Conversations about the benefits of oils in last years are being carried out from all sides. They are both tasty and healthy, but the first place in this vegetable top list is the overseas olive oil. But how sunflower oil? The benefits and harms of this product have been used for three centuries. It was in Russia that the first oil mill for processing colorful sunflowers was created. It was in Russian villages and cities that young people have always loved to husk healthy sunflower seeds. Sunflower oil is famous for its cleansing and anti-cancer properties. Isn't it time to reacquaint yourself with such a native oil?
A little history
Universal hair mask made from sunflower oil
...and for the skin
What do the reviews say?
Understanding the types of sunflower oil
The production of oily liquid for culinary, cosmetic and medicinal purposes goes through many stages until the final product is obtained. And the types of this product that we choose on store shelves are very different.
- Raw (first cold pressed). This is the most valuable oil - it has an incomparable aroma of sunflowers and a dark color. Ideal for vinaigrettes, ready-made dressings, pea porridge, salads, sauces. You can't heat it!
- Unrefined. This is also a well-known product with a rich color and bright aroma. Unrefined sunflower oil, the benefits and harms of which have been known for a long time, is considered the most healing sunflower “option”. It retains all the vitamins, healthy fats, and it’s just very tasty.
- Refined. This is the most common oil that we use for cooking, frying, parka and other culinary joys. It goes through a full purification cycle, so there are slightly fewer healthy fats in this oil, and in terms of vitamin E content it is seriously inferior to its refined “analog”.
- Frozen sunflower oil. What is it and what is it eaten with? Yes with anything! This is the same refined product from which natural waxes have been additionally removed. It is perfectly transparent, very light, so it is well suited for salads and does not change the appearance, color and taste of the dish.
How to choose and store oil?
Sunflower and olive – which is better?
The difference between sunflower oil and olive oil worries almost all supporters of a healthy lifestyle and good nutrition. Marketers and nutritionists today have elevated the aromatic olive pomace to the rank of a real healing elixir: it prevents cardiovascular diseases, strengthens the immune system, and for wraps, masks and massages there is simply nothing better. We also did not stay away from this fashion and wrote a separate article about beneficial properties olive oil.
In fact, it is impossible to say unambiguously which oil is healthier - olive or sunflower. And to understand the difference between them, let's consider all the points in order.
- Unsaturated omega-6 fatty acids.
The renowned properties of olive “nectar,” which protects the heart and blood vessels, are associated not with a large percentage of omega-6 acids (there are much more of them in flaxseed oil), but with the correct ratio: there are omega-3s, there are practically no less useful omega-6s. Sunflower oil cannot boast of this: 74.6% omega-6 versus olive oil 9.8%.
- Unsaturated omega-3 fatty acids.
This is the most useful of all fatty acids, and if olive oil contains it (0.761%), then sunflower oil does not have it at all. The peculiarity is that the Mediterranean diet, which is cited as the standard of healthy eating precisely because of olives, involves a lot of fatty fish, which helps compensate for the lack of omega-3. And if you pour sunflower dressing on salmon, tuna or mackerel, you will get almost the same effect. By and large, these two oils are practically the same in terms of omega-3 content; moreover, in some sources, on the contrary, they write that their content in olive oil is zero, and in sunflower oil it is about one percent.
- Vitamin E of youth.
But here sunflower oil is the clear leader: 100 ml of product contains 41 mg of vitamin E versus olive oil 15 mg. Therefore, sunflower is also famous as an effective and budgetary means to preserve youth and beauty.
The composition of sunflower oil is close to that of olive oil, also in the absence of trans fats (if the product is not heated) and a small percentage of saturated fats. Moreover, there are even fewer of the latter in sunflower.
What if it’s high oleic?
The benefits and harms of sunflower oil
The beneficial properties of sunflower oil are entirely due to its composition. The healing triumvirate of omega 3-6-9 gives us vigor and energy, strengthens the intellect and speeds up thought processes, cleanses blood vessels and helps fight bad cholesterol.
Also, sunflower extract is the most important assistant in responsible self-care. It is ideal for homemade nourishing masks and protects the skin from the most dangerous rays of the sun. Sunflower oil is irreplaceable for hair (reviews on women's forums will only confirm this).
The best part is that rubbing yourself with oil and using it internally is not always strictly necessary. The therapeutic effect is manifested even if you simply season it with porridge, salads, boiled potatoes and other familiar dishes. Try replacing some of the butter on the menu with vegetable oil! The taste will not deteriorate at all. But the benefits will increase significantly.
