Guest guest Posted October 22, 2003 Report Share Posted October 22, 2003 Okay, I need some help from the dieticians and rn's out there. I just read (in a maverick doc's newsletter: s III, MD's " Real Health " ) the following: " Nuts have long been dubbed fattening or unhealthy. But since most of their admittedly high fat content comprises unsaturated fats.... then they are ok " (this is a quote the author is disputing, and he goes on to comment): This is not completely true. The message isn't saturated vs. unsaturated, but what the oil IS in its normal, unprocessed state. The best examples are coconut oil and palm oil. They are HIGHLY SATURATED but they are the healthiest oils to cook with, along with olive oil, which is not saturated. (Carol's question: anyone know WHY they're supposedly the healthiest to cook with?) As you can see, it can get a little confusing. But all you have to remember is which oils to cook with : make a list and stick with it--coconut, palm, and olive oil, butter and animal fats, such as lard, lamb & beef fat. Don't use ANY of the others, esp corn oil and soy oil. You're now more knowledgeable on the saturated/unsaturated issue pertaining to nuts than the FDA experts. So now a few words on what's REALLY healthy vs. unhealthy when it comes to nuts. You already know that carbohydrates (sugar & starch) are THE nutritional disaster of the 20th century, so what's the carb situation with nuts? Cashews are very high in sugar content. And I have to make special mention of peanut butter. It is NOT a nut and it is NOT butter. Peanuts are legumes, and the " butter " is loaded with trans fatty acids, which are loaded with free radicals and other health risks. (Carol's question: !!! ??? !!! Trans-fatty acids? Who knew? Not me. I avoid them like the plague, but have been using p/butter when I'm having a hypoglycemic attack. Does anyone know the real scoop on this?) References: " Frequent nut consumption and risk of coronary heart disease in women: prospective cohort study. " British Medical Journal 1998; 317(7,169):1,341-1,345 " Nutcracking girls live longer, " Nature Science Update (www.nature.com) 11/26/98 FDA ok's Nutty Heart Health Claim, " WebMD Medical News 7/17/03 --------------------------------------- Carol A Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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