There's an online trend going on, fueled by self proclaimed nutrition experts saying that "rapeseed is inflammatory". 👀
Let's check the facts:
1) There are four main types of fats:
- polyunsaturated (the best guys). These are the Omega 3s abd 6s. Examples: walnuts, sunflower oil, flax oil, oily fish (like salmon, mackerel, etc).
- monounsaturated (the good guys). Examples: olive oil, sesame oil, almonds, cashews, peanuts, avocados, pumpkin seeds, rapeseed oil etc.
- saturated (the bad guys), there are exceptions, but as a rule of thumb, avoid them: lard, palm oil, etc.
- trans-saturated (terrible): artificially made and so damaging that it is forbidden in the UK.
2) Our body needs Omega 3s and Omega 6s to function. They come from oils, we can't produce them ourselves.
3) There is a theory that says that Omega 3s and 6s regulate each other, and you should have a ratio of at least 1:1 of them, or even better: more Omega 3s than 6s. So if you have too much Omega 6s, and not enough Omega 3s, your body could be unbalanced, but in practice, this doesn't happen in medical trials, it's just a theory.
4) UNREFINED seed oils (aka cold pressed), like rapeseed or sunflower oil, has plenty of Omega 3s and Omega 6s, just like olive oil, avocado oil, etc. Now once REFINED, the oil loses some of its best properties, some polyphenols, etc. However, the loss is quite small, and again: in medical trials it doesn't translate to any kind of inflammation.
🤔So wait, the culprit is not the rapeseed?
💚Correct!
🤔Wait, avocado oil and rapeseed oil are both high in Omega 6s, and they are both good for us?
💚Correct!
🤔So if you buy refined olive oil (anything that is not extra-virgin), could it have inflammatory effects?
💚No!
🤔And does that mean that if I buy cold pressed rapeseed oil (they are usually yellow) it's really healthy?
💚Yes!
🤔So why aren't all food products made with cold pressed extra virgin oils?
💚Have you tried baking a cake with extra virgin olive oil? It tastes "olivy"... Again, if taste wasn't a factor, we could all live off kombuchas and sauerkrauts 😂
And this is why here at Fitbakes we only use the best British sourced oil in our bakes. It's local, better for the environment, it's full of good fats, and it gives you the best nutrition and taste balance.
So now that you know the full story, next time you hear some alarmist say "rapeseed is inflammatory", tell them to leave the poor rapeseed alone, and toast with a piece of cake! 🍰
References:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7258276/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18408140/
https://www.gbhealthwatch.com/Science-Omega3-Omega6.php