LAHORE – Which is the healthiest cooking oil? The common reply to this question will be olive oil. Most people believe that the best quality olive oil available in the market is virgin or extra virgin olive oil, but scientific research belies this myth.
According to the latest research, when virgin olive oil is heated above 177 degrees centigrade, it produces toxic byproducts in the form of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which worsen both taste and the nutritive value.
Healthy fat: A study conducted by the Pakistan Oilseed Development Board (PODB) indicated that canola oil is the best source of vegetable oil owing to its staggeringly high healthy fat concentration of 93 percent, while olive oil contains 85 percent of healthy fats.
It pointed out that after canola, kunba oil has slightly lower healthy fat content of 90 percent, followed by sun flower oil 88 percent, corn oil 87 percent, soybean and olive oil 85 percent, peanut oil 81 percent, cottonseed oil 73 percent, beef fat 52 percent, palm oil 49 percent, butter 32 percent and coconut oil has only nine percent of healthy fats content.
What are healthy fats? Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are considered healthy fats. Scientific studies show that these fats, if used in place of others, can lower the risk of heart disease by reducing the total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels in your blood. Olive oil, canola oil, peanut oil, avocados, nuts and seeds are the best source of healthy monounsaturated fat, while vegetable oils, including safflower, corn, sunflower, soybean and cottonseed oils, nuts and seeds contain polyunsaturated fat.
In addition, Omega-3 is another type of polyunsaturated fat, which is considered to be especially beneficial for heart. It appears to decrease the risk of coronary artery disease and may also act as proof against irregular heartbeats and help lower blood pressure levels. Omega-3 fatty acids are available in cold-water fish – such as salmon, mackerel and herring – flaxseeds, flax oil and walnuts.
What are unhealthy fats? Saturated and transfats are considered less healthy or harmful fats. They increase the risk of heart disease by increasing overall and specifically, LDL cholesterol. Studies point out that dietary cholesterol is technically not a fat, but it is available in foods prepared from animal sources.
Animal products, including meat, poultry, seafood, eggs, dairy products, lard and butter, and coconut, palm and other tropical oils contain saturated fat, while transfats are found in partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, baked and fried food products such as crackers, cookies, cakes, doughnuts and french fries; and margarine.
Olive oil not the healthiest around, says latest research
