My favorite 4 oils that are priceless and sufficient

All my life I have used sunflower oil for cooking and dressing. My parents used it when I was a child, afterward, I started using it too. Later I started using olive oils. But I had no idea what are the differences between oils and I have never heard about a smoke point. Like most people who have no health problems, I didn’t pay attention to the details related to the food and how to prepare it. But life changed and I should change too. I had to explore all about food if I want to be healthy again.

What you should know about cooking oils?

1. There are many types of cooking oils.

2. Oil smoke point is important. This means some of the cooking oils are not suitable for baking or frying. Smoking is a sign that your oil is breaking down. When oils break down, they can release chemicals that give food an undesirable burnt or bitter flavor, as well as free radicals that can harm the body. Before using any oil, make sure that its smoke point can handle the cooking method you plan to use.

3. Unrefined oils are the best choice. They are called also raw, cold-pressed or virgin, and contain plenty of beneficial minerals, nutrients, and enzymes. These oils have lower smoke points and can turn rancid on the shelf, so they’re best used for very low heat cooking or salad dressings.

4. Consuming the right oils doesn’t make you fat and doesn’t lead to health problems as high cholesterol.

5. We need to consume fats along with plants to absorb the fat-soluble vitamins in them as vitamins A, K, D, and E.

6. Fats and oils are vital to health. Cell membranes need fats. We need them for hormone production, immune cells production, to regulate inflammation and metabolism. We need oils and fats because the brain is made up of 60% fats.

Oils that are suitable for baking

Baking and sautéing are the healthiest way to cook your food if you really cook on low heat. I always bake at 170°C, at first I preheat the oven on 210°C, then I decrease it to 175°C – 130°C. You can steam the vegetables and afterward add oils. If you used to consume the vegetable baked or sauteed you can use Coconut oil or Ghee.

Coconut Oil

Unrefined Extra Virgin Coconut oil is one of the healthiest oils. Coconut oil remains stable when we heat it, for this reason, it is suitable for high-heat cooking.

Over 1,500 studies are proving the benefits of coconut oil, and no study proving the opposite. Although there was a hypothesis that claims that coconut oil raises LDL cholesterol, which leads to cardiovascular disease, no one study could prove this hypothesis.

The benefits of using unrefined extra virgin coconut oil are many:

# promotes hormonal balance

# treatment of candidiasis

# improves digestion and maintains metabolism

# regulates blood sugar and lipid levels

# enhances memory

Coconut oil contains 3 unique fatty acids, that make it so valuable. These are lauric, capric, and caprylic. They are among the rarest substances in nature. The lauric acid has a specific structure due to which it is easily digested by the body. it is known for its antiviral, antimicrobial, and antibacterial properties.

Consume coconut oil unhesitatingly!

Ghee

I use a lot of coconut oil in baked dishes but if I want to create something more oily I use Ghee. Ghee is a refined oil that is prepared by heating butter until the protein particles rise to the surface. After that, they are removed from the surface and the Ghee becomes suitable for people with lactose intolerance.

Ghee is beneficial because:

# contains alpha-linolenic acid, which helps build cell membranes in the brain

# and limits inflammation

# Ghee does not contain beta-casein A1, so many people tolerate it better than other dairy products

# Ghee consists of fat-soluble vitamins, which aid weight loss

# Ghee also has a high heat point, which prevents it from producing free radicals that damage cell function. Its smoke point is 232ºC (450ºF).

# It contains plenty of omega-3 fatty acids along with Vitamin A

# Ghee is super delicious

Oils that are suitable for dressing

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

When I start using Olive oil I cooked almost everything with it. Lately, I understood that the Olive oil shouldn’t be heated because it oxidizes and this makes it unsuitable for cooking. Extra Virgin Olive oil smoke point is 163-190ºC (325-375ºF). Refined or Light Olive Oil has smoke point 240ºC (465ºF) which is higher than Unrefined Olive oil but the benefit of refined Olive oil is far less.

Olive oil is the perfect main ingredient in dressing salads and the main part of Mediterranean cuisine. Mediterranean diet is associated with longevity, healthy cardiovascular system and decreases the risk of cancer.

Consuming Extra Virgin olive oil every day you do good for your health for several reasons:

# It contains vitamin E, vitamin K, and potent antioxidants.

# It lowers the risk of heart disease

# It helps maintain a healthy cholesterol level

# It prevents inflammation

# It is beneficial for gut and liver health

There is one big problem with Olive oil today. This is the possibility that it is fake. It is estimated that about 70% of olive oil in America is counterfeit or it is of lower quality. The real olive oil has a dark green color and a strong smell of olives. Its taste may be bitter and this bitterness may be felt in the throat.

Flaxseed Oil or Linseed Oil

Having a problem with nerve cell membranes I have found that Flaxseed oil is extremely beneficial for this tissue. It is rich in omega-3 fatty acids and has anti-inflammation properties. Flaxseed oil can be used in salad dressing or to be added to smoothies but it is not suitable for cooking. You can take it as a food supplement.

Benefits of flaxseed oil:

# Lowering inflammation

# Preventing heart disease

# Reducing cancer risk

# Helps with constipation. It acts as a lubricant for the colon and soothes inflamed intestines

# Contains Omega-3 fatty acids which help with high cholesterol, cardiovascular disease, and cellular dysfunction

# Suitable for people with autoimmune diseases such as Multiple sclerosis

Throw away from your kitchen harmful plant and seed-based cooking oils such as Corn oil, Canola oil, Soybean oil, Sunflower oil, and Margarine. These oils are mostly GMO and are hydrogenated. The result of the hydrogenation process is trans fats. Trans fats harm your health. They are dangerous for the cardiovascular system. Studies reveal that trans fats can increase levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol while decreasing good HDL (good) cholesterol, both of which are risk factors for heart disease. This is why is so important which fats and oils you use in your daily diet.

This article is written by using the helpful information from the books “Eat Dirt” by Dr. Josh Axe and “Food: What the Heck Should I Eat?” by Mark Hyman M.D.