But refined sunflower oil can also cause harm, so it is important to use it in moderation. For obesity, for example, it is necessary to limit sunflower oil: its calorie content is approximately 899 kcal, so a maximum of 3 tablespoons per day is allowed. Each calorie content is about 152 kcal.
Cleansing by sucking oil
What happens if you drink oil?
Treatment with sunflower oil
Cleansing the body is not the only method of treatment using oil squeeze. Sunflower oil is very effective against constipation.
To activate the intestines, you need to take one tablespoon of oily liquid per day. There are several options: either dilute it in a glass of water, or mix it with kefir, or simply add it to salads and cereals (do not heat it!). In severe cases, you can give an enema: heat 100 ml to 47 degrees and administer the enema at night. After the procedure, lie down for 10-15 minutes.
If a sore throat starts, you can prepare the following medicine: mix a teaspoon of unrefined sunflower oil and aloe juice and apply to the throat. Do not use for children!
And if your gums are inflamed or tormented bad smell from the mouth, you can prepare the following rinse: 2 large tablespoons of oil, a tablespoon of sea salt, stir well. Rinse your mouth for 5 minutes before going to bed.
The benefits of sunflower oil for hair...
Sunflower oil for hair is simple, cheap and effective method care for both luxurious long curls and a stylish short haircut. Healthy fats and vitamins in the oil nourish the scalp, protect hair from the harmful effects of wind, sun and frost, improve the appearance of hair, and help cure brittle and split hairs.
Oil treatment is most useful for dry hair, but you can find mask options for other types. Here are the simplest and effective recipes sunflower hair care.
Sunflower oil mask for dry hair
Sunflower oil - benefits and harms
There are hardly any housewives these days who can imagine their life without sunflower oil. At the same time, few people know that it appeared in our country only 200 years ago, just as few people know in full what benefits and harms sunflower oil brings to our body.
Composition of sunflower oil
Sunflower oil is a product that contains exclusively fats, and does not contain carbohydrates or proteins at all. The basis of this product is oleic and linoleic fatty acids.
The first is replaceable, has great nutritional value, takes part in the construction of cell membranes and is contained in sunflower oil in an amount of 24-40%. The second, linoleic acid, is essential. It must enter the human body with food. Its content in this oil is 46-62%. In addition to these two, sunflower oil also contains other acids, but in very small quantities. These are stearic, palmitic, myristic, arachidonic acids.
Sunflower oil can be refined or unrefined. These two species differ not only in smell and appearance, but also in composition. Unrefined oil contains up to 60 mg (per 100 g of oil) of a substance such as α-tocopherol. It is better known as vitamin E. As for refined oil, it contains much less α-tocopherol, but compared to other vegetable oils its content is still high.
As you know, of all the substances entering our body, fats are the most high-calorie. From 1 g of fat, when it is broken down by digestive enzymes, about 9 kcal is released. Based on this, you can calculate how many calories are in sunflower oil. Since it consists of 99.9% fat, we get the following formula: 100 g of oil x 9 and we get 900 kcal.
Beneficial properties of sunflower oil
Sunflower oil, rich in unsaturated fatty acids, promotes the formation of cell membranes and nerve fiber sheaths, which subsequently remove harmful cholesterol from the body. For this reason, it improves the condition of the walls of blood vessels and is a means of preventing myocardial infarction and atherosclerosis.
The benefits of sunflower oil are also explained by the presence of vitamin E in it, which prevents cell aging, makes capillaries less fragile, promotes the synthesis of myoglobin and hemoglobin, protects cells from aging, reduces the permeability and fragility of capillaries.
People who know the benefits of sunflower oil also use it in alternative medicine. It helps heal skin damage and can help eliminate migraines, earaches and toothaches. It is used for rheumatism and arthritis, for chronic diseases lungs, liver, intestines and stomach. It is also the basis of many ointments.
Cleansing with sunflower oil
Sunflower oil: benefits and harms of refined and unrefined product
Sunflower oil began to be produced in Russia only in the 19th century, and it immediately gained enormous popularity. Oil mills began to open all over the country; they learned how to deodorize, refine, fortify and filter the product. Refined sunflower oil was used for frying, and aromatic unrefined sunflower oil was used for dressing salads.
