risks.

Food research is often unclear, and it's recommended to stay away from processed and junk food for better health.

Transcripts

McDonald's inn out KFC chilies Applebees

Chipotle these restaurants are using a

toxic ingredient that may be worse than

drinking 14 bottles of alcohol a week

physical inactivity sugar processed meat

bad air red meat smoking seven

cigarettes a day and nearly as bad as

severe obesity in this video I'll

explain why vegetable oils became so

popular why vegetable oils may be so bad

for your health what we can do to fix

this problem and what you can do to fix

this

problem humans have a long long history

of using oils to cook their food but I'm

here to make a distinction between two

types of oils the ones that have been

used for thousands of years and the ones

that haven't people have been using

olive coconut avocado for thousands of

years and these oils don't have the same

concerns as modern vegetable oils time

and time again extra virgin olive oil

has been shown to be beneficial for your

health for its high amounts of

antioxidants and it's great

anti-inflammatory benefits and its lower

oxidation compared to other vegetable

oils we'll get more to oxidation later

on but it's very important a lot of

these things can be said for avocado oil

and coconut oil too just knowe when I'm

talking about vegetable oils I'm not

talking about these the main oils I want

to look at in this video are the highly

refined recent vegetable oils why can't

I say oils

oil oils like sunflower safflower

Cano canola soybean corn these are the

problematic oils these oils have only

been used for about 200 years and have

only been widely adopted in the last 60

years but why is this because beforehand

the widely used substances in America at

least were beef Tallow butter first big

thing that I found is that the

government subsidizes wheat soy and corn

to massive degrees the amount of money

that the government puts into

subsidizing corn production is one of

the main reasons why companies keep

trying to find more and more ways to

take advantage of Corin this why high

fructose corn syrup is so popular

because corn is subsidized to such a

high extent that it's more efficient and

cheaper to use high fruit do corn syrup

to get the sugary taste than to use

actual sugar which is more expensive so

when a company called krisco was able to

find a way to turn cotton seed oil into

margarine company saw an opportunity in

order to have a more cost effective

cheaper alternative to butter olive oil

or beef tall the history of krisco is

kind of funny where a guy lots of cotton

seed oil to heat and light lamps in the

past but then after Thomas Edison

created a light

bulb there was not a real reason for

lamps or con seat oil anymore and

instead of just taking the L and moving

on like what great businessmen do he

tried to find a way to take advantage of

conotton seed oil in another way and

that's how we eventually got krisco and

margin the stuff was made from

hydrogenated oils which without getting

too sciency is basically where you

combine UNS saturated fats from those of

safflower sunflower cotton seed with

hydrogen in order to partially or

completely convert the fat into

saturated fat and that's how you can get

liquid oils however these oils were

absolutely horrible for health which

I'll get to much later but as of now

companies saw this as cheaper and thus

many restaurants corporations switched

over to using hydrogenated oil switched

over to using these new vegetable oils

this is quite a Common Thread in

American history our corporations is

what gives us our wealth progress and

options but also many of the health

effects and safety problems we have but

some companies stayed true to their

Roots the biggest among them was

McDonald's the classic McDonald's french

fry taste among many things was the

result of a frying ingredient the

company used beef Tallow scared that

switching to vegetable rules would harm

the taste of their food McDonald's was

not going to switch this was until the

1990s when American businessman Phil

Saka offs changed McDonald's Forever

Phil suffered a heart attack in 1966 at

the age of 43 and was utterly convinced

that saturated animal fat was the cause

of the attack he spent over3 million of

his own dollars advertising on

newspapers all across the country the

advertisement centered around

campaigning for McDonald's and other

restaurants to remove High saturated fat

items from their menu he then went about

making the American Heart Savers

Association in 1985 which is still

around today and in 1990 Phil was

successful as McDonald's announced that

they would be removing beef Tallow and

replacing it with vegetable oil on a

little tangent uh people hated the taste

of McDonald's fries so bad after this

that soon after McDonald's added a beef

tasting mixture into their frying

ingredients and so while technically

there's no beef involved in making

McDonald's french fries when vegans and

vegetarians eat the fries they're

basically liking the taste of beef

anyways his response to the McDonald's

announcement was I can't say we're going

