In the previous two posts, we have seen how the feared and hated edible oils do so much for us when used smartly and can actually be life-saving. They are less insidious than sugar and salt, less compulsively used, consumed in larger quantities and their physical and physiological functionalities and pathogenic mechanisms are different. But it is obvious that, taken together, they represent food itself. And hence smart, disease-avoiding and health-promoting use of food is our right as well as duty.

The science of economics is inexact because of the centrality of us human beings in its operation. (Ref. post 11, INDIAN CONSUMER AND PROCESSED FOODS – DIVERSITY MEETS DIVERSITY! (letfoodliftlife.com)). Similar idiosyncrasies of the human being – the  prejudices, misinformation, ‘favorite assumptions’, irrational ‘nothing can happen to me’ and sensory satisfaction over sense – operate in depriving them of health and happiness. You know that dispelling that mist is one of the purposes of this blog.

Soon we will be delving deep into some of the most chronic, serious and widely prevalent (and feared) disease conditions in terms of what causes them and discovering that food is still the champion that we know it to be. To understand the multi-faceted nature of food and what its different components do for us, visit  posts 2 and 3 : HEALTH, HAPPINESS, LIFE AND FOOD (PART I) : WHAT ARE THEY? (letfoodliftlife.com) and HEALTH, HAPPINESS, LIFE AND FOOD (PART II) : DEFINING ‘FOOD’ AND USING IT SMARTLY (letfoodliftlife.com)). Food is what we make it. Visit Post 11, Indian consumer and processed foods: Diversity meets diversity! to understand how a seemingly worthless processed food is consumed by two people simultaneously; one is sure to suffer and the other, soar.

The ways to be happy and gay!: So let us visit the common and generally known, food and non-food mistakes robbing us of health and happiness:

1. Excessive consumption of food in general.
2. Misguided under-consumption of food in general or a constituent in particular, e.g. under-eating to turn slim or avoiding oils and fats to avoid obesity.
3. Excessive consumption of a food constituent e.g. carbohydrates by sweet or rice lovers or oils/fats by lovers of ghee/butter and fried dishes and processed products.
4. Consumption of poorly processed foods or cooked dishes e.g. badly fried dishes/products and burnt food. (Ref Post 16: oxygen, food and life and Post 19: The physiological functions of edible oils. Also visit posts 12 and 18 for supplementary info). Under-processed or contaminated food as a health hazard.
5. Normal food consumption accompanied by sedentary lifestyle, smoking, excessive drinking, bad temperament.
6. Drinking too much or too little water. Visit Post 14: Water, food and life, Part II.
7. Rhythm-less eating; our physiology recognizes time-cycles. Maintaining reasonably regular meal times is important. Heavy, late dinners followed soon by going to sleep is harmful even if regular or rhythmic!
8. Not staying oxygenated; deep breathing helps. Working for long in a confined space and working out in an unventilated space doesn’t.
9. Make aerobic workouts and fruits and vegetables a part of life.
10. Get periodic physical and pathological check-ups, understand what the results say and apply correction in consultation with your doctor.
11. Don’t complicate life which is beautiful. Family and relationships matter. Hobbies are good. Aspire to always like yourself genuinely.

Now, here’s a brief preview of what awaits you in the coming posts:

Disease conditions and food intake, an overview:

1. This post : Hypervitaminosis. We simply note that oil-soluble vitamins (A, D, E and K) can accumulate in our body if consumed excessively and cause serious problems. This is a little-noted phenomenon that deserves a mention.
2. Posts 21 to 24: Obesity. This chronic ‘condition’ (rather than a disease) deserves 4 dedicated posts because of its wide prevalence, complexity and its ability to wreak havoc with our life in many ways. Its most ironic effect is its ability to systematically diminish our ability to counter it by its most effective counter – physical activity! We will take a detailed look at what role the main macro-nutrients (carbohydrates, oils/fats and proteins) play in its development. ‘Prevention is better than cure’ is not more valid in any other case so we will look at that aspect also. Do tune in and patiently peruse it.
3. Post 25: Coronary Arterial Disease (CAD). Understanding the designated-by-nature role of the heart and how CAD distorts it. This most rampant, insidious disease is man’s largest killer worldwide.
4. 4. Post 26: CAD. How it happens and how food and lifestyle can help.
5. Blood Pressure and Hypertension. Their nature, origin, effects and preventives.
6. Diabetes. How food is a minor cause but can be a major preventive.
7. Cancers. The scary scourge; its origin and how to avoid it, especially thru food.