Benefits and harms different types This product is causing a lot of controversy. Some people like pure refined oil, others only accept unrefined varieties rich in vitamins.
Types of sunflower oil
According to processing technology, oil can be refined, unrefined and raw.
Crude oil is obtained by cold pressing. It retains all the useful components, it is tasty and aromatic, but when heated above +900C it begins to smoke, foam, and release carcinogenic substances. Has a short shelf life long-term storage goes rancid, cloudy, bitter. Is it worth using this sunflower oil? The benefits and harms depend on the terms and conditions of storage, as well as the methods of its use. If you take a fresh product and season salads with it, it will only bring benefits. When used correctly, this type is the most useful.
Unrefined oil. Production technology – hot pressing. Then it is filtered, hydrated, neutralized. When the seeds are heated, the beneficial substances are partially destroyed, but the final product is cheap and has a pleasant “seed” aroma. It is not recommended to use it for frying and baking, limiting it to adding oil to salad.
Refined oil is obtained by an extraction process, when almost all raw materials are extracted from seeds. This is followed by thorough cleaning - refining. The content of vitamins and biologically active substances in it is minimal, but this product does not emit carcinogens, does not “shoot” and does not foam. Refined sunflower oil is ideal for baking and frying.
The benefits and harms of each of these types of product are associated with storage and use. Only refined oil can be exposed to heat, and raw and unrefined oil can be used as a dressing.
The benefits of sunflower oil
Vegetable fats do not contain cholesterol, so their use is more preferable than animal fats. Sunflower oil contains many substances necessary for humans. Due to the high content of tocopherol, which is a powerful antioxidant, sunflower oil has a rejuvenating effect.
Unrefined oil contains phosphorus-containing substances and vitamins A, K, D and E. The percentage of tocopherol in it is higher than in refined oil. But the latter still contains more vitamin E than other types of vegetable oils (for example, olive).
Oleic and linoleic acids included in the product are vital for the human body. Without them, normal functioning of nerve fibers and the formation of new cells are impossible.
Sunflower oil is used in masks to strengthen hair, soften the skin and is used in folk medicine for the treatment of liver and stomach diseases.
Harm of sunflower oil
When used in moderate quantities, the product has virtually no contraindications. However, excessive consumption can put more stress on the stomach and liver. Oil can become truly harmful if storage conditions are violated and used incorrectly. Cold-pressed oil is suitable for consumption for only 4 months if stored in a cool, dark place, unrefined – 10 months. It is advisable to use the opened bottle within 1 month.
To avoid trans fats that are harmful to humans from entering food, only refined, high-quality products can be exposed to heat.
Not only from sunflower
Sunflower is the most common and accessible of all vegetable oils. In recent years, it has been losing its popularity to olive, which producers from warm countries present in a very favorable light. If we compare our usual sunflower oil with it, the benefits and harms of these products are approximately the same, but the prices differ quite significantly. From time to time it is useful to use both, not forgetting about other varieties: flax, pumpkin, hemp.
Several decades ago, during times of food shortages, housewives did not face the question of which oil to choose for frying or salad - they had to take what was available in stores. Nowadays, the shelves are replete with a huge number of varieties of oils from various fruits and seeds, which can sometimes be quite difficult to navigate.
Which oil from the range on the market should you buy, and which products should you be wary of? Are all types of oil equally beneficial? And what does the cost of this or that product consist of? The website and the program "Consumption Revolution" tried to find answers.
Myth #1: Sunflower oil contains toxins
According to experts, on average, Muscovites eat about 250 tons of vegetable oil per year. This means that per person there is about 15 liters of product per year. The most popular oil is predictably sunflower – it is chosen by about 60% of Muscovites. In second place is olive, preferred by 35% of Muscovites. And only a few residents of the capital introduce so-called “exotic” oils into their diet: cedar, hemp, flaxseed, camelina, etc.
There are many prejudices associated with the production and consumption of oil. One of the most common is: sunflower seeds contain little toxins.
Food industry experts argue that the presence or absence of toxins in sunflower oil depends more on the conditions of production and storage than on the “natural predisposition” of the product to release hazardous substances, which, one way or another, are found in a certain amount in all plant organisms. If the product is not stored correctly (for example, under direct sunlight or in the open air), secondary oxidation is possible, leading to the release of dangerous toxic substances - aldehydes and ketones.
