Cooking oil is an essential ingredient in any meal. It is used in everything, from salads to the main courses. Since low-quality cooking oil might result in heart infections and cholesterol blockages, it becomes important to choose cooking oil that will ensure a healthy lifestyle. As a result, it is necessary to make a conscious choice while purchasing cooking oil.
Here’s a list of things that one should keep in mind while making a rational choice:
Unsaturated fatty acids in particular have important functions to help maintain a healthy body, reduce bad cholesterol in the blood and be good for the cardiovascular system. Thus, if mothers abstain from fat for themselves and their families, if the deficiency causes the body not to have the necessary fat content, which prevents the growth and absorption of beneficial nutrients, it can lead to malnutrition, vision loss, blood fat reduction leading to blood and cardiovascular diseases…
1. Smoke point: Since different oils have different smoking points, temperature becomes an important factor to consider when selecting oils. The smoking point is the temperature at which the oil starts to burn and degrade. Smoking points may vary for the same type of oil depending on how it is processed. The higher the smoking point, the higher is the suitability for frying food.
2. Ideal Omega ratio: Omega 6 and Omega 3 ratio is the ideal ratio for good health according to the Indian Council of Medical Research and National Institute of Nutrition. Cooking oil is a good source of Omega 3 for vegetarians.
3. Vitamins A, and E: Cooking oil is enriched with vitamins which are an essential part of our diet. Vitamin A helps in dealing with stress and lifestyle changes, and Vitamin E reduces damage to the body.
4. MCT: MCT is a saturated fat, a precious nutrient found in breast milk, palm kernel oil, and coconut oil. With a chain length of triglycerides containing 6 carbon atoms, MCTs can be converted directly into ketones, which become an energy source for the body.
5. Flavor: If the flavor of the oil is not important in the dish, then the oil that is light in flavor can be used such as vegetable, corn, or canola oil.
