Hi, Everyone,
In one of the first article series I ever wrote, 9 Steps To Perfect Health, I referred to the “Three Horsemen of the Diet Apocalypse.”
These are the three food categories in the standard American diet (which is now prevalent in all industrialized countries) that I believe have had the most harmful impact on our health.
They are:
Sugar
Flour
Industrial seed oils
Removing these three foods should always be the starting place for someone who wants to improve their diet, but may not be ready for a full Paleo Reset or another stricter approach.
Most people have a good understanding of why flour and sugar are harmful, from their impact on blood sugar to how they affect the gut microbiome.
But what about industrial seed oils?
Well, a new study published in the journal Endocrinology makes this clear.
The authors found that soybean oil, which is the most widely consumed edible oil in the United States (comprising about 7 percent of the calories the average American eats!), not only contributes to obesity and diabetes, but may also increase the risk of neurological conditions like autism, Alzheimer’s disease, anxiety, and depression.
How does this happen?
The researchers discovered that soybean oil has pronounced effects on the hypothalamus, a small region of the brain that regulates weight, body temperature, and metabolism (among other things).
They also found that soybean oil consumption changed the expression of over 100 genes involved in everything from energy metabolism to proper brain function. Interestingly, coconut oil produced very few changes in the hypothalamic genes that soybean oil altered. This finding contradicts conventional wisdom that polyunsaturated fats (like soybean oil) are healthier than saturated fats (like coconut oil).
Caveat: this research was performed in mice, so we can’t be certain that these findings would also apply to humans.
That said, the mechanisms are likely similar, and in my mind, these data are certainly enough to warrant a large reduction in soybean oil consumption. Where is soybean oil found in the diet?
Processed, refined, packaged, and—sadly, yes—restaurant foods. (Fortunately, some higher-quality restaurants are starting to avoid using it, and consumers have power here, so it doesn’t hurt to ask your favorite restaurants if they cook with it.)
So, cooking most of your food at home and avoiding packaged foods—which is a good idea on many levels—is the best way to reduce your consumption of soybean oil.
In health,
Chris
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