All You Need To Know About Cooking Oils

Oil is an essential ingredient in our food, but there is always the right way and quantity to consume it. In a world full of health-conscious people, understanding the types of oils available and picking up the healthiest is a major challenge.

We often find ourselves in a debate or discussion, regarding which oil to use, which one is more healthy, and how much we should consume? In a world full of health-conscious people, understanding the types of oils available and picking up the healthiest one from a wide variety available in the market is very important. Every oil has its own properties that differ from others. For a detailed understanding of the cooking oils, we talked to Dr. Sangeeta Malu, Nutritionist at MGM Medical College and Nehru Children’s Hospital and Research Center, Indore.

What You Should Know About Oils?

Dr. Sangeeta explains some of the important facts associated with cooking oils that one must be aware of.

Refined or unrefined?

• Oil is usually extracted from the seeds
• Earlier, the oil used to be unrefined or “Kachi Ghani”, which couldn’t be stored for longer periods.
• The oils now available in the market are refined or purified and filtered or double-filtered oil. They have a longer shelf life and its smell does not change over time.
• The process of refining oil involves acidification, which means it is treated with acid.

Therefore, it is preferable to use unrefined oil, which is natural and not chemically treated. You can also opt for the oil which is filtered the least.

Separate or blended?

Many blended or combination oils are also available in the market, where more than one oil is mixed to enhance the nutritional value. But, such oils must be avoided because every oil has its own heating point, and mixing the oils can have a negative impact on health.

Fatty acids

• Every oil has different types of fatty acids.
• When we talk about oils, it consists of unsaturated fatty acids and they do not solidify, except coconut oil.
• Fatty acids are of different types. Broadly, we can classify them as Saturated and Unsaturated.
• Unsaturated fatty acids can then be divided into Mono-Unsaturated Fatty Acid (MUFA) and Poly-Unsaturated Fatty Acid (PUFA). Furthermore, PUFA includes Omega-3 and Omega-6

If the percentage of Omega-3 Fatty Acid is high in oil, it will have more antioxidative properties, it is good for heart health and lowering cholesterol levels. It also helps in increasing the insulin secretion in the body. Therefore, we prefer oils that have higher amounts of omega-3

The daily requirement of Saturated fatty acids in our body is 10%, which is usually fulfilled by the basic foods we eat in our day-to-day life. If taken in excess, it may settle in the veins in the form of bad cholesterol. Which is why oil is generally recommended over ghee (clarified butter).

Which oil to use?

• There is not just one oil which should be used life long
• Oils containing high levels of unsaturated fatty acids should be preferred
• Every oil has its own nutritive value and all those nutrients are essential for our body.
• Oils contain fat-soluble vitamins which get deposited in our liver

Therefore, we must change our cooking oil every 3 months.

Types of Oils Available
Out of the many options, our expert explains some of the common cooking oils available in the market:

1. Coconut oil
   Coconut oil is good for kids upto 5 years of age. It contains medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) and it is good for digestion in them as their organs are not fully developed. However, adults should avoid using it because it has more saturated fatty acids, upto 90-92%, which tends to solidify.
2. Corn Oil
   Corn oil is extracted from the germ of corn. It has a high smoking point, which is why its oxidation does not happen and its quality is not degraded. Corn oil is good for heart health.
3. Linseed oil
   Linseed oil is extracted from flax (alsi) seeds. Its oxidation rate is high but is rich in MUFA and Omega-3 fatty acids. This way, it helps in lowering Low-Density Lipoprotein (LDL) and increasing the High-Density Lipoprotein (HDL) in the body.
4. Olive oil
   It is a little different from the other oils and has a pungent flavour and smell, similar to that of mustard oil. Olive oil is rich in MUFA as well as omega-6 fatty acids, which is good for your health.
5. Mustard Oil
   Mustard oil consists of a pungent flavour and smell and should be generally used in the winter season, because of its warm nature. It has high amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, which is good for health.

Other oils with high levels of unsaturated fatty acids are:

• Soybean oil
• Sunflower oil
• Canola oil
• Peanut oil
• Sesame oil

Oils rich in omega-3 fatty acids are known to fight cancer cells. Season-wise, in winters you can use mustard or olive oil, in summers you can use corn or sunflower oil, and in the rainy season, soybean or peanut can be used. Therefore, consumption of oil that does not solidify should be preferred and it should be changed after every 3 months.