rockerween
I'm new to the vegan lifestyle and before I get to my question--I'm loving it and I haven't felt better!
Ok, so I've noticed a lot of hemp-seed oil and hemp-seeds; what is so great/beneficial about hemp seed?
Why does vegan/vegetarian cooking call for coconut oil or safflower oil over olive oil? I was always under the impresson that olive oil was the way to go...
I think that's it... If I think of more questions, I'll be sure to ask.
Answer
Hemp seed is a complete protein, high in protein, and high in Omega 3 fatty acids as well as fiber. However, even though it can't get you high since it's actually a different plant (tomatoes and potatoes come from the same family too but are quite different), it is illegal to grow in the United States and must be grown elsewhere such as Canada and imported in. Hemp milk made fresh from seeds minutes before drinking is one of the most incredible things I've ever had and I wasn't expecting it to be. It's worth the effort.
Olive oil is a good oil for health but not the only one. It's often at it's best when added cold to foods as on salads or a sandwich. Flax oil is the same as is hemp. Heat kills the Omega 3 fatty acids and can also destroy the oil as it can for olive oils.
Coconut oil has a lot of health benefits too and unrefined can add a lovely flavor to some foods such as Thai. But, most importantly it can withstand high heats yet is also shelf stable without going rancid for as long as two years (versus a few months for olive oils). There are other qualities such as adding crispness to baked goods as a lard or shortening might but natural and non-hydrogenated. Peanut oil is good for high heat (stir fry, popping corn, etc.) and also gives a lovely flavor to foods especially baked desserts (brownies) but can be an allergenic.
Safflower oil is very neutral and doesn't impart flavors like olive, coconut, peanut, and others can so doesn't interfere with the food.
There are actually a lot of different oils including walnut, avocado, and sesame (which has a wonderful smell), with different qualities for different purposes. Check out the Spectrum pages to get a better overview of the great variety and their best uses.
Have fun and keep exploring. :)
Hemp seed is a complete protein, high in protein, and high in Omega 3 fatty acids as well as fiber. However, even though it can't get you high since it's actually a different plant (tomatoes and potatoes come from the same family too but are quite different), it is illegal to grow in the United States and must be grown elsewhere such as Canada and imported in. Hemp milk made fresh from seeds minutes before drinking is one of the most incredible things I've ever had and I wasn't expecting it to be. It's worth the effort.
Olive oil is a good oil for health but not the only one. It's often at it's best when added cold to foods as on salads or a sandwich. Flax oil is the same as is hemp. Heat kills the Omega 3 fatty acids and can also destroy the oil as it can for olive oils.
Coconut oil has a lot of health benefits too and unrefined can add a lovely flavor to some foods such as Thai. But, most importantly it can withstand high heats yet is also shelf stable without going rancid for as long as two years (versus a few months for olive oils). There are other qualities such as adding crispness to baked goods as a lard or shortening might but natural and non-hydrogenated. Peanut oil is good for high heat (stir fry, popping corn, etc.) and also gives a lovely flavor to foods especially baked desserts (brownies) but can be an allergenic.
Safflower oil is very neutral and doesn't impart flavors like olive, coconut, peanut, and others can so doesn't interfere with the food.
There are actually a lot of different oils including walnut, avocado, and sesame (which has a wonderful smell), with different qualities for different purposes. Check out the Spectrum pages to get a better overview of the great variety and their best uses.
Have fun and keep exploring. :)
Are all fats the same? ?
Jess
I know fats like olive oil and canola oil are better for you.. but fats that are in lets say a cheeseburger versus a candy bar. are those the same fats? Do they do the same damage on my body?
Okay cheeseburger/candy bar were examples..
I'm more so wondering the affects from different types of fats.
Answer
there are loads of different kinds of fats.
There are a few primary differences:
1 - animal fats are more similar to human fat, so the body tends to have an easier time converting it and storing it.
2 - some kinds of fats have special qualities. These are usually based around it's reactivity.
3 - time and heat are the two primary factors in any reaction, so both of these are likewise primary factors in making an oil more stable. Conversely, they are also the two primary factors in making an oil unusable even though it originally may have had special qualities as mentioned in 2.
So what are some examples to support those 3 points?
1 - eat a cheeseburger and most of that is animal fat, so is going to contribute to weight gain more than a quarter cup of flax oil.
2 - the special qualities are often referred to with the following terms that you can research if you feel motivated: Omega 3, 6, 9, 12. unsaturated fats. poly unsaturated fats. highly polyunsaturated fats. DHA, and more....
Oils that are often referred to as poly-unsaturated or highly poly-unsaturated are the ones that have the best health benefits. Check out flax oil, hemp oil, salmon oil, evening primrose oil, pumpkin oil and almond oil.
3 - The bad thing is that the more beneficial an oil may be when it starts out, the more susceptible it is to being damaged. The greatest benefits (specifically those associated with the parts that are highly polyunsaturated) are the first to go. Oxygen, heat, light, time, these things all play a part.
Some oils aren't particularly high in any of those benefits, so are comparatively stable. Canola, Peanut, soy, coconut oil are all good examples of this. They don't get damaged much by heat, but they didn't really start that potently 'good for you' either. They are resistant to rancidity (sometimes known as oxidization - binding with oxygen) as well as damage by heat (which can be oxidization, but can also be binding with itself or other forms of damage).
Damage by heat can occur in several ways since it is forcing the oil to react (remember that fire is also a byproduct of chemical reaction). Once it has reacted, it becomes 'saturated' because it loses any further ability to react with anything and is basically useless grease that clogs the body and causes many health problems related to 'bad fats'.
A good example of this is olive oil which is quite healthy if you have it fresh, but loses pretty much all of that when you heat it up to a certain point (it's considered a medium-low heat oil).
Saturated basically means unable to react more.
This is a heavily simplified version of what is actually one of the most complicated subjects in health food. Oils and fats have a MAJOR role in the most complicated and special aspects of all life (note that the instructions for life in a seed are in the germ - which is also where most of the oils of the seed are... the same follows that in our brain, there are many special fats and oils that make up larger percentages of the volume of our 'grey matter).
I'd encourage you to look it up and research it if you are interested.
A cheeseburger will contain fats from many sources: the 'cheese' product, the meat, the sauces...
The fats in the cheese product will likely be saturated and probably worse. Processed cheese bears little resemblance to real cheese.
The meat will be animal based fats - which are likewise going to be saturated fats and will get sucked into your body.
The sauce will probably contain 'hydrogenated' oil which is a heat based process that binds water (hydrogen and oxygen) to the oil, making it behave like a saturated fat although chemically not exactly the same. Any creamy looking sauce is generally hydrogenated. Hydrogenation gives thickness and consistency.
A candy bar will likely be a combination of fats in the choclate and fats in the sugar confections. Most mainstream chocolate uses a fair bit of hydrogenated palm kernel oil, and most candy bars contain some manner of toffee or caramel which is basically oil and sugar cooked into a paste. This also often uses poor quality oils.
You are probably getting a comparatively minor amount of fats from the candy bar over the cheeseburger. The size should tell you that right away though...
PS - adding a note in response to the above comment: high fructose corn syrup is NOT fat. It's basically pure sugar. Usually mostly glucose and dextrose too. High fructose is a 'relative' term comparing it with other corn based sweetening products.
there are loads of different kinds of fats.
There are a few primary differences:
1 - animal fats are more similar to human fat, so the body tends to have an easier time converting it and storing it.
2 - some kinds of fats have special qualities. These are usually based around it's reactivity.
3 - time and heat are the two primary factors in any reaction, so both of these are likewise primary factors in making an oil more stable. Conversely, they are also the two primary factors in making an oil unusable even though it originally may have had special qualities as mentioned in 2.
So what are some examples to support those 3 points?
1 - eat a cheeseburger and most of that is animal fat, so is going to contribute to weight gain more than a quarter cup of flax oil.
2 - the special qualities are often referred to with the following terms that you can research if you feel motivated: Omega 3, 6, 9, 12. unsaturated fats. poly unsaturated fats. highly polyunsaturated fats. DHA, and more....
Oils that are often referred to as poly-unsaturated or highly poly-unsaturated are the ones that have the best health benefits. Check out flax oil, hemp oil, salmon oil, evening primrose oil, pumpkin oil and almond oil.
3 - The bad thing is that the more beneficial an oil may be when it starts out, the more susceptible it is to being damaged. The greatest benefits (specifically those associated with the parts that are highly polyunsaturated) are the first to go. Oxygen, heat, light, time, these things all play a part.
Some oils aren't particularly high in any of those benefits, so are comparatively stable. Canola, Peanut, soy, coconut oil are all good examples of this. They don't get damaged much by heat, but they didn't really start that potently 'good for you' either. They are resistant to rancidity (sometimes known as oxidization - binding with oxygen) as well as damage by heat (which can be oxidization, but can also be binding with itself or other forms of damage).
Damage by heat can occur in several ways since it is forcing the oil to react (remember that fire is also a byproduct of chemical reaction). Once it has reacted, it becomes 'saturated' because it loses any further ability to react with anything and is basically useless grease that clogs the body and causes many health problems related to 'bad fats'.
A good example of this is olive oil which is quite healthy if you have it fresh, but loses pretty much all of that when you heat it up to a certain point (it's considered a medium-low heat oil).
Saturated basically means unable to react more.
This is a heavily simplified version of what is actually one of the most complicated subjects in health food. Oils and fats have a MAJOR role in the most complicated and special aspects of all life (note that the instructions for life in a seed are in the germ - which is also where most of the oils of the seed are... the same follows that in our brain, there are many special fats and oils that make up larger percentages of the volume of our 'grey matter).
I'd encourage you to look it up and research it if you are interested.
A cheeseburger will contain fats from many sources: the 'cheese' product, the meat, the sauces...
The fats in the cheese product will likely be saturated and probably worse. Processed cheese bears little resemblance to real cheese.
The meat will be animal based fats - which are likewise going to be saturated fats and will get sucked into your body.
The sauce will probably contain 'hydrogenated' oil which is a heat based process that binds water (hydrogen and oxygen) to the oil, making it behave like a saturated fat although chemically not exactly the same. Any creamy looking sauce is generally hydrogenated. Hydrogenation gives thickness and consistency.
A candy bar will likely be a combination of fats in the choclate and fats in the sugar confections. Most mainstream chocolate uses a fair bit of hydrogenated palm kernel oil, and most candy bars contain some manner of toffee or caramel which is basically oil and sugar cooked into a paste. This also often uses poor quality oils.
You are probably getting a comparatively minor amount of fats from the candy bar over the cheeseburger. The size should tell you that right away though...
PS - adding a note in response to the above comment: high fructose corn syrup is NOT fat. It's basically pure sugar. Usually mostly glucose and dextrose too. High fructose is a 'relative' term comparing it with other corn based sweetening products.
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