Which cooking oil should you use?

What is Cooking Oil, and what advantages does it carry?

Cooking oils are fats that are extracted from various sources such as plants, nuts seeds or fruits mainly consisting of fatty acids and plays a crucial role when used in cooking: Here are few:

1. Nutrients Absorption: Essential oils that are fat soluble helps your body absorb fat-soluble vitamins such as A, D, E and K. 
2. Heart Health: Few oils are rich in monounsaturated. polyunsaturated fats and antioxidants that help to maintain cholesterol levels and lower heart related risks. 
3. Brain Health: Oils having omega-3 fatty acids supports brain health and improves cognitive functions. 
4. Skin Health: Helps to protect against skin damage by improving the moisture and elasticity and promotes healthy cell formations. 
5. Hormonal Health: Certain healthy oils maintain balance by producing building blocks for hormone regulation and memory. 
6. Anti-inflammatory properties: Few oil contains antioxidants such as polyphenols that help reduce inflammation, redness and swelling over the body. 

What role do cooking oils play in maintaining a healthy diet?

All oils contain distributed amounts of  fats in the form of monounsaturated fats, polyunsaturated fats, and saturated fats. While the former two are healthier, our body requires a healthy balance of all three. Thus, one should get all the benefits by alternating or rotating oils to ensure the body receives all the essential fatty acids. Oils such as Sunflower oil, canola oil, coconut oil, peanut oil, etc. have higher amounts of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats making them the best cooking oils for heart health and more. Often, blends of these oils are sold as vegetable oil or cooking sprays, which is considered a healthy option.

How to choose the best oil for cooking?

The best possible way to choose healthy oils is by calculating the smoke point , or burning point, the temperature at which the oil starts to produce visible smoke. Therefore, it’s crucial to select an oil for cooking that is stable at high temperatures and does not oxidize easily. Generally, the more refined the oil, the higher its smoking point.

Other ways to choose include opting for ones that are high in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, having an equal ratio of omega-3 to omega-6, avoiding trans fats, and selecting minimally processed options. 

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Which Oil is Best for Eating?

Here are few top picked cooking oils best used for eating:

• Olive Oil: Rich in monounsaturated fats and antioxidants, great for salads and low-heat cooking. Majorly helps in reducing the inflammation, blood pressures, cholesterol and lowers heart-related risk. 
• Avocado Oil: High smoke point, ideal for frying and grilling. Helps to reduce symptoms of arthritis, enhances wound healing, maintains cholesterol levels and improves heart health as it is rich in vitamin E & K. 
• Sesame Oil: Rich in polyunsaturated fats and antioxidants, great for salads. Helps to improve heart health, reduces inflammation and enhances skin health. 
• Coconut Oil: Contains medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs), good for baking. Boosts both brain and heart functions and helps fight against bacteria, fungi and viruses as in to treat infectious diseases. 
• Flaxseed Oil: Omega-3 powerhouse, best enjoyed unheated for dressings & drizzling. Supports in boosting brain and heart health, aids in digestion and regular blood flow. 
• Canola Oil: High in omega-3 fatty acids, suitable for frying and baking. Improves cholesterol levels and supports heart health.

Disclaimer: Cooking oil has pros and cons based on the elements present and depends on various cooking methods and food combinations. 

Healthy Tips for Consuming Cooking Oils

1. Use the adequate amount of fat (oil) possible to prepare your foods. 
2. Ensure that there is no visible smoke while frying.
3. Don’t reuse or reheat your cooking oil. 
4. Use suitable oils as per the dish that you are cooking. 
5. Since extra virgin olive oil has a lower smoking point, it is best used for mild cooking or in salad dressings.
6. Store your cooking oils in dark, cool places to keep them fresh longer. 
7. Avoid stocking oils for longer periods.
8. If your oil smells different or bad, avoid using it.

Please note: Individuals looking for oils for weight loss and related, should know that all oils have fats and are naturally dense in calories. While planning your diet, it is essential to consider how much oil you want to have and use it wisely while cooking. Moreover traditional Indian cooking involves frequent frying leading to more oil usage and adds to calorie intake.

Before experimenting with things that may affect one’s health, consult a physician or nutritionist regarding your medical and dietary needs. The personalized diet chart would be provided to empower you to choose the oil or variety of oils that will best suit your individual health goals and preferences.

References:

• Tumbi, Zubeda. “Which cooking oil should you be using?”. Lybrate, www.lybrate.com/topic/which-cooking-oil-should-you-be-using/0ba6ba2a180d930086ff56f0281bb69c. Accessed 1 January 2019.
• “Healthy Cooking Oils”. American Heart Organization, https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/fats/healthy-cooking-oils. Accessed 1 January 2019.
• “7 Things you should know about cooking with oil”. Health Essentials, Cleveland Clinic, 3 June 2014.  health.clevelandclinic.org/7-things-you-should-know-about-cooking-with-oils/. Accessed 1 January 2019.
• “Heart-healthy cooking: Oils 101”. Health Essentials, Cleveland Clinic, 1 October 2014, health.clevelandclinic.org/heart-healthy-cooking-oils-101/. Accessed 1 January 2019.
• Henderson, Lily. “Choosing cooking oils”. Heart Foundation, 24 October 2018, www.heartfoundation.org.nz/about-us/news/blogs/choosing-cooking-oils.  Accessed 1 January 2019.
• Beck, Leslie. “‘Smoke point’ matters when cooking with oil”. The Globe and Mail, 28 September 2015, www.theglobeandmail.com/life/health-and-fitness/health/smoke-point-matters-in-cooking-with-oil/article26569060/. Accessed 1 January 2019.