CookWell For Life

                                                            RANCIDITY
                                              Why rancid oils are bad for the body

Depending on how saturated (molecularly stable) various plant and animal fats are, they become rancid (oxidized) at varying rates with exposure to heat, light, time, and air. With rancidity of oils, free radicals are created, which causes cellular damage and is associated with diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, cancer, atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), elevated cholesterol levels, and weight gain. Rancid oils can also cause digestive distress and deplete the body of vitamins B and E. Dr. Andrew Weil says that rancid oils can also cause damage to DNA, which can accelerate aging, promote tissue degeneration, and definitely foster cancer development. When rancid oils are consumed regularly, they dramatically increase your risk of developing the diseases mentioned above.

So, next time you taste the rancidity of stale nuts that have been set out at a party, discretely spit them out into a napkin, knowing that you’re doing your body a favor. On your way to the trash can, take the whole bowl of nuts along with you. If anyone asks what you’re doing, say that you care about your friends’ health, and that these nuts don’t serve health. And then, of course, make a quick trip (teleportation would be nice!) to SLO Natural Foods to replace them with some nuts from the glass jars of fresh nuts from the fridge. HA! I love this kind of hard-core idealism!