So what is wrong with vegetable oils anyway?

Q. Why are you promoting ghee ( would 'cow butterfat' be the right Western word for ghee?), coconut oil and olive oil when these 3 oils seem to have the following deficiencies as compared to vegetable oils :-
higher quantities and proportions of saturated vs. unsaturated fatty acids
lower quantities of unsaturated fatty acids as compared to veg. oils
lower quantities & proportions of poly-unsaturated vs. mono-unsaturated fatty acids
lower quantities & proportions of essential fatty acids & omega-3 F.A.s than several other veg. oils.
Am I right in making the above observations?

I am a little confused about why vegetable oils are so bad - from some reading of chemistry & physiology that I have started. Is it because of high transfats from the process of refining and partial hydrogenation and/or because of high omega-6 f.a.s. Also, what about flaxseed oil - it seems to be the best natural source of ALA.

Could you clarify.

Answer.
For the last majority of people on earth, the consumption of more omega six fatty acids is extremely deleterious. For these people, the omega 6/omega-3 fatty acid ratio intake is considerably above 50:1....and often as high as 100:1... It should be closer to 1:1. Extra omega 6 causes more inflammation. Arguably the worst fatty acid that you can eat is omega six, as it not only oxidizes easily outside of the body, but also (non-enzymaticaly/unwanted) inside of the body.

  • Coconut oil has the highest proportion of MCT's (medium chain triglycerides) of any oil. Although saturated, it is of the shorter chain variety and therefore much easier to burn. It also, being saturated, is not prone to unwanted oxidation and this is a good thing. Ghee also has high quantities of MCT's. It must be recognized that all saturated fats are not the same. The short and medium chain saturated fatty acids are extremely advantageous.

Olive oil is high in monounsaturated fats. It is a good compromise between long chain saturated and polyunsaturated.

Thanks for the question,
Dr. Ron