The Paleo Diet - Loren Cordain [66]
If you can afford it, I recommend that you always choose extra-virgin olive oil, because this grade of oil is produced by physical means only, without chemical treatment, and it contains the highest concentrations of polyphenolic compounds, which protect against cancer, heart disease, and inflammation.
Although peanut oil has been promoted as a healthy, cholesterol-lowering oil because of its high monounsaturated fat content (46 percent of total fat), it has turned out to be one of the most atherogenic (artery-clogging) of all oils. In fact, it is routinely used to induce coronary artery atherosclerosis in monkeys and other laboratory animals. It’s not clear exactly why this happens. Some scientific evidence suggests that peanut lectins (proteins that bind to carbohydrates) may be responsible for this effect.
Because soybean oil also contains residual lectin activity (SBA) and maintains a marginal (7.5) omega 6 to omega 3 ratio, it can’t be recommended as a staple oil, either. A similar argument can be made for wheat germ oil, which has a marginal omega 6 to omega 3 ratio of 7.9 but also contains large quantities of the lectin WGA, one of the most widely studied and potentially most damaging of all the dietary lectins.
Coconut meat, oil, and milk are traditional foods of indigenous people who live in the tropics. These foods have high amounts of a saturated fat called lauric acid, which is known to elevate blood cholesterol concentrations—a risk factor for cardiovascular disease in modern Westernized populations. Paradoxically, traditional cultures that consume coconut foods have a minimal or nonexistent incidence of heart disease, stroke, or cardiovascular complications normally associated with eating high levels of saturated fats, such as the lauric acid found in coconut food products.
Lauric acid apparently exerts a protective effect in our bodies by eliminating gut bacteria that increase intestinal permeability, a risk factor for cardiovascular disease via heightened chronic low-level inflammation. Based on the evidence of traditional Pacific Islanders who consume coconut, it appears that this food does not present a risk for cardiovascular disease when included as a component of modern Paleo Diets. Let your palate go back to the islands and enjoy the delicious health benefits of this traditional plant food.
SALAD AND COOKING OILS
Spices
One of the key elements of the Paleo Diet is to cut way down on your use of salt—or, better yet, cut it out entirely. This doesn’t mean you need to eat bland, tasteless food—far from it. If you haven’t already plunged into the wonderful world of spices, now’s your chance.
Lemon crystals and lemon pepper are good replacements for salt, and they give food a mouthwatering zing. There are also several good salt substitutes, commercially available spice mixes designed to take the place of salt. Note: Check the labels; sometimes spice mixes contain cornstarch, hydrolyzed wheat proteins, or other grain and legume products.
Some people—particularly if they are suffering from an autoimmune disease—should stay away from spices made from chili peppers (cayenne pepper and paprika). This botanical family of spices contains a substance called “capsaicin.” Studies by Dr. Erika Jensen-Jarolim and colleagues at University Hospital in Vienna, Austria, have shown that capsaicin increases intestinal permeability and may play a role in the development and progression of certain autoimmune diseases. Again, let your body serve as your guide: if a spice seems to be irritating your system or causing problems, don’t use it.