Good Oils and Fatty Substances
Oils: Suggestions Diseases Food Data Lecithin&Choline
Confused by all this? Summarizing good and bad oil recommendations: Get most of your oil from food, not from oil in a bottle. When you do use oil in a bottle, go for the unrefined. Severely limit trans-fats and long chain saturated fats. Limit polyunsaturated fats except for sources high in omega-3. Unfortunately most salad dressings are high in polyunsaturates but not omega-3, unless they are based on olive oil. You can also make a flaxseed shake. Studies indicate that a moderate amount of coconut oil, a natural saturated fat, is beneficial.
PRESSED OILS NUT OILS FISH OILS
Pressed
oils. Absolute meaning of numbers not clear.
The best oils in this table are flaxseed and olive. Canola is okay. Keep consumption of others low.
OIL |
TOTAL |
SAT |
POLY |
MONO |
COMMENTS |
canola |
14 |
1 |
4 |
8 |
1 omega-3; 3 omega-6 |
corn |
14 |
2 |
8 |
4 |
0 omega-3; 8 omega-6 |
flaxseed |
14 |
1 |
10 |
3 |
7 omega-3; 2 omega-6; 2 omega-9 (mono) |
olive |
14 |
2 |
1 |
10 |
0 omega-3; 1 omega-6; high in
mono; |
peanut |
14 |
3 |
5 |
6 |
0 omega-3; 4 omega-6 |
safflower |
14 |
2 |
10 |
2 |
0 omega-3; 8 omega-6 |
sesame |
14 |
2 |
6 |
5 |
0 omega-3; 6 omega-6 |
soy |
|
|
|
|
1 omega-3; 7 omega-6 |
sunflower seed |
14 |
2 |
9 |
3 |
0 omega-3; 8 omega-6 |
wheat germ |
14 |
1 |
9 |
3 |
1 omega-3; 7 omega-6 |
Nut oil amounts are in grams per ounce (28 grams) of nuts.
FOOD |
TOTAL |
SAT |
POLY |
MONO |
COMMENTS |
almond |
14 |
1 |
3 |
10 |
good mono/total ratio |
avocado |
30 |
? |
? |
? |
(amount in average fruit) high in mono |
|
19 |
5 |
7 |
7 |
relatively high saturated; high in selenium |
cashew |
13 |
2 |
8 |
3 |
poor mono/total ratio |
hazelnut |
18 |
1 |
2 |
15 |
very good mono/total ratio |
macademia |
20 |
2 |
3 |
15 |
very good mono/total ratio |
pecan |
19 |
2 |
5 |
12 |
good mono/total ratio |
pistachio |
14 |
2 |
4 |
8 |
|
pumpkin |
|
|
|
|
high omega-3 |
soybean |
|
|
|
|
some omega-3 |
walnut |
15 |
2 |
11 |
2 |
some omega-3; poor mono/total ratio |
Fish
oils are in percent by weight of fish meat,
which is equivalent to grams per 3.5 oz. serving.
Amounts can vary widely depending on time of year and fish diet, so other
sources may give figures that differ by nearly 50%.
Levels in farm-raised fish have been both higher and lower. (See below.)
Reason why total omega-3 and
FISH |
omega-6 |
omega-3 |
|
Cod |
1.2 |
3.* |
0.8 |
Flounder |
0.01 |
0.2 |
0.01 |
Halibut (Pacific) |
0.02 |
0.3 |
0.01 |
Herring ( |
0.3 |
1.0 |
0.11 |
Herring (Pacific) |
0.1 |
1.4 |
0.03 |
Mackerel |
1.0 |
1.8 |
0.10 |
Rockfish |
0.04 |
0.8 |
0.02 |
Salmon (farmed |
0.1 |
1.9 |
0.05 |
Salmon (chinook) |
0.1 |
1.8 |
0.11 |
Salmon (coho) |
0.1 |
1.8 |
0.04 |
Salmon (sockeye) |
1.4 |
3.3 |
0.3 |
Sardines |
? |
1.4 |
? |
Sole (lemon) |
0.7 |
0.2 |
? |
Trout (lake -- pink meat) |
? |
2.0 |
? |
Trout (rainbow) |
? |
0.5 |
? |
Tuna (canned albabcore) *** |
0.05 |
1.5 |
0.04 |
Tuna (canned bluefin) *** |
0.03 |
1.0 |
0.02 |
*Another source lists this as less than 0.3
**Farm raised fish are fed some combination of vegetable and
fish oils. A study (Norwegian, 2004) found that omega-3 was very low in
salmon on pure vegetable oil. On the other hand, dioxins & PCBs
tend to concentrate in oil, so feeding fish oil to fish can raise levels
significantly above those in wild populations. Lowest are wild Alaskan
and
*** One source gives much lower values when tuna is packed in water.
Other fish information I've read: