LifeisGood wrote:
> It always amazes me that those quick to respond don't even consider that
> this message contains the basis for a repeatable test. One that you could
> run, in your home with no chance of me (or anyone else) hindering your
> results.
>


It's a repeatable test, but it doesn't really mean anything. Rapeseed
oil is a "semi-drying" oil. So it oxidizes and gets sticky and hardens.
Soybean oil is a "drying" oil. It polymerizes much faster than
rapeseed oil. Peanut oil is a non-drying oil. I suppose it gets rancid
eventually, but it does not polymerize. Flaxseed oil polymerizes so
easily it is used to make paints and linoleum. I don't hear anyone
railing against soybean oil or flaxseed oil (or fish oils, or...) in
fact, they are sold in health food stores.

The polymerization process creates free radicals (bad), and the varnish
that ultimately results can't be good for you (that's why you should not
reuse oil for frying too many times), but it has nothing to do with how
natural the oil is. If you are really concerned about your oils
thickening on you, mix in a little vitamin E to protect them from
oxidation, or use peanut oil.

Bob