Another danger that an unscrupulous manufacturer can expose the buyer to is the ingestion of benzopyrene, a carcinogenic substance of the first hazard class, which can cause cancer. This carcinogen can enter the body when using a method of drying sunflower seeds that does not comply with technical safety standards, for example, using diesel fuel. In this case, fat-soluble combustion products of fuel can get into the oil itself and “poison” it.
Fortunately, for large productions such mistakes are a thing of the past. Modern enterprises, as a rule, have their own laboratories and all the equipment necessary for analyzing the composition of oils. The buyer risks only if he buys oil secondhand from an unverified supplier.
Myth No. 2: The best sunflower oil is in the "Premium" category
Some buyers tend to avoid purchasing “budget” varieties of sunflower oils because they believe that price and category are directly related to the quality of the product: the more expensive it is, the healthier and safer it is. However, experts tend to disagree with this point of view.
The main difference between oils of the categories “Premium”, “Highest grade” and “First grade” is the difference in the peroxide number, which reflects the degree of oxidation of the product - the lower it is, the higher the category of oil. Experts note the extreme importance of maintaining the peroxide value within the normal range after the expiration date of the product, since this means not only compliance with the declared quality standards, but also compliance with storage standards. For an adult, the difference in the degree of oxidation is not so significant (2 mmol per kilogram for “Premium” category oil, 4 mmol per kilogram for “Highest Grade” and 1 mmol per kilogram for “First Grade”), while for baby food you should choose oil with the lowest rating - “Premium” category.
One more distinctive feature is the production technology. Oil of the "Premium" category (some manufacturers use the definition "Extra virgin") cannot be produced by the extraction method, in which oil is extracted from the cake remaining after direct pressing using reagents. But there is no need to worry about the safety of the oil obtained using this technology: after extraction, the product is purified of all impurities, so it is completely harmless to health.
Among sunflower oils of various categories, the price spread is relatively small, so adulteration is rare
Falsification can be considered to be the non-compliance of a product with the stated requirements revealed during the examination - in this case, the buyer will have to deal with an unreasonably inflated cost, which, of course, is unpleasant, but does not yet indicate a threat to his health. According to industry experts, the most common method of falsification, which is resorted to in order to reduce the cost of production, is mixing more expensive types of oils with cheaper ones. However, among sunflower oils of various categories, the price spread is relatively small, so adulteration is rare. Again, they are more likely to occur in small industries than in large, reputable companies.
Myth #3: Refined oil does not contain nutrients
As you know, the main task of refined oil is to be the basis for cooking. To do this, the product is specially purified from all possible impurities and odorless. The whole value of unrefined oil, on the contrary, lies in the content of impurities that are useful in their raw form, but dangerous during heat treatment - they contribute to the release of carcinogens, which were already mentioned in the text. At the same time, fatty acids and vitamins in unrefined oil are preserved to a greater extent. This does not mean that refined oil is devoid of useful substances - they can only be contained in a relatively smaller volume compared to unrefined oil. Thus, it can be argued that unrefined oil is more suitable for consumption "raw", while refined oil is better used for frying.
However, you should not resort to extremes in choosing one type of oil or another: according to nutritionists, carcinogens are also released during frying in refined oil, but in significantly smaller quantities. To minimize harm to health, you should whenever possible monitor the heating temperature of the frying pan so that the oil does not start to burn, or bake dishes in the oven, where the required temperature can be maintained. Also, do not use oil for re-frying that has already been used to cook food.
When frying, using oil with a high content of extremely heat-resistant oleic acid can significantly reduce the release of oxidation products. According to nutritionists, high-oleic oil is optimal for frying and is affordable in comparison with other types of refined oil.
Myth #4: Olive oil is better than sunflower oil
In general, the difference in the content of nutrients in these two types of oils is not that great.
Among the obvious advantages of unrefined olive oil over unrefined sunflower oil, one can note a higher content of vitamin E. It is also worth noting the closest to optimal ratio of unsaturated fatty acids omega-3 to omega-6 in olive oil (approximately 1/13 with an optimal value of 1/4 up to 1/10, while in sunflower oil – 1/200).
If we talk about refined oils, then sunflower oil is in no way inferior to olive oil, and both are inferior to high-oleic oil in terms of price/quality ratio.
Thus, preference for one or another type of oil remains a matter of taste and financial capabilities (olive oil for Russia is an imported product and costs an order of magnitude more than sunflower oil). However, nutritionists insist that excess sunflower oil in the diet can have a detrimental effect on the body precisely because of the imbalance of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.
