COOKING OIL:
It is one of the most important parts of the Indian diet as most of the Indian cooking style is based on frying or curry dishes which need cooking oil. Some parts of India like northeastern states mostly make food by boiling.
Cooking oil is of various types and in different parts of India, people use different oils, such as in West Bengal, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh, mustard oil are mostly used especially in cooking fish or meat.
In Tamilnadu, people prefer sunflower, and sesame oil whereas, in Kerala, coconut oil is widely used.
In Punjab, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Haryana, ghee and butter are used most commonly.
Apart from the geographical area, socioeconomic status also plays a big role in the decision of which oil to be purchased such as people belonging to the lower socioeconomic group generally use the cheapest oil available and are not much concerned about health-related issues with these cheap oils.
In this blog, I will discuss various important points about most types of oil which can help you decide the oil best suited for your cooking habits and needs.
IMPORTANT PROPERTIES OF COOKING OIL:
1) SMOKE POINT LEVEL-
The smoke point is the temperature level at which oil starts burning and starts emitting smoke. Different oils have different smoke points such as mustard oil (480), Refined sunflower oil (450), sesame oil (450), coconut oil (450), olive oil (410), butter (302), and ghee (480).
If someone wants to fry food, then oil with a higher smoke point level is a better option because low smoke point oil will start burning quickly which will lead to improper frying of food and may also burn food and utensils.
Oil with a low smoke point if kept at a high temperature for a long time then it starts burning and generates free radicals which are dangerous to health.
2) MONOUNSATURATED FATTY ACID (MUFA) –
These are fatty acids with only one double bond in the structure and are considered to decrease LDL cholesterol levels. Some studies claim that MUFA is beneficial in decreasing the risk of cancer, neurological disease, and diabetes.
Some of the food rich in MUFA are olive, tea oil, and avocado.
3) POLYUNSATURATED FATTY ACID (PUFA):
These are organic acids with more than one double bond. They are further divided into omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. These are considered to be beneficial for cardiac health due to the antiatherogenic effect.
Soyabean oil, sunflower oil, and corn oil are considered to have a good quantity of PUFA.
One of the demerits of PUFA is if it is used at a high temperature, then it produces hydroperoxide which is harmful to health.
4) SATURATED FAT-
These are types of lipids that do not have any double bonds. They are considered to be bad for cardiovascular health.
Butter, ghee, palm oil, and coconut oil are having a high level of saturated fat and should be avoided to have better cardiovascular health. Rice bran oil has a higher level of saturated fat compared to other vegetable oil.
5) TRANS SATURATED FAT-
It is an unsaturated fatty acid and has no known benefit in our body as our body cannot metabolize this type of fat and it increases LDL (low-density lipoprotein) in the body. These fats are produced by hydrogenation of the vegetable oil. One more way of production of transfat is by reusing of same oil for frying again and again. ( so if you are more inclined towards fried food from hotels or roadside food stalls, then before eating it’s better to find if they are using the same oil for frying or changing it.)
Butter and vanaspati hydrogenated oil has a high level of trans fat.
6) CHOLESTEROL –
It is an animal product and it is not found in any pure vegetable oil.
7) Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids –
These are present in a good amount in a vegetarian diet and vegetable oil too. Ghee has a good amount of omega-3. Fish oil like cod liver oil is a very good source of omega 3 but is not commonly used due to its strong smell. Sunflower oil has a good amount of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.
8) TOCOTRIENOLS –
These are considered to be beneficial for the cardiovascular system and also have anti-cancer properties.
Soyabean oil and rice bran oil are good sources of tocotrienols but extra virgin olive oil has better content of it.
9) PHYTOSTEROL-
It is similar to cholesterol but it can be obtained only from a plant source and it is believed to have good antioxidant and anticancer properties.
Corn oil and sunflower oil are good sources of phytosterol.
10) COLD PRESSING –
It is a process of obtaining oil at room temperature whereas the other process includes using extra heat to obtain oil but this extra heat can reduce the beneficial effects of the oil.
So cold-pressed oil has better quality as compared to the other process.
Cold-pressed olive oil is present in the market.
WHICH OIL TO BUY?
Above we have discussed various positive and negative points about different cooking oils. Keeping all these points in mind, a person can buy the oil that is good for health, economical, and also matches the taste of the particular family.
Comments are welcome, also tell me which oil you like and did this blog helps you to make a better choice regarding buying oil.
