World Heart Day 2018: Cooking Oil Plays An Important Role In Determining Your Heart Health

World Heart Day is celebrated all over the world on 29th September. Cardiovascular disease causes fatigue, weakness, chest pain and being short of breath. Atherosclerosis is also the most common cause of cardiovascular disease. But in general the primary causes of heart diseases are an unhealthy diet, obesity, lack of physical exercise, being overweight and excessive consumption of alcohol and smoking. This World Heart Day take up a healthy lifestyle for yourself and your family to fight back several heart diseases.
Cooking oil is the first and most basic ingredient which is used in cooking. Every Indian household uses cooking oil everyday to prepare their meals. If this ingredient is used almost everyday and in every household, it is important for us to select the right cooking oil for our overall health. Initially, the trend was to select one particular cooking oil that was suitable for cooking and then, stick to it forever. This trend was followed probably because there were not many options available at that time. But today, there are wide range of cooking oils available in the market. These include : rice bran cooking oil, coconut oil, mustard oil, olive oil, peanut oil, sunflower oil and even ghee.
Changing or rotating oils quite often is healthy as it gives the body the different essential fatty acids which it requires. By doing this you can ensure a favorable combination of fatty acids, vitamins, omega-3 and omega-6 fats. Moreover, replacing bad fats like saturated and trans fats with healthier alternatives like monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats is beneficial for maintaining a healthy heart. Cooking oils with high amounts of mono- and poly-unsaturated fatty acids will decompose more than those with only saturated fatty acid. On the other hand, cooking oil with a low “smoke point” will break down faster, each time it is heated for cooking or frying. Having particulate matter fall into the frying oil will accelerate the decomposition. Over-heating of the oil will also break it down faster. Broken down oil will result in chemicals that might be harmful for the body. Besides, the broken down chemicals also impart a bad taste to the food, making it less desirable for consumption.That is why frying oil needs to be changed or replaced frequently.
You can do this by choosing healthier nontropical vegetable oils for cooking and preparing food. In general, you should choose oils with less than four grams of saturated fat per tablespoon, and no partially hydrogenated oils or trans fats. You may also find that some oils have a unique taste, so try different types to discover which ones you like. Also, some oils are better for certain types of cooking than others, so you could even keep more than one type of cooking oil in your pantry. For instance, use olive oil for preparing salads, mustard oil for vegetables, ghee for paranthas and rice bran oil for baking. This will ensure that your body gets all the vital nutrients which are necessary for body.
Have a look at some benefits of cooking oils:
1. Rice bran oil: One of the healthy cooking oils rice bran oil should be consumed. It has a high amounts of monounsaturated fatty acids. Rice bran oil is also loaded with oryzanol that helps in lowering the bad cholesterol levels. Consuming this oil also improves the insulin regulation in the body. Apart from these benefits, rice bran oil is also rich in vitamin E which is good for the skin.
2. Sunflower oil: This oil helps in lowering the cardiovascular diseases and destroying the free radicals that cause cancer, so this makes it beneficial if consumed by cancer patients. Sunflower oil is also a very rich source of antioxidants that also boosts the immunity. This healthy oil helps in the smooth functioning of the nervous system. As an added benefit the oil can also be used by arthritis patients.
3. Olive oil:Olive oil comes is packed with antioxidants. Olive oil is very effective in reducing arthritis and other joint pain. Consuming this oil regularly lowers the chances of Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases. Olive oil also helps to improve the heart health and lowers the risk of heart attack and stroke.
4. Coconut oil: Coconut oil has been used since time immemorial as a cure for a number of ailments, including heart disease. This oil is rich in saturated fat. Studies suggest that diets high in coconut oil raise the blood cholesterol and LDL cholesterol level. It also seems to raise HDL (good) cholesterol.