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When the term “cooking oil” is mentioned, the immediate image that comes to mind for most people is pale and yellow liquid in large transparent bottles labeled “vegetable oil.”
Though vegetable oils are a staple cooking oil for many Americans now, they are only a recent invention. Decades ago, common fats used in cooking were animal fats such as lard, butter, and suet, all of which tend to have a higher saturated fat ratio.
The current switch to vegetable oils can be traced back to researcher and physiologist Dr. Ancel Keys, who hypothesized in the 1950s that replacing animal fats higher in saturated fats with vegetable oils, which tend to be higher in polyunsaturated fat. The vegetable oils would lower blood cholesterol levels and in turn, reduce heart disease….