What is oil? To chose the best oil to cook with, It’s important to know what is cooking oil. What is its purpose in our daily diet?
Oil not only adds flavor and richness to our food but also satisfies a major part of our Diet, which is FAT.
Whatever you consume either ghee or fried chicken wings or fish oil. The body only sees in its chemical form i.e., Triglycerides
Fat owes 30-35% of your calorie intake.
Even your one bowl of cooked rice has 200-205 calories in it. While 5 teaspoon of ghee will have the same calories as one whole bowl of rice.
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The best oil to cook with!
Suppose you are new to cooking and confused about choosing which oil to cook with on a daily basis. This blog is no help for you not only will this blog help you to accuracy. But I have a suggestion.
Tie your ponytail or tighten your pajamas and enter your mom’s or grandma’s kitchen. Pick the oil that is present in the larger tin. Rush to your mother or grandmother and ask for its name. That is the best oil that will suit you well. No blogger or health specialist could help you with this like the mother does.
Know why?
You have your ancestor gene and that gene has been optimized based on what our ancestor ate.
Believe it or not, your body will adjust to the food you eat and nutrition absorption is easier when you consume local foods. Your gut microbiome is developed for the food you eat regularly and locally. Your gut microbiome is not only environment and diet based but also genetic-based.
No kitchen contains only one oil. In Indian cuisine, we use various oils for various foods. That idly podi will taste better with sesame oil while frying is crispier in sunflower or groundnut oil.
This choice of oil not only adds flavor but also diversifies the source of nutrition. No two oils contain the same amount of nutrition. Hence, Diversification in the diet helps provide a wide range of nutrients effortlessly.
For Example.,
Groundnut oil has a higher ratio of polyunsaturated fatty acid to monounsaturated fatty acid than sunflower oil. Also, these two oils have zero cholesterol and trans fat. Check below,
| 1 Tablespoon of Groundnut Oil | 1 Tablespoon of Sunflower Oil | |
| Energy | 119 kilo-calorie | 123.76-kilo calorie |
| Total Saturated Fatty Acids | 2.3 g | 1.36 g |
| Total Monounsaturated Fatty Acids | 6.2 g | 11.7 g |
| Total Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids | 4.3 g | 0.53 g |
Now, you have chosen what oil to cook with from your kitchen. Oil is also classified based on its manufacturing process. Let’s now see to that which oil-based manufacturing is best.
Is Cold pressed oil the best oil ?
Yes, cold-pressed oils are the best oil you can get in the market.
Cold-pressed oils are made in wooden oil extractors with slow rpm that retain natural nutrients like antioxidants which are normally destroyed during another extraction process due to heat generated in it.
These cold-pressed oils contain antioxidants and phytonutrients like tocopherols, sterols, stanols, phospholipids, and phenolic compounds. It is also rich in PUFA (polyunsaturated fatty acid) is good to increase good cholesterol.
If you noticed your grandma applying coconut oil on your face. It’s mainly due to the healing properties of antioxidants present in naturally extracted oil.
Drawbacks of cold-pressed oils
Even the healthiest option has some drawbacks in it. Cold-pressed oils have not only natural nutrients but also other products like carotenoids, gums, etc., which are usually refined during the refining process. They do not pose any health threat but fasten the degradation process.
Oils are not used in large amounts like onions and tomatoes and are also costlier than other groceries. Hence, it is your choice to buy one or another for long term use without spoiling.
You will face more risks like diarrhea when consuming spoiled oil. Use the oil within the expiry date and check twice for an unpleasant smell or taste before using any oil.
Also, cold-pressed oils do not have a clear appearance compared to refined oils. However, this is not a red flag it’s perfectly ok to use this oil. The color difference is mainly due to the carotenoids present in it.
But, Its important to check for changes in color due to rancidity (spoiled oil).
The quality of oil still differs based on the material used to extract oil. Choose wood-pressed oil that uses a wood shaft and drum.
Some store-bought cold-pressed oils are actually exposed to steel and contain no benefits as heat is generated and all the antioxidants and minerals are lost during this process.
Wood pressed oil
Wood-pressed oil is the best you can get in the market because it rotates at 15 rpm to qualify as cold-pressed oil. Choose oil from stores that qualify for FSSAI standards.
Why avoid refined oil
Refined oil is popular as previous data states that heart disease caused due to saturated fat present in butter and ghee but now no research supports that and it’s no more the fact that saturated fat is causing heart disease but has little effect on healthy individuals.
Replacing polyunsaturated fatty acid (In vegetable oils) with saturated fatty acid (found in higher amounts in Animal sourced fats like butter, and ghee) reduces the risk of heart disease.
But trans fat for sure is dangerous to health.
Certain oils, especially refined oils with high PUFA, can degrade easily to toxic components like free radicals, trans fats, malondialdehyde (MDA), etc., which are potentially mutagenic(cause cancer) and atherogenic(cause heart disease).
Refined oils are cleaned through intense mechanical and chemical processes that remove oil from seeds and vegetables. The crushed seeds are heated to very high temperatures, up to 270°C, to help extract the oil and remove Odors. However, these high temperatures can destroy antioxidants and create harmful substances like free radicals and trans fats. Oils high in saturated fats, like ghee and coconut oil, are better for deep-frying because they are more stable.
Use cold-pressed oils as they produce less trans fatty acid compared to refined.
Also, avoid stir frying(fried rice) due to the increased possibility of production of trans fatty acid.
Sources
- Cahana I, Iraqi FA. Impact of host genetics on gut microbiome: Take‐home lessons from human and mouse studies. Animal models and experimental medicine. 2020 Sep;3(3):229-36.
- Content, Z. (2023, June 14). Groundnut oil vs sunflower oil – Which one is healthier ? Two Brothers Organic Farms. https://twobrothersindiashop.com/blogs/food-health/groundnut-oil-vs-sunflower-oil
- Hange, A. (2021, May 25). Wood pressed oil vs cold pressed – what’s the difference? Two Brothers Organic Farms. https://twobrothersindiashop.com/blogs/farmers-kitaab/wood-pressed-oil-vs-cold-pressed-whats-the-difference