If you’re not wary of seed oils by now, you should be. They tend to come loaded with polyunsaturated fats (PUFA) which are likely to oxidize when exposed to heat and light. What’s worse, is many of the PUFAs found in seed oils tend to be omega-6 fats, which are inflammatory.
PUFAs and Antioxidants
There’s more to the story though. Some seed oils (such as sesame seed oil) come loaded with antioxidants. We all know consuming plenty of antioxidants is good for our health, but they also help preserve the fat they come with. As their name suggests, antioxidants prevent the fragile PUFAs found in seed oil from oxidizing.
PUFAs vs. Monounsaturated Fats
Sesame seed oil certainly has loads of PUFAs, but it’s not as high as most seed oils. It contains an equal amount of monounsaturated fats, which are much more stable that PUFAs.
How to Use
Sesame seed oil can be used as part of a healthy Paleo lifestyle, but you’re probably better off only using it occasionally and without heat, or only low heat. Mark Sisson included sesame oil in his list of edible oils that can and cannot be included as part of a healthy lifestyle.
