IS REFINED OIL HEALTHY???

What’s the deal with refined oil being bad for health and all? Following a debate, we decided that some amount of research is needed and we should share the result with our dear readers for the benefit of all.

We can all decide on one point that we must eat healthy to remain healthy. So it is prudent that we figure out what are we cooking our healthy food with!?! If the medium itself is not safe then it really does not make a difference whether what we are cooking is awesome for our health.

What do we mean by “refined oil”?

Refined oil is any oil that has been “purified” by using chemicals. Here “purification” may mean a lot of things – bleached, deodorized, treated with acid or alkali (depending upon the oil) or filtered multiple times. The more refined the oil is, the more Trans fat it contains. Generally, when the oils are refined, it transforms healthy fat into Trans fat, which is a nightmare for health.

According to Dr. Ranjit Mankeshwar, (Senior Associate Professor, Community Medicine Sir JJ Hospital and Public Health expert) – “Refined oils tend to degrade and therefore, should be avoided for frying. Oils high in saturated fats (like ghee) are better  for Indian cooking, as they are comparatively stable during frying. It has to be remembered that both are calorific and have to be restricted.

 Fat helps your body absorb essential vitamins and helps your body’s immune system. But too much fat increases your risk of heart disease, diabetes and obesity. The DASH diet strives for a healthy balance by limiting total fat to less than 30 percent of daily calories from fat”. 

[The DASH diet is a dietary pattern promoted by the U.S. based National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute to prevent and control hypertension]

How does it affect our bodies?

The doctors everywhere agree with this point that no matter what the advertisements say, refined oil is bad for digestive, coronary and respiratory system. The dangers of Trans fat are very real. It elevates bad LDL cholesterol, triglycerides and insulin levels and reduces beneficial HDL cholesterol. Trans fats also trigger cancer, diabetes, immune dysfunction, obesity and reproductive issues.

Some healthy alternatives for refined oil

• Coconut Oil
• Mustard oil
• Ghee
• Olive Oil (Not all olive oils are good. Most of the Italian olive oil found on supermarket shelves is impure. You should also read labels carefully to see if the product comes from olive oil-producing Italian towns like Sicily or Puglia).

NOTE: No matter what medium is being used, it has to be in moderation because too much of any medium is harmful for health…

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