One of the most repeating questions I get all the time from my readers is the question on the healthiest type of oil that people can use to cook their food without adding too much fat in the process.
In other words, they are asking, which oil is healthiest for cooking?
In this article, I’m going to give you answers to that question based on my recent findings and research on this topic. However, I must tell you that the truth may surprise you even to myself when I discovered these truths. I even have to ask a world renowned nutrition specialist to confirm these findings.
Before, I delve into the article, I want to give you some insights on oil intake. Some oils and fats used in cooking are actually harmful, while others are healthy.
Many people (myself included) believe that anything labeled “Vegetable oil” is healthy for those who want to lose weight. The truth is Vegetable oil is not very healthy for people who want to lose weight.
Here is the reason.
Most of the oil labelled as Vegetable oil is refined soybean, cottonseed, corn oil or other oils produced under the impact of high heat, pressure and industrial solvents. Oils processed under this industrial conditions are UNHEALTHY for you.
The problem with so called Vegetable oil processed under this condition is that these oils contain a type of fat called, Polyunsaturated fat which is the most reactive type of fat which releases free radicals when subjected to the pressure of heat and light, and hence is prone to oxidation.
Processed vegetable oils contain Polyunsaturated fat which due to their nature of high reactivity under heat and light causes the most inflammation inside the human body tissues when consumed, thus bringing about ill-health effects like heart disease, diabetes and other degenerative diseases under prolonged usage.
Take note that what makes the so-called vegetable oil to be unhealthy for fat burning is the production process it undergoes.
In other words, the natural materials that these oil come from in their natural or unprocessed state is healthy. So even though a Polyunsaturated fat source like nuts and seeds can be eaten without any unhealthy effects as long as it is not subjected to a certain degree of heat and light, then it is not inflammatory.
When Polyunsaturated fats are eaten in their natural state, it becomes a healthy source of polyunsaturated fats. That is why it is always better to eat nuts and seeds in their natural state to avoid the oxidation of polyunsaturated fats which happens when nuts and seeds are roasted.
Now you may be wondering, what is the meaning of this Polyunsaturated fats he is talking about. Here is a little explanation for a better understanding.
Fats are classified in the following 3 forms:
1. Polyunsaturated Fat
This is the fat found mostly in nuts, seeds, fish, algae, leafy greens.
2. Monounsaturated Fat
This is the fat found also in nuts including peanuts, walnuts, avocado, and olive oil These foods containing monounsaturated fats reduce low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, while possibly increasing high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol.
3. Saturated Fats
This is the fat found mostly in coconut oil, palm oil and palm kernel oil.
In contrast to what we all believe and what most dieticians will tell you, Saturated fats is the best source of cooking oil and hence the healthiest.
Reason?
Because Saturated fats are more stable in nature and do not produce as many inflammation in the body tissue when exposed to heat and light.
That is why common overlooked oils like Palm oil and coconut oil are the best source of oil for cooking. These oil have little polyunsaturated fats and contains more of natural saturated fats which are not reactive under heat, light and pressure and hence no oxidation which cause the inflammation in body tissues.
This is also the reason why natural butter, Not Blue band Margarine) is one of the best oils for cooking in addition to Palm oil and Coconut oil.
I know this information is contrary to what you hear from dieticians and health professionals who do not fully understand the biochemistry of fats and who believe that saturated fats is bad for you.
The truth is, saturated fats oils from tropical zones like Africa is good for you because according to my findings, they contain an element called (MCT) Medium chain triglycerides which is known to strengthen the immune system and which is lacking in so many people’s diets because they hardly use Palm oil or Coconut oil.
To recap, your best cooking oil is Palm oil, or Coconut oil or natural butter. Vegetable oil which is industry processed oil from soybean, cottonseed, corn oil, etc are less healthy for cooking or baking.
However, as with everything in life, there should always be moderation. Even when you cook with saturated oils like Palm oil, use it minimally as too much use of it can actually help us gain fat fast. As much as possible reduce your oil intake.
(Read more at Healthy Living Guy)
