Inflammatory Oils.

Inflammatory oils have gotten a lot of attention in trending health headlines as of late and there’s a lot of contradictory information on the internet. Here’s the science behind oils and how they may or may not be causing inflammation.

From our diet we need two types of essential fatty acids that our body does not produce, omega-6 and omega-3. The ratio of the two should be around 4:1. However, according to a recent study, the average American diet is somewhere around 16:1 and overconsumption of omega-6 can trigger an inflammatory response. Inflammation is an important function of the body to heal from injury and illness, but unnecessary inflammation and persistent low-levels of inflammation can result in heart disease, mental disorders, neurological diseases, cancer, and autoimmune disorders. Luckily, the inverse is also true. Ratios of 4 or less omega-6 fatty acids to every 1 omega-3 fatty acid can reduce the likelihood of those same diseases.

Processed seed and vegetable oils like canola, corn, soybean, sunflower, safflower, grape seed, etc. have high levels of omega-6 fatty acids, thus giving them the name “inflammatory oils”. These oils are often what are used in fried and processed foods, which the average American consumes regularly. Omega-6 fatty acids are also found in animal proteins and other sources, so eliminating vegetable and seed oils will not eliminate consumption of this nutrient all together. Cooking with oils and fats which are low in omega-6 like coconut oil, olive oil, avocado oil and butter will help to maintain a healthy ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids. Inflammatory oil consumption can also be reduced by making swaps in baked goods, dressings, condiments, and snacks. Avocado oil can be used in place of vegetable oil in any baking recipe and there's no difference to the taste!