Experts also recommend paying attention to the packaging of the product - if possible, pour the oil into an opaque glass container (in which olive oil is more often found than sunflower oil) and not store it in tin cans after opening.
Myth No. 5: “Exotic oils” are the healthiest
The truth of this statement is beyond doubt among any of the experts. Indeed, the benefit of “exotic oils” lies in the mentioned ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 unsaturated fatty acids. For this reason, nutritionists recommend combining them with more familiar types of oils - sunflower or olive (or both at the same time). But still, “exotic oils” have a number of disadvantages:
Specific taste. Mustard oil may seem too tart, flaxseed oil may seem bitter, camelina oil may seem sour (camelina oil is a genus herbaceous plants from the cabbage family). The perception of taste is subjective, and you will probably have to spend a certain amount of time to find yours among the “exotic” oils;
Price. Not only the time of a buyer who decides to try something “exotic” is at risk, but also his money. Price range: from 160 (camelina oil) to 4000 (hemp oil) rubles per liter. One of the main pricing factors in this case is the low prevalence and growing popularity of such oils;
Medical contraindications. Flaxseed oil can be a very useful product, but it is not suitable for a particular person, and instead of benefiting it, it can cause damage to the body. Therefore, before including any of the “exotic oils” in your diet, you should consult your doctor.
The use of “exotic oils” has a beneficial effect on the body, but its choice, perhaps, should be approached even more thoroughly than the choice of refined oil for frying or unrefined oil for dressings for various hot and cold dishes.
Several decades ago, during times of food shortages, housewives did not face the question of which oil to choose for frying or salad - they had to take what was available in stores. Nowadays, the shelves are replete with a huge number of varieties of oils from various fruits and seeds, which can sometimes be quite difficult to navigate.
Which oil from the range on the market should you buy, and which products should you be wary of? Are all types of oil equally beneficial? And what does the cost of this or that product consist of? M24.ru and the “Consumption Revolution” program tried to find answers.
Myth #1: Sunflower oil contains toxins
According to experts, on average, Muscovites eat about 250 tons of vegetable oil per year. This means that per person there is about 15 liters of product per year. The most popular oil is predictably sunflower – it is chosen by about 60% of Muscovites. In second place is olive, preferred by 35% of Muscovites. And only a few residents of the capital introduce so-called “exotic” oils into their diet: cedar, hemp, flaxseed, camelina, etc.
There are many prejudices associated with the production and consumption of oil. One of the most common is: sunflower seeds contain little toxins.
Food industry experts argue that the presence or absence of toxins in sunflower oil depends more on the conditions of production and storage than on the “natural predisposition” of the product to release hazardous substances, which, one way or another, are found in a certain amount in all plant organisms. If the product is not stored correctly (for example, under direct sunlight or in the open air), secondary oxidation is possible, leading to the release of dangerous toxic substances - aldehydes and ketones.
Another danger that an unscrupulous manufacturer can expose the buyer to is the ingestion of benzopyrene, a carcinogenic substance of the first hazard class, which can cause cancer. This carcinogen can enter the body when using a method of drying sunflower seeds that does not comply with technical safety standards, for example, using diesel fuel. In this case, fat-soluble combustion products of fuel can get into the oil itself and “poison” it.
Fortunately, for large productions such mistakes are a thing of the past. Modern enterprises, as a rule, have their own laboratories and all the equipment necessary for analyzing the composition of oils. The buyer risks only if he buys oil secondhand from an unverified supplier.
Myth No. 2: The best sunflower oil is in the “Premium” category
Some buyers tend to avoid purchasing “budget” varieties of sunflower oils because they believe that price and category are directly related to the quality of the product: the more expensive it is, the healthier and safer it is. However, experts tend to disagree with this point of view.
The main difference between oils of the categories “Premium”, “Highest grade” and “First grade” is the difference in the peroxide number, which reflects the degree of oxidation of the product - the lower it is, the higher the category of oil. Experts note the extreme importance of maintaining the peroxide value within the normal range after the expiration date of the product, since this means not only compliance with the declared quality standards, but also compliance with storage standards. For an adult, the difference in the degree of oxidation is not so significant (2 mmol per kilogram for “Premium” category oil, 4 mmol per kilogram for “Highest Grade” and 1 mmol per kilogram for “First Grade”), while for baby food you should choose oil with the lowest rating - “Premium” category.
Another distinctive feature is the production technology. Oil of the “Premium” category (some manufacturers use the definition “Extra virgin”) cannot be produced by the extraction method, in which oil is extracted from the cake remaining after direct pressing using reagents. But there is no need to worry about the safety of the oil obtained using this technology: after extraction, the product is purified of all impurities, so it is completely harmless to health.
Among sunflower oils of various categories, the price spread is relatively small, so adulteration is rare
Falsification can be considered to be the non-compliance of a product with the stated requirements revealed during the examination - in this case, the buyer will have to deal with an unreasonably inflated cost, which, of course, is unpleasant, but does not yet indicate a threat to his health. According to industry experts, the most common method of falsification, which is resorted to in order to reduce the cost of production, is mixing more expensive types of oils with cheaper ones. However, among sunflower oils of various categories, the price spread is relatively small, so adulteration is rare. Again, they are more likely to occur in small industries than in large, reputable companies.
Myth #3: Refined oil does not contain nutrients
As you know, the main task of refined oil is to be the basis for cooking. To do this, the product is specially purified from all possible impurities and odorless. The whole value of unrefined oil, on the contrary, lies in the content of impurities that are useful in their raw form, but dangerous during heat treatment - they contribute to the release of carcinogens, which were already mentioned in the text. At the same time, fatty acids and vitamins in unrefined oil are preserved to a greater extent. This does not mean that refined oil is devoid of useful substances - they can only be contained in a relatively smaller volume compared to unrefined oil. Thus, it can be argued that unrefined oil is more suitable for consumption "raw", while refined oil is better used for frying.
However, you should not resort to extremes in choosing one type of oil or another: according to nutritionists, carcinogens are also released during frying in refined oil, but in significantly smaller quantities. To minimize harm to health, you should whenever possible monitor the heating temperature of the frying pan so that the oil does not start to burn, or bake dishes in the oven, where the required temperature can be maintained. Also, do not use oil for re-frying that has already been used to cook food.
When frying, using oil with a high content of extremely heat-resistant oleic acid can significantly reduce the release of oxidation products. According to nutritionists, high-oleic oil is optimal for frying and is affordable in comparison with other types of refined oil.
Myth #4: Olive oil is better than sunflower oil
In general, the difference in the content of nutrients in these two types of oils is not that great.
Among the obvious advantages of unrefined olive oil over unrefined sunflower oil, one can note a higher content of vitamin E. It is also worth noting the closest to optimal ratio of unsaturated fatty acids omega-3 to omega-6 in olive oil (approximately 1/13 with an optimal value of 1/4 up to 1/10, while in sunflower oil – 1/200).
If we talk about refined oils, then sunflower oil is in no way inferior to olive oil, and both are inferior to high-oleic oil in terms of price/quality ratio.
Thus, preference for one or another type of oil remains a matter of taste and financial capabilities (olive oil for Russia is an imported product and costs an order of magnitude more than sunflower oil). However, nutritionists insist that excess sunflower oil in the diet can have a detrimental effect on the body precisely because of the imbalance of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.
Experts also recommend paying attention to the packaging of the product - if possible, pour the oil into opaque glass containers (in which olive oil is more often found than sunflower oil) and do not store it in cans after opening.
Myth No. 5: “Exotic oils” are the healthiest
The truth of this statement is beyond doubt among any of the experts. Indeed, the benefit of “exotic oils” lies in the mentioned ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 unsaturated fatty acids. For this reason, nutritionists recommend combining them with more familiar types of oils - sunflower or olive (or both at the same time). But still, “exotic oils” have a number of disadvantages:
Specific taste. Mustard oil may seem too tart, flaxseed oil may seem bitter, camelina oil may seem sour (camelina oil is a genus of herbaceous plants from the cabbage family). The perception of taste is subjective, and you will probably have to spend a certain amount of time to find yours among the “exotic” oils;
Price. Not only the time of a buyer who decides to try something “exotic” is at risk, but also his money. Price range: from 160 (camelina oil) to 4000 (hemp oil) rubles per liter. One of the main pricing factors in this case is the low prevalence and growing popularity of such oils;
Medical contraindications. Flaxseed oil can be a very useful product, but it is not suitable for a particular person, and instead of benefiting it, it can cause damage to the body. Therefore, before including any of the “exotic oils” in your diet, you should consult your doctor.
The use of “exotic oils” has a beneficial effect on the body, but its choice, perhaps, should be approached even more thoroughly than the choice of refined oil for frying or unrefined oil for dressings for various hot and cold dishes.
Source: www.m24.ru
This is not a joke, this is an official study! Natural vegetable oil is a common killer all over the world...
Two well-known British medical experts recently published articles in the Daily Mail about the dangers of using vegetable oils for cooking. He is a renowned cardiologist and author of many scientific works, as well as one of the leaders of the healthy eating movement, Dr. Asim Malhotra, and popular science journalist Michael Moseley, author of the acclaimed “5:2” diet.
We translated the main points from their publication, so that you learn the truth about the dangers of vegetable oil.
Asim Malhotra begins his article by saying that when he comes to his favorite Indian restaurant, he has to ask the waiter to prepare his curry using ghee rather than vegetable oil.
He's writing:
As a cardiologist with a keen interest in obesity and heart health, I would never put my health at risk by eating the toxic compounds that form when vegetable oils are heated to high temperatures.
But unfortunately, curry lovers in both the UK and the Indian subcontinent itself are doing just that, abandoning traditional ghee in favor of “healthy” vegetable oils.
The consequences of this trend are catastrophic:
- increase in obesity%
- heart diseases;
- type 2 diabetes;
Research shows that sunflower, corn and other vegetable oils easily break down into toxic aldehydes when heated, which is, among other things, associated with an increased risk of cancer.
A recent study showed that
After 20 minutes of frying in vegetable oil, the level of aldehydes is 20 times!!! exceeds the maximum permissible according to WHO recommendations.
The look of a man trying to lead healthy image life and frying healthy foods in vegetable oil makes Asim Malhotra feel despair at how much harm good intentions can sometimes do to us.
We've been taught for years that vegetable oils, incl. sunflower and corn are much better than butter and animal fats. But Now the opinion of scientists is changing, because Modern scientific research shows that dairy products actually protect us from heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Unfortunately for the millions of people who gave up butter and full-fat milk because they thought they were bad for them, the news came too late.
Extra virgin olive oil may actually be good for your heart and contains antioxidants that fight free radicals in the blood. But most vegetable oils won't help you, despite claims that they lower cholesterol.
It showed that lowering cholesterol on a diet rich in vegetable oil and margarine provided no benefit for heart health and, most worryingly, increased overall mortality.
Dr. Asim Malhotra always advises his patients to avoid all industrially produced vegetable oils and recommends butter and ghee for cooking.
Michael Moseley describes a study examining changes in the chemical composition of oil when heated. It is generally accepted that the main changes occur when the oil reaches the so-called temperature. smoke points. That is why most experts advise against frying with extra virgin olive oil (smoke point 160-190 C°) and advise using, for example, refined sunflower (225 C°) or corn (230 C°).
Verification of this statement
The remaining cooking oil was collected from the volunteers and analyzed in the laboratory. The samples were examined by Martin Grootveld, professor of bio-analytical chemistry and chemical pathology at De Montfort University in Leicester. The scientists also conducted a parallel experiment, heating various oils to frying temperatures. The study used sunflower and corn oil, cold-pressed rapeseed oil, olive oil (refined and cold-pressed), butter, goose fat and lard.
The results of the analysis were quite surprising and for many of those who followed traditional recommendations, they will mean:
Everything we knew before turned out to be untrue.
Of all the vegetable oils, olive oil turned out to be the best option.
Sunflower, which is considered healthier, turned out to be much worse. Even lard (rendered pork fat), so demonized that the word itself has become a dirty word, turned out to be preferable to sunflower oil and its close relative, corn oil.
To understand why, we need to take a closer look at what happens to fats and oils when heated to high temperatures. They go through a process of oxidation, reacting with oxygen and forming various substances such as aldehydes and lipid peroxides ( which can participate in free radical reactions). The same processes occur when room temperature, but much slower. When fat goes rancid, it also oxidizes, and the result is the same by-products. The problem is the aldehydes that form. Eating them or inhaling them leads to an increased risk of cancer, heart disease and dementia.
Martin Grootveld says:
We found that oils rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, such as sunflower and corn, generate particularly high level aldehydes.
Scientists even managed to detect two new, previously unknown, aldehydes in oil samples. It turned out that cooking with these oils creates even more harmful substances than was commonly believed. But cold-pressed olive and canola oils rich in monounsaturated fatty acids produced significantly fewer aldehydes, as did the saturated fats butter and goose fat. They turned out to be much more stable when heated.
