Dark Calories: How Vegetable Oils Destroy Our Health and How We Get It Back

Vegetable oils are terrible for one’s health, according to this troubling warning. Physician Shanahan (Deep Nutrition) explains that they contain polyunsaturated fatty acids that undergo a chemical transformation when heated during the manufacturing process, creating “brand-new compounds within the oil that... are mildly to extremely toxic.” Such toxins can cause oxidative stress, a “cellular imbalance that disrupts everything the cell is trying to do” and leads to chronic inflammation. Shanahan’s assertion that vegetable oils are the primary reason why inflammatory diseases have ticked upward in recent decades doesn’t quite persuade, as it relies on circumstantial evidence that vegetable oil use has increased over the same period, and she admits that there’s relatively little research studying a direct link between vegetable oil and inflammatory disease. Still, readers who want to err on the side of caution and steer clear of the substance will benefit from tips for replacing it with healthier fats. For instance, she recommends substituting butter, ghee, or unrefined coconut oil for vegetable oil; loading up on almonds, avocados, and pecans; and eating meats with low polyunsaturated fat content, such as beef and lamb. Shanahan also lists vegetable oil–free meal ideas, recommending steak, roasted vegetables, and hummus made from olive oil. Though this perhaps overstates vegetable oils’ evils, it provides sound guidance on how to reduce one’s intake of the stuff. Health enthusiasts will want to take note. (June)