So which is the best oil for your health? All oils have different health benefits and are essentially used to meet certain cooking needs. Different oils have a varying combination of health, taste and cooking benefits. There are a plethora of cooking oils stacked in the shelves of most grocery stores and it is easy to get confused. Most of the cooking oils are branded as vegetable oil and natural oil. When it comes to cooking, we are always advised to use plant-based cooking oils rather than other animal fat products comprising of butter, lard, tallow, and fish oil. While there are some recipes that specifically require vegetable oils, others call for natural oils.
Sometimes fat contained in these oils actually promote healthy weight loss and help the cardiovascular and nervous system to function well. Most oils naturally add up to 120 calories and about 13.6 grams of fat. But some oils incur heat-induced damage after cooking in high temperature. And it is better to switch from polyunsaturated vegetable oils to a healthier type of oil. To become healthy, we need to consume healthy fats which incidentally originate naturally in some oils. So choose cooking oils that help lose weight, supports heart health and keeps up normal cholesterol levels. Let's take a closer look at vegetable and natural type oils and choose the one which has more benefits.
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Vegetable oil has higher smoke point than natural oil
Most vegetable oils have tall smoke points and are definitely appropriate for high temperatures. Some of the vegetable oils that fall into this category include canola oil, grapeseed oil, and peanut oil. Canola oil and grapeseed oil are ingrained with firm flavours and are ideally suitable for cooking searing meat, and making mayonnaise. Natural extra virgin olive oil has the right amount of favourable monounsaturated fat and it is the most preferred oil when cooking in medium than high heat. This healthy oil can be used as a flavour in a dish that requires moderate heat cooking.
Vegetable oil involves industrial extraction
It is a known fact that vegetable oil involves the industrial extraction of oil from plants. A petroleum-derived chemical called hexane is used to extract the oils for high yields. Some of the vegetable oils that fall in this category are soya palm, grapeseed and sunflower. Due to its heavily industrialised processing and degrading, some of these oils are not a smart choice among health conscious people. Soyabean oil contains PUFA which have health benefits, however the oil can get oxidised when used for frying at high temperatures, and it supposedly can form toxic compounds.
Extra virgin Coconut oil is not toxic
Natural coconut oil never gets damaged by high cooking temperatures. Known to contain saturated fat, coconut oil does contain cholesterol, but it can be safely consumed as a part of a balanced diet.
Vegetable oil increases the risk of heart disease
Polyunsaturated fats are found in most vegetable oils like corn, soy, safflower and canola. These oils oxidise during high heat. Apparently this results in increased chances of diseases such as breast cancer, weight gain and heart disease.
Safe natural cooking oils
Regular consumption of natural groundnut oil provides a good source of Vitamin E. This oil which contains high content of polyunsaturated fats can be used for frying and grilling. Groundnut oil helps to trims down bad cholesterol. Flaxseed oil, walnut oil and olive oil are the best of natural oils. These oils are heart friendly and most preferred choice in salad dressings. Walnut oils are a great source of Omega 3 fatty acids.
Excessive consumption of vegetable oil
Avocado oil is extracted naturally without using any kind of chemical solvents unlike vegetable oils. This light lasting oil which has monounsaturated fats has the capacity to survive high heat cooking without getting oxidised. On the other hand, extreme consumption of vegetable oil can contribute to asthma, blindness, heart disease and cancer.
Some commercial vegetable oils that are chemically extracted are not considered to be a healthy cooking oil. Always use oils that doesn't contain genetically engineered ingredients and that is free of deodorising, refining or hydrogenation. Naturally refined oils are filtered and refined without any harsh chemicals and is well suited for high smoke temperature. They do retain more nutrients and flavour; hence natural oils have more health benefits when compared to blended vegetable oils.