Tuesday 6 December 2011

Cooking Oil: Healthy Vs Unhealthy


Oils are the integral part of the cooking system. However it is must for us to know which cooking oil is really good for your body and health. Market is flooded with variants of cooking oils and at time you too do not think much about how health particular cooking oil is which picking up one from the store. Some of these cooking oils are healthy and some are very unhealthy.  A lot of people seem to think that anything labeled as "vegetable oil" is good for you. Most of what is labeled as "vegetable oil" is simply heavily refined soybean oil. In most instances, almost all of these processed oils are not healthy for you. The problem with soybean oil, cottonseed oil, corn oil, and other similar oils is that they are mostly composed of polyunsaturated fats which leave them prone to oxidation and free radical production when exposed to heat and light.

Processed polyunsaturated oils are the most inflammatory inside our bodies because of their high reactivity to heat and light. This inflammation is what causes many of our internal problems such as heart disease, diabetes, and other degenerative diseases. Then which Oil is healthy for you. Saturated oils are actually the healthiest oils to cook your food with because they are much more stable and less inflammatory than polyunsaturated oils. Tropical oils such as palm and coconut oils (and even animal fats such as butter) are best for cooking. They have very little polyunsaturated fats and are mostly composed of natural saturated fats which are the least reactive to heat and light and therefore the least inflammatory in your body. Natural butter too is one of the best fats that can be used for cooking.  

As you are confronted with various brands of Cooking oils when you prowl through the stores looking for them you really must be little mindful in choosing your stuff for cooking your food with. The verities available in the market must be looked for their nutritional properties. Here are some of the oils you can choose, however using these in combination would be really good. Sunflower Oil is among the most abundantly used oils. This oil can be used for deep frying and regular cooking as well, though only in combination with other MUFA rich oils like canola, rice bran or olive oil. Rich barn Oil has quite a few nutritional benefits. It contains a component called oryzanol, which has been shown to have cholesterol-lowering properties. Being rich in monounsaturated fatty acids and natural vitamin E, this oil qualifies as good cooking oil, especially for high temperature cooking.

Mustard oil, a common cooking oil used predominantly in West Bengal has a high proportion of heart friendly MUFA and also of PUFA. However, if consumed in large amounts may have undesirable effect on your health. Mustard oil is suitable for all kinds of cooking but again preferably in combination with other cooking oils. Olive Oil though a bit more expensive than other cooking oils, olive oil has been shown to have many health benefits, especially so in the prevention of heart diseases and cancer. The best benefit may be derived by replacing sources of saturated fat in the diet with olive oil, rather than just adding olive oil to your diet. Since extra virgin, cold pressed olive oil has comparatively lower smoking point, it is best use d as salad dressings or for light sautéing and stir frying.

Now having known these facts your must stop a while and think before you pick up your cooking oil.  You should keep the nutritional properties of the cooking oils in mind and try minimizing your cooking with oils can help to reduce overall calories. It is best to limit your visible fat intake to around 2 tbsp per day.  Eat healthy and live healthy.  

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