Expert Advice: Know 3 Health and Unhealthy Kitchen Oils to Use While Cooking

While certain oils provide a health boost, others should be used with caution. Nutritionist recommends 3 healthy and unhealthy vegetable oils that you should consider while cooking.

Cooking Oil is used in almost every dish. It is actually used while baking, topping and sauteing. Therefore, it is essential to choose the vegetable oil carefully. Nutritionist, Lovneet Batra says ”While certain oils provide a health boost, others should be used with caution. Here’s to which oils to choose, and avoid”. People often focus on how to choose a healthy oil. However, the healthiness of an oil when it comes off of the grocery shelf is only part of the story. It’s also important to consider whether the oil is still healthy to consume after you’ve heated it during cooking.

Healthy Cooking Oils

1. Ghee: Ghee is an essential part of Indian cuisine. It is rich in Omega 3 fatty acids, Vitamin A, E, K, and butyric acid, which helps digestion and brain development.
2. Mustard Oil: Loaded with health benefits, it promotes blood circulation and contains MUFA, PUFA, and alpha-linolenic acid. Adding mustard oil to your diet can be beneficial in maintaining a healthy heart. Mustard oil contains vitamin E, improving skin health.
3. Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Olive oil is rich in vitamin E, which acts as an antioxidant. The primary fatty acid in olive oil is a monounsaturated fat called oleic acid, which studies have shown may have anticancer and anti-inflammatory properties. Additionally, olive oil contains antioxidant compounds called oleocanthal and oleuropein, a natural anti-inflammatory compound, which puts it in the category of healthy oils.

Unhealthy Cooking Oils

1. Canola Oil: The fact that canola oil is processed under high heat causes it to go rancid, which then creates the need for industrial carcinogenic bleaches and deodorizers like hexane.
2. Sunflower Oil: Contains a lot of omega-6 fatty acids. The body needs them, but consuming too many omega-6s without balancing with omega 3s, could lead to an excess inflammation in the body. Also, sunflower oil produces higher levels of aldehyde (toxic substances) when exposed to heat
3. Palm Oil:  Contains palmitic acid, which is a saturated fatty acid and by extrapolation should give rise to elevated total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels