[pct-l] Re: Butter or Margarine Substitute

[campydog at verizon.net (Campy)]

Ref: From: "Jennifer Holliday" <JHolliday@communitycouncil.org>
Subject: RE: [pct-l] Re: Butter or Margarine Substitute

Jennifer wrote:

"Campy--I'm curious about this claim that olive oil has trans fat--where 
have you seen that? "

One good source of information on olive oil is from a pro-olive oil 
industry source:

http://www.virgintogo.co.uk/template.asp?PageID=44&MenuID=57

Its Table 1 discloses that extra virgin oil contains 77% oleic acid, the 
stable monounsaturated fat. The remainders are, 8.4% polyunsaturated 
fat - linoleic acid primarily (omega-6) and less linolenic acid 
(omega-3), and 13.5% saturated fat. Thus, extra virgin oil is highest in 
monounsaturated fats (one double-bond in its fatty acid structure), and 
is low in both polyunsaturated and saturated fats - and that's good. The 
oil example of Table 1 may be Italian oil (actually, from Spain - the 
source of most "Italian" olive oils); it is my understanding that Greek 
olive oil is even a better monosaturate.

Extra virgin olive oil is not the best choice as a cooking oil because 
it imparts a distinctive flavor of the olive to food - it is best used 
cool in dressings or in sauces. The "puro" oil which is ideal for 
cooking contains however additional non-oleic acids and is even more 
susceptible to heat-induced damage - the unpaired electrons at the 
double bonds make this fraction highly reactive. Oxidation begins to 
occur within seconds of hitting the hot pan, liberating highly reactive 
free radicals in the food, and this is not a good thing.

Thus, it has been said that "olive oil is good for health but not good 
for cooking". As you know, fully stable fats, such as ghee, are 100% 
saturated and are
not susceptible to oxidation, in other words, they don't become rancid, 
not even when used in cooking.

"I'll be thru-hiking in '04 and plan on bringing olive oil--but simply 
to use as a caloric boost in my 
boil-water-then-drop-in-quick-cooking-food meals."

Well, sure. Using butter or ghee in your oatmeal and quick-cook foods 
contributes more of a caloric boost than does oil, and also gives you 
anti-toxic and anti-microbial properties not present in oil - for 
example, to protect the liver from alcohol and other toxins such as 
Tylenol. The longer chain fatty acids in olive oil are more likely to 
contribute to the buildup of body fat than the short and medium chain 
fatty acids found in butter and ghee. And, it is now known that dietary 
cholesterol does not lead to serum cholesterol - the "lipid hypothesis" 
has been thrown off the board.

I personally complement olive oil with ghee when preparing Italian 
dishes, and with stir-fry I fully supplant groundnut oil in the wok with 
ghee.

==^=======================
Campy
Central California Trail Coordinator
"Home of the High Sierra Trail Gorillas"
Pacific Crest Trail Association
Bishop CA Tel.: 760-872-2338
Email: tap "Reply"

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