No dietary oil is purely saturated or unsaturated. All natural fats and oils consist of a mixture of the three classes of fatty acids. To say an oil is saturated or monounsaturated is a gross oversimplification. Olive oil is often called ‘monounsaturated’ because it is predominantly monounsaturated, but like all vegetable oils, it also contains some polyunsaturated and saturated fats (see table for the amounts of each kind of fatty acid found in different fats and oils).
What is important to remember in choosing your oils and fats is to avoid polyunsaturated unless it occurs in an oil or fat that has not been highly processed. It is the processing of oils that makes them harmful to our bodies that is why we steer clear of ALL processed and hydrogenated vegetable oils such as the ones marked in red below and use the ones marked in green especially coconut oil and butter. We also use ghee, which is clarified butter, that we make ourselves from organic butter from grass fed cows.
. Percent of Percent of Percent of
. saturated monounsaturated polyunsaturated
. fats fats fats
Canola Oil 6 62 32
Safflower oil 10 13 77
Sunflower oil 11 20 69
Corn Oil 13 25 62
Soybean oil 15 24 61
Olive oil 14 77 9
Chicken fat 31 47 22
Lard 41 47 12
Beef fat 52 44 4
Palm oil 51 39 10
Butter 66 30 4
Coconut oil 92 6 2
From “The Coconut Oil Miracle” by Bruce Fife
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