to tear down the golden arches by the

year 2000 but I am confident that by the

year 2000 they are going to serve more

healthful

food if only Phil knew what he was

doing heavy smoking defining in the

study I'm referencing is smoking one

pack of cigarettes a day which was shown

to increase the risk of death by 80%

pretty horrifying and is why cigarettes

are so widely regulated and why so many

people call for the complete Banning of

them but interestingly enough incre

inreasing vegetable oil intake by 12% of

your total calories increases the risk

of death too real quick what do you

think the number is you don't have to

comment or anything I'm not going to be

like one of those guys but just remember

that number okay you got it well

increasing consumption of vegetable oils

by 12% of calories leads to an increased

death chance of 62% 62% all this data is

from a 7-year track and study where

there were two groups one group's fat

mostly came from margarine and safflower

oil while one groups fat and oil mostly

came from olive oil and butter the study

was only comprised of 458 participants

so don't treat the 62% number as gospel

something you're going to hear me say a

lot in this video so this raises the

important question if vegetables are so

important to human health then why are

vegetable oils so bad for human health

well first I want to talk about just

hydrogenated oils these are very bad due

to their high level of trans fats trans

fats are the worst types of fats they've

been shown to raise bad cholesterol and

lower good cholesterol and artificial

trans fats are likewise linked to

long-term inflammation insulin

resistance and even cancer especially

for people with obesity or excessive

weight polyunsaturated and

monounsaturated fats oxidize much faster

than saturated fats and vegetable oils

are comprised of almost completely just

these unsaturated fats oxidation of oils

or in simplified ter basically expiring

and going bad is very poor for health as

can be seen right here scientists have

also hypothesize that too much Omega 6

relative to omega3 May contribute to

chronic inflammation vegetable oils are

comprised of entirely Omega 6 and

because our society nowadays is very low

in its omega-3 consumption due to many

of the foods high in Omega-3s not being

widely consumed this could mean the

proliferation of vegetable oils will be

negative to health but and there's

always a butt these results are not

consistent between studies with many

studies finding no correlation so it is

something to worry about but something

that needs a lot more science done one

thing we know for sure though is that

these oils are commonly used to fry

Foods in restaurants and at home and are

often repeatedly heated which is a huge

problem because these oils are already

sensitive to oxidation and repeatedly

frying them speeds up the process

dramatically the compounds cause during

oxidation can cause major cell damage

and harm to overall health which is just

another reason to add to your list to

avoid fried foods and according to this

study right here both monounsaturated

fats or mufa good fat and

polyunsaturated fats poofa bad fat has

similar negative impact on post prandial

testosterone levels over a 5H hour

period a 5-hour period may not seem bad

but if a man is consuming vegetable oils

for all three meals just full of both

Pua and mua then this could be more of a

permanent effect you ever heard saying

that too much of anything is bad you

know they always talk about if you drink

too much water that can be bad well

vegetable oils are a huge part of the

American diet the average American

according to Total healthwellness Doom

consumes around 5 to 10 tablespoons of

vegetable oil a day according to one

Article 1 tblspoon of vegetable oil is

around 120 calories that means that the

average American consumes around 600 to

1200 calories of vegetable oil a day

that's a big increase in a very short

amount of time and so it goes without

saying that Americans are probably

consuming too much vegetable oil but

some may say vegetable oils are very low

in saturated fat content and very high

in the unsaturated good fats well

saturated fat has gotten a bad rrap over

the past 40 years and has been viewed in

a very negative light but Recent

research has come out in the last 10

years that making many experts question

the reputation of saturated fats for

example a 2016 review found that full

fat Dairy may have a neutral or

protective effect on heart disease risk

2017 study found that there was no

correlation between saturated fat intake

and mortality risk from cardiovascular

disease or any death the researchers

also found that higher saturated fat

intake reduced the risk of stroke and

the researchers found that high carb

diets had an increased risk of death

let's go

keto a 2020 study found that there was

many inconsistencies in the res arch of

the AHA such as no link between heart

disease and saturated fat the authors

concluded that there needed to be much

more scientific research before

concluding that as the AHA recommends

keeping saturated fats below 6% of daily

calories to sum up the section we know

that hydrogenated oils are bad very bad

no doubt but are increasingly rare given

that the FDA has banned our official

trans fats since 2020 the

non-hydrogenated versions of vegetable

oils are a much more complicated mess we

know that oxidation is bad and that

constantly reusing these oils over and

over and over again leads to increased

amounts of oxidation such as fast food

places where fried foods are fried in

the same oil time and time again

vegetable oils are a large part of the

American diet and probably need to be

shrink as a percentage of total daily

calories and the opinion experts have on

saturated fats is growing increasingly

unclear moving away from a strong

negative stance

vegetable oils may not be bad many

reputable sources like the AHA say that

saturated fats are worse for you then

unsaturated fats of course I just talked

about why the evidence is unclear but we

do know that too much saturated fat is

bad for you and vegetable oils can be an

easy way to reduce that and thus a lot

of the positive effects that researchers

have found of vegetable oils are heart

problems multiple studies of 2 to 3,000

participants found that vegetable oils

reduce the risk of cardiovascular

problems Harvard experts state that the

oxidation of vegetable oils are not

problem in home cooking where oil is

frequently changed but that restaurants

where oil is constantly reused this is a

major problem and much of the bad wrap

that vegetable oils get are because they

are so common in processed and deep

fried foods which are just bad for

everything you could deep fry an apple

and even though an Apple's really good

for you it's going to be bad because

it's just fried that's really all I got

for this section I couldn't find a huge

amount of studies in support of this but

it was clear that there was a lot of

studies talking about how vegetable oils

are very high in the good fats and low

in saturated

fats so here's everything we know at the

end of this video sugar is

bad the biggest problem with vegetable

oils is that there's just not a lot of

research there's not a lot of conclusive

things that we know because they're so

recent we haven't had a century to study

of these things real studying has only

happened in the last like 23 years

there's a lot of five person studies

that say that vegetable oils are bad the

only problem being with these studies is

that they're 500 person studies but on a

serious note here's what actually can be

said constantly reusing the same oil to

fry Foods is not good we consume a lot

of vegetable oils and with these three

things in mind which may not seem like a

lot there are many things that we can do

we need to really take into

consideration regulating restaurants and

how they use vegetable oils maybe you

don't have to switch your oils every

time because that will be SE as radical

but at least have a certain amount of

times that needs to be switched out like

let's say every three times it needs to

be switched out which I'm guessing

there's already a rule that you need to

switch out your oil after like 20 frying

sessions but that just seems like too

high of a number but of course don't

expect this to go swimmingly because how

the FDA handles things that are

literally toxic to you like lead is that

your water is allowed to be toxic but

just not too toxic and there are many

things that you can do at home when at

home use butter or olive oil instead

vegetable oils even if vegetable oil

oils aren't Satan himself we already

consume so many vegetable oils from

eating out that using avocado olive oil

butter is a way to equal out the amount

of fats that we're getting from

different sources reduce the amount you

eat out this is just good health advice

given that restaurants don't care that

much about you being healthy giv profit

comes first so just add this to another

reason not to get Big Macs and learn

that food research is not very clear on

anything this is something I've

especially learned researching for this

video but we don't really know how what

we eat affects us we know sugar is bad

for you but that took decades to find

out and years and Decades of propaganda

to overcome the more I research food the

more I just think like wow I don't know

how any of this stuff is affecting me

and then I always have that little voice

in the back of my head where I should

just go back to what my ancestors like

10,000 years ago were eating but I'm not

at the liver King yet but it is a good

recommendation to stay away from

processed food junk food and dessert

because that's what we know is bad for

you and stay away from Plastics as I've

done more research I realized that

Plastics not only hurt the environment

but there are actually millions of

particles of plastic in your bloodstream

right now and it's affecting human

health and major ways that need be taken

into serious consideration watch a video

over here on how there's plastic in your

blood and it's affecting you and don't

forget to reduce the amount you eat out

drink some olive oil and think better

I'll catch you over in my plastic video

right here