Don't Cook with Olive Oil?!

Just when I thought I was doing a great thing, I hear otherwise from some moms at my daughter's ballet class. We were discussing food allergies and cooking challenges. We shared many helpful tips. I thought I was giving them a great idea when I said I cook all of my daughter's foods in olive oil so she can get some healthy fats (her numerous allergies prevent her from being able to take in most healthy fat sources). That is when they both looked at me and said, Don't cook with olive oil. I could not believe it. They said it becomes carcinogenic when heated. I did some research online, and it held true (not that I doubted the moms, but I was hoping they were wrong).

Here's what I found:

Numerous scientific studies show

continually that olive oil is one of the best sources of the Omega oils that you need for a healthy nervous system and cardiovascular system…BUT what they often neglect to tell you is that those wonderful BENEFITS ARE ALMOST COMPLETELY DESTROYED once you heat the oil! The process of heating oils can cause the fats to become carcinogenic; which means causes CANCER! Heating causes enzymes to be destroyed, proteins are denatured, fats become carcinogenic, carbohydrates (sugars) become caramelized, vitamins and minerals become less available, and water is eliminated.

So to get the wonderful benefits of these essential oils into your body in a healthy way, have it in a salad or on any other raw food as a topical dressing LIBERALLY. Enjoy the rich fatty flavor of these life-giving nutrients. If you are having a cooked meal try first cooking in a base of water and chopped onions instead of oils… you can cook just about anything in this base and it enhances the healthy flavors of the food being prepared. Another great alternative to cooking in oil is steaming. Steaming is also another wonderful option for cooking your food. Steaming allows the nutrients to remain in the food better than boiling.

Source: http://www.trustedhands.com/content/id20.html