Oil’s Well That Ends Well

The cooking oil that you choose can have a big impact on your family’s health and fitness. Cooking oil is a part and parcel of your daily life, and in the kitchen area, you can do nothing without it, be it frying, deep-frying, or even dressing. Today, there are a large number of varieties of cooking oils available in the open market, but it is really very difficult to reach a better choice.

All vegetable oils in their raw form are not consumable at all, and they undergo different processes in the acid oil plant and are then filtered and refined through a high-quality candle filter before they reach the store shelves in your neighborhood.

To make the right choice, you need some vital information about different aspects of cooking oils which this blog post supplies to you in the following points:

The excess of everything is bad, including cooking oil

Cooking oils are a direct source of energy that your body needs to perform everyday functions. To some extent, it is quite imperative to consume it but excess of it can result in a large number of health problems. Especially in the times when most people are intentionally or intentionally living a sedentary and extremely lethargic lifestyle, consuming cooking oils in more than moderate amounts can pave the way to the following health problems:

• Obesity which is called the mother of all disease
• Heart problems which are mainly caused by the increased levels of LDL (Bad Cholesterol)
• High blood pressure which is caused by the situation when the heart has to work harder than normal
• Skin problems that are caused by a non-performing liver
• Blood thickness due to triglycerides, and many more.

Today, we are living in a world in which advertising plays a crucial role in setting not only moods of the masses but also changing the way how they perceive different things. Over the past 20 years, advertising agencies have been trying hard to convince us that fewer calorie oils exist. And to some extent, they have been successful in misleading us by means of pleasant or alluring methods.

But when it comes to medical science, no oil is calorie-free and just a single teaspoon of cooking oil gives us 45 pure calories. Medical experts recommend only 2-3 teaspoons of cooking oil per day. The excess of it can prove to be a very deadly step. So, avoid taking it in excess amounts.

Always make the right choice – stay particular about the nature of application

With the easy availability of countless options to choose from, it is really very difficult to settle for the right kind of cooking oil. As far as the selection of the best oil is concerned, it might vary as per the nature of the application. For example, if you want to serve the purpose of deep frying, then going for the oil that has a high smoke point is really a very good decision. The higher the smoke point, the better the oils are. On the other hand, if you deep fry certain things using any cooking oil that has a low smoke point, it will very soon reach a poisonous state because of high levels of oxidation.

All vegetable oils undergo a large number of processes in the acid oil plant and are then filtered and refined through a sophisticated candle filter before they reach the store shelves. All of them have certain parameters printed on the label. As a well-aware individual, you need to be in a condition to go through those parameters including the smoking point.

The vegetable oils with a high-temperature tolerance never get charred easily, and thus do not harm those who consume them. Refined vegetable oils including mustard, sunflower, and safflower are well-known for having a high smoking point. For stir-frying and sautéing purposes, you can go for olive, peanut or even canola oil. And, as far as a salad dressing is concerned, you can go for extra virgin olive oil or flaxseed oil.

MUFA’s and PUFA’s – Are You Aware of Them?

Almost all vegetable oils contain some essential fatty acids known as MUFA (monounsaturated fats) and PUFA (polyunsaturated fats). These fatty acids are considered to be ‘essential’ because the human body cannot synthesize them on its own. Therefore, you must consume these oils without fail because of the presence of Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids in them. These essential fatty acids are responsible for regulating a large number of the human body’s metabolic activities.
Some major oils that are rich sources of MUFA (monounsaturated fats) include:

• Groundnut oil
• Olive oil
• Mustard oil
• Peanut oil, and
• Canola oil.

On the other hand, PUFA (polyunsaturated fats) are found richly in the vegetable oils that include:

• Safflower oil
• Sesame oil
• Corn oil
• Cottonseed, and
• Soybean oils.

Refined vs. unrefined

Refined and filtered oil undergoes a manufacturing process that is marked by complexity and richness of detail. A high-quality candle filter deployed in an acid oil plant is also a part of it. The oil is filtered for eliminating color, odor, and even taste. The primary purpose of filtration is to remove all types of impurities and contaminants from the oil. And, when the oils are double filtered, they achieve even more clarity.

However, the nutritionists have pointed out that excessively filtered vegetable oil often loses a large number of its natural ingredients including minerals, beta carotene, and most of the Vitamin E content. Therefore, the more filtered oil you opt for, the lesser nutritional value you get.

Concluding Remarks

As discussed in the upper part of the blog, you need to choose any cooking oil as per the nature of the application. It means you need to choose as per the way you are going to use it. If you are buying any oil to serve deep frying purposes, then go for high smoke point oils. In case your purpose lies only in the dressing, then go for flaxseed oil. And, when it comes to taking advantage of the medicinal properties of the oil, you need to settle for nothing but extra virgin oil extracted from any oil-bearing seeds.