<<Okay, so back to my original question of cooking with oils, e.g., olive
oil, a
monounsaturated oil.  I don't use any other oil for cooking.  The way it
looks, I
won't use olive oil either.  sigh..... : (>>


Oliva,


No need to sigh :) .  According to this blurb I copied *word-for-word*,
olive oil is "less toxic" when sautéed at a low temperature.

Shopping for Oils

Most oils on the market are highly processed and nutrient deficient.  They
are very different from the seed, nut, or fruit they originated from.  In
refining of conventional oils, seeds are cleaned and cooked, the oil is
extracted, degummed, refined, bleached, and deodorized.  Virtually all of
the original vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and essential fatty acids are
removed.  What is left is a tasteless, odorless and clear, but stable, oil
that can sit on the supermarket shelves for months without going rancid.

This intense processing forms toxic fatty acids in the oil.  It is therefore
recommended that only oils that have been unrefined, minimally processed,
and pressed at low temperature under the exclusion of light and oxygen be
chosen.  The oil should be stored in dark containers that do not allow light
in and the bottle should have an expiry date.  Beware that the word
"cold-pressed" does not necessarily assure quality as there are no
regulations in Canada or the United States for using it.

Which Oils to Buy

Walk into the grocery store and colorless, odorless, tasteless vegetable
oils in clear plastic bottles comprises the bulk of oils on the shelves.  In
comparison, you will find a gourmet selection of wholesome, unrefined,
cold-pressed oils in health food stores.  The most beneficial oils included
flax seed, walnut, almond, pumpkin seed, and olive oil.

Oil Processing Methods

There are only two ways commercially available oils are produced - refined
and unrefined.  These terms refer to the method of treating the oil.

Refined oils undergo an unnatural processing treatment which destroys
essential fatty acids and loads the oil with impurities.  To process these
oils, processors use bleaching corrosive bases and acids, clays, extreme hot
or cold temperatures, defoamers and preservatives.  Refining oil in this
manner is as unnecessary is it is harmful.

Hydrogenation adds hydrogen to essential fatty acids and serves to solidify
oils into margarine and shortenings, to extend shelf-life.  All of these
methods leave the fats altered and the oil without any nutritional value.

When buying oil, be wary of refined oils labeled as cholesterol-free, light
or pure.  These descriptive words are empty of meaning as every refined oil
has undergone one or more of the harsh processes mentioned above.

The healthiest and most nutritional oils are pressed from organically grown
seeds, and remain unrefined.  These oils use a mechanical extraction process
or press at low temperatures to obtain the oil.  The nutritional value and
wholesome taste is left intact.

The best oils, those rich and balanced in both essential fatty acids, need
to be protected from light, oxygen, and high temperature, should be stored
in dark glass, and should not be used for frying.

Containers: Glass or plastic?

There has been some debate over whether plastic is acceptable for packaging
oils.  Plastic is an unnatural substance which mimics the hormone estrogen
when it breaks down through heating.  Glass is natural and has been used for
oils for hundreds of years.  Glass is more expensive, but for oils appears
the better choice.  Clear or white plastic containers are the worst choice
as light, especially the bright lights in supermarkets, ruins oil.

Storage

Oils have different melting points which means each oil has its own specific
storage requirements.  Flax and pumpkin seed oil should be kept in the
refrigerator while others such as olive, almond, and sesame oil can be
stored in a cupboard.  Unrefined oils do not have preservatives and have a
limited life span.

Oils in the Diet

It is always best to eat oils in the natural, unheated form.  Heating oils
destroys their nutritional value and encourages rancidity and free radical
production, but if you choose to cook with oils, the following guidelines
will serve as a reference for the most healthful way of cooking with fats
and oils:

Oils That Should Not be Heated:
Flax, walnut, soy bean, EFA-rich blends, pumpkin, safflower, sunflower

Oils Which are Less Toxic When Lightly Sautéed at Low Temperatures:
Olive, hazelnut, sesame, and almond

Oils Which are Least Toxic When Fried:
Butter, clarified butter, coconut oil, coconut butter

source: Encyclopedia of Natural Healing, 1997

Rob