Healthy Oils for Your Health
Cooking with oils is a great way to add flavor to dishes, but the choices can be confusing. Luckily, experts have shed light on the best cooking oils for your health.
Olive oil is an obvious choice because it’s packed with healthy monounsaturated fats, like oleic acid, which may help lower bad cholesterol and prevent heart disease. Other healthier options include canola and sunflower oil, which are also low in saturated fat.
Olive Oil
Olive oil is a healthy oil that offers multiple benefits to our body. It is rich in monounsaturated fatty acids, antioxidants and Vitamin E.
It is also good for our skin and hair. Applying a thin layer of this oil before scrubbing your face can help reduce dryness and flakiness.
Moreover, it helps lock in moisture and prevents dehydration. In addition, it also promotes longer and healthier hair.
There are many different types of olive oils available in the market. One is pure olive oil, which is made from refined and virgin olives.
Another is extra virgin olive oil, which is made from cold-pressed olives. This is the most nutritious type and is best for cooking.
Canola Oil
Canola oil is one of the best cooking oils for heart health, and it contains fewer saturated fats than other vegetable oils. It also is rich in healthy omega-3 fatty acids, alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) and vitamin E.
ALA is an essential fatty acid that your body cannot make, so it is vital to include it in your diet. It helps protect your heart through its effects on cholesterol, blood pressure and inflammation.
Another benefit of canola oil is that it is lower in trans fats than other vegetable oils. This is important because trans fats increase LDL cholesterol and lower HDL cholesterol, which can increase your risk of heart disease.
However, it is important to note that hydrogenation of canola oil reduces the levels of linolenic acid, the polyunsaturated fat (PUFA) that contributes to these benefits. Hydrogenation also saturates some natural cis-double bonds. These bonds are prone to oxidation. This oxidation can increase the amount of trans fats in the oil.
Sunflower Oil
Sunflower oil is an antioxidant-rich source of polyunsaturated fatty acids that are good for your heart. It also contains Vitamin E, which helps your body fight free radicals that cause cell damage.
It may help protect against cancer, too. The carotenoids in sunflower oil are known to help prevent uterine, lung and skin cancers.
Another health benefit of sunflower oil is that it hydrates skin. This can lead to softer, more youthful-looking skin.
The linoleic acid present in this type of sunflower oil may also help to repair the skin’s barrier, improving hydration and aiding wound healing.
But it’s important to remember that linoleic sunflower oil, like other omega-6 PUFAs, is more susceptible to oxidative damage during refining and cooking than the chemically stable monounsaturated fats found in more nutritious MUFAs, according to physician Cate Shanahan, M.D., a respected authority on vegetable and seed oils.
Coconut Oil
Many people think of coconut oil as a heart-healthy cooking alternative, but this tropical oil is also an effective moisturizer for skin and hair. It also helps to improve a variety of health issues, from preventing infections to boosting weight loss.
The fats in coconut oil are mainly composed of medium-chain triglycerides, which have been shown to increase energy expenditure and burn calories. It also has a high amount of antioxidants, which help prevent inflammation and cell aging.
Another health benefit of coconut oil is that it can boost the healthy cholesterol (HDL) in your body, which can help to lower your risk of heart disease. However, it does raise LDL (bad) cholesterol levels more than vegetable oils like olive oil and butter.
In addition to promoting heart health, coconut oil can help maintain a healthy balance of hormones, including testosterone and estrogen, in both men and women. It also helps to increase bone density and reduce the risks of osteoporosis.
