Nutrition & Dieting/Good oils for frying

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Question
QUESTION: I use olive oil for frying and deep frying. Is it a better or worse choice compared to other oils (sunflower, corn etc.)?
Thank you

ANSWER: Hello,

It depends on what you expect from the oil. Olive oil has a better (for your health) fatty acid composition than sunflower or corn oils.

However, if you aim to better culinary properties, take either peanut or grape seed oils since they have higher temperature of smocking so you food fries without the 'burnt' flavor and preserves taste better.

Tanya Zilberter


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Sorry for disturbing you again.
I read somewhere that when olive oil is cooked some of its benefiical acids turn into saturated fat. Is it true? My question is on only focused on health and not gastronomy.

Thank you

Answer
Polyunsaturated fats that are rich in essential fatty acids should be used cold to preserve their health benefits. Olive oil is higher in saturated fat than most of other plan oils, even when used cold. Heating unsaturated fats (in any oil) creates trans fatty acids - which is even worse for your health than saturated fats. Two exceptions are coconut oil and grapeseed oil having higher temperature to smocking meaning not only culinary benefits but also better resistance to turning into trans fats.

Suggested reading:

http://atkinszone.com/advice_support/2008/09/how-to-fight-trans-fats.html
http://atkinszone.com/did-you-know/2007/10/do-you-know-your-fats.html

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Tanya Zilberter, PhD

Expertise


I am in neurophysiology since 1972, my research started with studies of neuronal interactions in the hypothalamic centers of hunger and satiety. Since 2007, I focus on the metabolic aspects of neuroprotection.

Experience

I worked for 20 years in interdisciplinary teams with physicists and mathematicians as an expert in physiology, preparing conceptual models of regulatory systems for further implications in larger-scale mathematical and computer modeling. Tanya Zilberter, PhDAuthored 3 academic print books and five popular print books.

Organizations
I am a freelance research consultant for the Infotonic Consultancy. I participate in a research project concerning neuroprotectors including energy substrates. The website related to this project is Brain Fuels where I'm trying to popularly write about brain metabolism and neuroprotection.



Publications

Academic print books:

  • The current concept of homeostasis
  • Cascade effects of regulatory peptides
  • Physiological effects of neuropeptides


  • Recent academic articles:

  • GABA action in immature neocortical neurons directly depends on the availability of ketone bodies
  • Neuronal activity in vitro and the in vivo reality: the role of energy homeostasis.


  • Popular print books:

  • The Banta Diet
  • 180 Banta Diet Recipes
  • Calorie Theories, Longevity, and Natural Health
  • Reflexo-therapy From Kuznetsov's Applicator to Shakti Mat: Forty year-long success story

    Education/Credentials
    PhD in Physiology

    Past/Present Clients
    Currently, I affiliate with Infotonic Consultancy as a freelance research consultant. In 1972-1991, I wrote for/collaborated with: Informatics Div., Moscow State University, Institute for Continuing Education for Physicians (Russia), Glushkov's Institute of Cybernetics (Ukraine), State Institute of Scientific and Technical Information (Russia). In 1995-2007, I used to write for the online publishers such as about.com, lifetips.com, dietandbody.com, infozine.com, atkinszone.com, bantadiet.com, reflexo-therapy.com. In 2005-2007 and in 2009, I worked for the Mediterranean Institute of Neurobiology, Marseille, France.

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