Salad dressing can lead to obesity, arthritis - Health expert warns

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May 25, 2015 11:10 AM

Ihesie, a protege of late natural health practitioner Mrs Elizabeth Kafaru, said there are some chemicals in mayonnaise that are unhealthy.

___3793349___https:______static.pulse.com.gh___webservice___escenic___binary___3793349___2015___5___25___12___Mayonnaise_salad

The next time you're tempted to shake a large portion of salad dressing aka mayonnaise on your salad, you should know that you could be flirting with obesity, arthritis and cardio vascular diseases.

Dr Godwin Ihesie, who is a medic has said in an interview with The Nation that salad dressings, especially commercial mayonnaise, are not good for the health.

Ihesie, a protege of late natural health practitioner Mrs Elizabeth Kafaru, said there are some chemicals in mayonnaise that are unhealthy.

According to him,

“It is not everybody that can eat Omega-6 fats that are often present in most mayonnaise. As commercial mayonnaise is most often made with soybean oil, corn oil or other vegetable oil blends that are high in omega-6 fats. This unhealthy ratio increases one’s risk of developing heart diseases, cancers, Type 2 diabetes and osteoporosis, as well as inflammatory and autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis. Even mayonnaise that is labelled as containing olive oil, a healthier, lower omega-6 fat, only contains a very small portion of fats from olive oil; the majority of the oils still come from soybean oil or other high omega-6 oils.”

He further said that commercial mayonnaise contains a lot of artificial ingredients, such as preservatives, additives and monosodium glutamate, or MSG which can cause some people to experience side effects, such as headaches, nausea and weakness.

According to him, homemade salad dressings are a healthier alternative as they include healthier oils and no sugar or artificial ingredients.

"A classic mayonnaise recipe includes egg yolks, oil, lemon juice or vinegar and seasonings. Use avocado oil, olive oil or other natural oil to lower your omega-6 intake, while getting more of the heart-healthy monounsaturated fats. Add turmeric, sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, hot sauce or curry powder to make gourmet versions of healthier mayonnaise" he stated.

Ihesie also shared that fat-reduced mayonnaise has the disadvantage of containing a lot more added sugar, with over four grammes per tablespoon, which is the equivalent of a full teaspoon of sugar per tablespoon of mayonnaise, making them a poor choice if you are trying to eat healthier and manage your blood sugar levels.

Despite the unhealthiness of commercial salad dressing, Ihesie spoke on the many advantages of eating salads pointing out that it was a simple but very healthy meal, adding that fibre guards against constipation and lowers cholesterol.

Higher levels of blood with various powerful antioxidants was also another advantage he pointed out people stood to gain by eating salads and vegetables.

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