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While oils are an important part of cooking, there are certain oils you must avoid for a healthy living.
Avoiding certain cooking oils is important for health reasons.
Using oil is one of the most important aspects of cooking. It’s almost impossible to imagine cooking without oil in Indian households. Though the zero-oil cooking is slowly gaining popularity among health-conscious individuals, different kinds of oils are being widely used in every Indian kitchen.
However, it is also true that certain cooking oils can be harmful to your health. It is important to know about the types of oils that are best to avoid when it comes to cooking food.
According to a study published by the United States’ National Library of Medicine, the overheating or reuse of some cooking oils can lead to the creation of chemicals, which are bad for health. Such chemicals could lead to serious health issues such as cancer and respiratory problems.
Here are some of the cooking oils you must avoid to ensure better health outcomes.
Nine Cooking Oils To Avoid In The Kitchen
Canola Oil
High temperatures and chemicals such as hexane are used to refine canola oil. It can lead to the formation of transfats and byproducts of oxidation that are harmful to human beings. Canola oil has a high concentration of omega-6 fatty acids. If this chemical is consumed in excess without being balanced by omega-3s, it can lead to chronic inflammation.
Soybean Oil
Soybean oil comes with a high concentration of omega-6 fatty acids that can lead to inflammation if taken in excess amounts. As it is not stable at high temperatures, subjecting it to high heat can lead to the formation of harmful chemicals. Soybean oil is usually processed under high heat and put through chemical extraction with the use of hexane. This can leave it with toxic residues.
Corn Oil
It is a genetically modified oil rich in omega-6s, which can lead to inflammation. Manufacturing of corn oil by using chemicals such as hexane also increases the risk of health issues. It also goes through bleaching and removal of bad odour. All these processes can lead to a loss of nutrients and a build-up of dangerous chemicals. During cooking, it can degrade into dangerous aldehydes.
Cottonseed Oil
Cottonseed oil is produced from cottonseeds. It can contain traces of pesticides used on the cotton crops. While refining processes aim to remove these residues and the toxic compound gossypol, the possibility of pesticide contamination can’t be eliminated. Gossypol can cause damage to the reproductive system and liver in human beings if consumed in excess amounts.
Refined Sunflower Oil
Refined sunflower oil with low oleic content generally has a higher proportion of omega-6 fatty acids. It is not stable at high temperatures and can get oxidised, leading to the formation of aldehydes and free radicals. These chemicals are linked to cancer and heart problems. The chemicals and processes involved in refining it can lead to the destruction of nutrients in it.
Safflower Oil
Safflower oil contains polyunsaturated fats, which can be unstable and degrade during cooking. This degradation can lead to the formation of free radicals that can cause negative health effects. It also has linoleic acid, which is an omega-6 fatty acid that is linked with diseases such as cancer, diabetes and heart issues.
Vegetable Oil
Vegetable oil is highly processed and it is essentially a combination of different oils such as corn oil, safflower oil, cottonseed oil and canola oil. The process used to refine it involves chemicals and high temperatures that can reduce its nutritional quality. It has trans-fats and chemicals that can lead to inflammation. Using it at high temperatures can lead to its degradation into aldehydes and free radicals that can cause cancer, inflammation and damage to the DNA.
Refined Grapeseed Oil
Refined grapeseed oil comes with a high concentration of omega-6 fatty acids. The refining process can lead to the formation of transfats that can cause heart problems and inflammation. Grapeseed oil has a high percentage of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) that can degrade at high temperatures.
Rice Bran Oil
Rice bran oil is high in omega-6 fatty acids and its extraction is done with the help of chemical solvents. If it is reused at high temperatures, it may lead to certain health problems. During its processing, chemical extraction is done with hexane. It also undergoes bleaching and deodorising, which increases the risk of health hazards.
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