COOKING OILS, FAT, CHOLESTEROL, AND THE REST OF THE (ABACHA NCHA) STORY.

Recently, there were exchanges on this forum on cooking oil, the various kinds, the benefits and drawbacks. Abancha ncha,( an Igbo delicacy made with dry,shredded cassava, lightly rehydrated to leave it crunchy mixed with dried fish, ugba, other delicious ingredients all of which are then tossed in a dressing made with palm oil,water and akanwu), was discussed at length. In addition to palm oil, coconut oil was mentioned.In this article, I intend to shed some light on the FATS which are the problems with some of these oils. Olive oil, canola oil, Soy oil, Sunflower oil, peanut or groundnut oil are some of the other cooking oils. Some fruits we like are high in fats, for example the melon seed we love in Egusi soup. Avocados are high in fat, but not bad for us. There is always a good and a bad side to most things in life. Fats are no exception. Fats are necessary for life. All these will be discussed here.

The general belief is that fats are bad for you. As common as this belief is, it is simply not true. Cholesterol is the most feared of all and because of that, I will start with cholesterol and work to the triglycerides, saturated and unsaturated fats, trans fats and then zero in on cooking oils and where and how they rank.
This article will therefore be in sections which will be put out as time permits.

It is a well known fact that cholesterol is capable of clogging arteries resulting in arteriosclerosis which leads to heart disease, strokes, heart attacks and a variety of other diseases. Cholesterol, despite the above, is very essential to health and living. Up to two thirds of your body's cholesterol is produced in the liver and the intestine. It is a normal constituent of bile. Cholesterol is also found in the brain, adrenal, and nerve fiber sheaths. Cholesterol is very good when it is good cholesterol. Cholesterol functions in these areas:

1. In the skin, cholesterol is converted to essential vitamin D when touched by the ultraviolet rays of the sun.

2. Cholesterol aids in the metabolism of Carbohydrates. When we eat carbohydrates (sugar,glucose) it gets in the cells to produce energy), the excess glucose is converted to glycogen which is then converted to fat and stored.( More details later.) Cholesterol transports fat to cells.The more carbohydrates you eat, the more cholesterol is produced
.
3. Cholesterol is a major supplier of life essential adrenal- steroid hormones such as cortisone.

4. Cholesterol is necessary for the production of male and female sex hormones. It is a component of every membrane.

To be transported around, cholesterol is bound to protein. The differences in the actions of cholesterol depend on the protein to which it is bound. Lipoproteins are the factors in the blood which transport cholesterol.

There are two kinds of Lipoproteins-- --- High Density Lipoproteins (HDL, also known as good cholesterol) and Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL, also known as bad cholesterol). There is also Very Low Density lipoprotein (VLDL) which are the substances the liver needs to produce Low Density lipoproteins.

The various Lipoproteins:

1. The Low Density Lipoproteins (LDL) carry about sixty percent of blood cholesterol and are bad because they deposit cholesterol in arteries , where it joins with other substances to become PLAQUE , the artery blocker (causes stroke, heart attack).

1b.
The Very Low Density Lipoproteins (VLDL) control the amount of LDL produced by the liver. The more of them in the body, the more LDL the liver sends out, the more your chances of having heart disease.
2.
High Density Lipoproteins (HDL) carry about twenty percent of blood cholesterol and is composed of mainly lecithin which are good agents whose detergent actions breaks up plaque and can transfer cholesterol through blood without clogging arteries. They are therefore the good guys and are referred to as good cholesterol. The higher the levels, the better for health.

Recent studies have shown that people with big hips and trim waists
( pear shaped) have higher levels of HDL than people with pot bellies,( beer bellies,rich man's belly) apple shaped. Refer back to METABOLIC SYNDROME. This shows why females generally live about eight years longer than men. The higher your HDL, the lower your chances of developing heart disease.

To be continued-----

Triglycerides, Saturated vs Unsaturated fats, Mono vs poly unsaturated fats, Trans-Fats, Cholesterol levels, cooking oil---coming next.