Smart Cooks Age Better - The Food Cure: Your Healthy Eating ...

Lipid Oxidation Products (LOPs)
Don't try this at home!
Pour a tablespoon of an omega-6 rich oil (like
soybean or corn oil) in a pan. Turn the heat to
medium-high. Within a minute or so, you’ll notice
that smoke creeps up and a rancid odor fills the
kitchen.
You’ve just created DNA-damaging compounds called
lipid oxidation products (LOPs). It’s time to toss the
oil (don’t breathe the fumes!) and start over
Lipid oxidation products (LOPs) are created by the
degradation of oils—by heat, aging or chemicals.
As these oils break down, they generate free radicals that are harmful to cells,
damaging to DNA and have been found to increase the risk of cancer and heart
disease.
In our diet, lipid oxidation products (LOPs) primarily come from the heating of
unstable oils especially the polyunsaturated fatty acids omega-6.
While omega-3 is also a polyunsaturated fat, research shows these long-chain fats
do not generally increase oxidative stress or lipid peroxidation, but rather offer
protection from degradation and rancidity (You’ll learn more about the amazing
benefits of omega-3’s in Fats That Heal, Fats That Harm). It’s important to note,
however, that plant-based nutriment oils rich in omega-3’s (like flaxseed oil) are
delicate and should be used only for drizzling.
To protect yourself, opt for oils that are more stable and do not readily form lipid
oxidation products (LOPs). In general, saturated fats like grass-fed organic butter
and raw organic coconut oil are the best choices.
On the next page, you’ll learn the ―safe zones‖ for the different types of oils and the
point at which they begin to smoke (called the flash point).
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