Omega Imbalance

October 9, 2009
Polyunsaturated oils contribute to increased cancer and heart disease, weight gain, digestive disorders, and immune-system dysfunction. And most American diets are overloaded with them. Polyunsaturated oils tend to become rancid or oxidized in cooking. Rancid oils are characterized by free radicals, which can damage cells in the body. Fast-food chains’ commercial polyunsaturated oils contain large amounts of omega-6 linoleic acid and not much omega-3 linolenic acid, a dangerous ratio. In the end, heart disease almost certainly does not have much to do with animal fat and cholesterol. The real culprit, among other things, is overconsumption of polyunsaturated oils and hydrogenated fats.