Professor Grootveld explains:
Much lower levels of toxic substances were generated by these oils and these substances are not as harmful to the human body.
But even if you use vegetable oils cold, their improper storage can cause the same harmful substances to appear - sunlight can cause the same reactions as heating, only much slower.
Chemistry professor Martin Grootveld's advice on choosing vegetable oil for cooking:
- Fry less, especially on high temperatures, above the smoke point. Use minimally required amount oils
- To reduce aldehyde formation, choose oils that are rich in monounsaturated or saturated oils (more than 60%) and low in polyunsaturated oils (less than 20%).
- The ideal compromise is olive oil: 76% monounsaturated, 14% saturated and 10% polyunsaturated fatty acids.
- If you're buying olive oil for cooking, there's no point in paying extra for the first extraction - it won't provide any additional health benefits.
- Given its high saturated fat content, coconut oil is also recommended.
- Always keep oils in a cupboard or other dark place and do not reuse them because... harmful substances may accumulate.
P.S. Formation of toxic aldehydes when heating vegetable oils confirmed and earlier studies.
One of the chapters in Nina Teicholz’s book “The Big Fat Secret” is devoted to the problems associated with cooking with vegetable oil. As Teicholz writes, their use in cafes and fast food restaurants has increased greatly in recent years, when the fight against trans fats began. But using non-hydrogenated vegetable oils for deep frying can lead to even greater health problems than frying with more stable frying mixtures containing trans fats. It’s interesting that before the fight against saturated fats began, McDonald’s restaurants used melted beef fat, so-called, to deep-fry their potatoes. tallow.
Before Russian science and the media news about the health risks associated with heating vegetable oils does not seem to have gotten through yet. At the very least, the director of the Institute of Nutrition of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, academician Viktor Tutelyan, and Channel One recommend using sunflower oil for frying; this is due to the commercial interests of the food industry.
In the structure of consumption of vegetable oils by Russians, sunflower oil dominates and occupies 69.1% of the market, and in the structure of production its share is even higher - 82.9%.
A resident of Barnaul writes: “I often buy sweets for my grandson, and carefully read the ingredients on the packaging. I noticed that almost all sweets contain vegetable fats, in particular Palm oil. I understand why they are added there - they are cheap. Another question is how harmful they are, is it worth giving such sweets to a child? What other foods are vegetable fats added to?”
Olga Okolelova,
Associate Professor of the Department of General Hygiene and Fundamentals of Life, Altai State Medical University:
Fats are divided into animal and vegetable. The former are found in products of animal origin: milk, meat, fish; the second - in plants: in fruits, in the trunk and other parts.
All fats are composed of fatty acids and glycerol, but vegetable and animal fats differ slightly in composition. Animals have a greater affinity with our body: when they enter the body, they are absorbed much more easily than plants. But the fatty acids found in plants are better in quality; these are mainly polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), which are not synthesized in our body. Their main role is the prevention of atherosclerosis, they also perform antioxidant functions - preventing aging, improving tissue regeneration. But in some cases, vegetable fats can be harmful.
Firstly, we definitely need to know what kind and in what quantity of vegetable fat is contained in the product we are interested in - this should be indicated on the label. It is no secret that by using vegetable fat, the manufacturer thus reduces the cost of manufacturing the product. Usually this means that they take oils of the lowest quality precisely in terms of PUFA content - this is mainly palm fat.
Secondly, you need to remember that the oil is initially liquid. Solid fat is obtained from the liquid to be added to the product. How? This process is called hydrogenation: oil is loaded into a container, and under the influence of hydrogen, high temperature and pressure, it begins to be processed. During this treatment, various chemical reactions occur, as a result of which the oil completely changes in structure; The resulting fats become saturated and are called trans fats. Simply put, vegetable fats are useful only in their natural form, and after processing they become harmful and even dangerous.
Such fats are often found in cookies, crackers, French fries (fried exclusively with trans fats, because they are cheap) and other fast food, cheesecakes, butter, processed cheese - products that children love so much. You need to understand that the body requires both animal and vegetable fats (70% and 30%, respectively), but children are more sensitive to any foreign substances than adults. They are more exposed to environmental factors: polluted air, water and, of course, low-quality food. There is only one way out of this situation: carefully read the ingredients on the label, try to buy only natural products, and replace fast food and sweets with porridge and fruits.
Yana Chumakova