The idea is simple enough: these represent most of our chronic, potentially life-threatening conditions that are ‘multi-factorial’ in which food is one of the causative factors. Smartly managed food can be a major preventive factor in combination with physical activity and positive temperament. Sugar has been discussed in previous posts (along with salt) and will be detailed when we talk of diabetes. We know from posts 18 and 19 that oils perform important physiological and non-physiological function for us and how they have an undeserved bad image; let’s now check out the origin of that bad image.

The origin of the negative effects of oils: Water routinely exits our body thru urine, feces, sweat and breath. Oils or fats do so only in traces, thru feces (undigested and unabsorbed), sweat (sebaceous glands under the skin ooze traces of oil) and hence oil intake not bio-combusted for release of energy and temperature maintenance has to largely accumulate within the body. The immiscibility of oils with water means that the oil will not ‘wash out’ with water on its own. Thus an oil-rich diet without matching level of physical activity is a direct invitation to accumulation of fat within the body with accompanying rise in the blood triglyceride and cholesterol levels – a condition broadly described as hyperlipidemia. This is a precursor to CAD and its several downstream effects – the most ‘celebrated’ (!) being heart attack and cerebral stroke.

Moreover the PUFA, being susceptible to oxidation can carry oxygen-rich molecules as part of food, into the blood and wreak havoc in many directions, especially thru initiation of vascular disease (a precursor to many diseases) and cancers.

Toxicity of specific constituents of oils is an excessively complex subject, often made even more opaque by contradictory statements within a given narrative. This is primarily the result of the humungous number of factors that determine the beneficial or harmful effects of these constituents and near-impossibility of arriving at conclusions. Hence, given the ‘essential’ status of oils in our life, it is best to stick to quantity and quality guidelines vis-a-vis oils and maintain the protocols in their consumption which are spread all over these posts.

But in the Indian context, the presence of over 40 % Euricic Acid in mustard/rapeseed oil – pungent or plain or even refined – deserves mention. Its toxicity appears established in rats though it contains the essential omega-3 fatty acid – linolenic acid. Undoubtedly a special oil, it need not be banished but discretion is warranted, e.g. its use in fish or vegetable cooking is best spread apart.   

Let us now examine an extremely interesting case of a proven, essential food constituent causing serious harm!

Vit. D hypervitaminosis – too much of even a good thing is bad : As the name suggests, hypervitaminosis is a physiological condition characterized by excessive build up of specific vitamins in our body tissue and its adverse effects.

One of the obvious but least appreciated facts about edible oils (and fats), especially about their effects within the body, is that they are totally different from water – the bulk constituent of the entire body. This is why we believe, rightly, that water leaving our body thru urine or exhaled air or feces or sweat will carry water-soluble metabolic products and surplus inputs of food. Hence we cannot suffer from ‘hypervitaminosis’ of water-soluble B and C vitamins because they will not accumulate within our body. This is also why urine analysis is such a potent indicator of many disease conditions.

We have already noted that oils or fats can accumulate in our body. Obviously, vitamins soluble in them also accumulate if their intake exceeds their gradual disappearance thru their specific routes. 

Hypervitaminosis is very rare in humans but the point is: ‘the more the merrier’ is not the case even with some vitamins. Vitamin D has, of late, been credited with multi-faceted benefits and one of its commercial forms is a concentrated ‘pearl’ containing a massive doze, several times the recommended daily doze to be taken once a week, for a few weeks. An Indian recently died from hypervitaminosis caused by taking of one such pearl daily for over a month.

Note that oils cannot be blamed for this condition. But smart, health- and happiness-promoting use of edible oils is an important issue that we will take up soon. But before that, a deep dive in some mainstream disease conditions and food’s role in it, especially constructive and preventive!  First: Obesity.

Next Post :

Obesity and food – accumulation of the unused: Part I

Understanding obesity

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