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The Science of Fat Cooking
The Science of Fat Cooking
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Nowadays, the grocery store shelves in the supermarket are occupied by a wide variety. We sought an answer to the question which ones are the healthiest option.

According to Alice Liechtenstein, a professor of nutritional science, director of the cardiovascular laboratory at Boston University and a participant in the American Heart Health Association's Advisory Board, a report on dietary fat and cardiovascular disease, it is recommended to reduce the levels of saturated fats (from meat, poultry, cheese, dairy products and tropical oils) to reduce the risk of heart disease, replacing saturated fat with unsaturated, polyunsaturated and monounsaturated.

Most of the evidence is in favor of polyunsaturated fats found in fish, walnuts and flax seeds, as well as sunflower, safflower, soybean and corn oil - instead of monounsaturated fats from other nuts and seeds, avocados and olives, rapeseed oil and peanut butter.
Data show that if people replace saturated fat with polyunsaturated fats, they reduce the risk of heart disease more (up to 29%) than replacing saturated fat with monounsaturated fats. This fall in risk is comparable to what is seen when taking statins (cholesterol-lowering drugs).
 
Replacing saturated fat with polyunsaturated or monounsaturated fats is beneficial to the heart because it lowers cholesterol ("bad") LDL levels, as well as blood fats called triglycerides, which are risk factors for heart disease.
 
Here is a list of some of the healthiest cooking oils.

 
Avocado oil



Avocado oil is rich in monounsaturated fats (70%) and has one of the highest levels of monounsaturated fats among cooking fats, second only to the olive oil. Like olive oil, avocado oil is also low in polyunsaturated fats (10%).
 
Compared to other vegetable oils, avocado oil has a higher saturated fat content (20%), but this percentage is much lower than the percentage of saturated fat in butter, lard, or tropical oils.
Avocado oil is fine, with a soft flavor, with high cooking temperatures, making it suitable for sautéing, baking or using salad dressing.
 
Rapeseed oil



With a relatively high content of monounsaturated fats (62%) and polyunsaturated fats (32%). In addition, there is the lowest level of saturated fat in cooking oils (7%). It is also one of the few oils that contain a good vegetable source of omega-3 fats, the beneficial type of polyunsaturated fats.
 
People who use rapeseed oil to replace saturated fat in the diet tend to lower total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol levels, which may reduce the risk of heart disease.
 
Rape oil is universal and practical cooking oil, which is not very expensive and can be used in various ways - from baking to frying and preparing the salad dressing.


 
Coconut oil

Coconut oil, obtained from coconut palms, is popularized as a better alternative to butter. It is white and solid at room temperature with a consistency similar to that of butter. Vegans that do not consume animal fats use it as a substitute for butter.

In a New York Times survey published in 2016, 72% of consumers rated coconut oil as "healthy food" compared with 37% of nutritionists. Nutritionists pay attention to the fact that coconut oil has a high saturated fat content (92%).
 
Grape seed oil



Universal cooking oil extracted from grape seed remaining from wine production. This favorite chefs oil has a soft taste that can be combined with other, stronger tastes. Use boldly for sautéing, baking, in salad sauces. Store the grape oil in the fridge so it does not frost.
 
Grape seed oil has a high percentage of polyunsaturated fat (71% polyunsaturated, 17% monounsaturated, 12% saturated) with a similar fatty acid profile in soybean oil (61% polyunsaturated fats, 24% monounsaturated, 15% saturated).


 
Extra virgin olive oil and pure olive oil


Because of its great role in the Mediterranean diet, olive oil is a popular cooking oil.
Extra virgin olive oil is the result of the first pressing of the olives, a product with more taste and aroma and less processing, considered to be "unrefined", with a higher content of antioxidants. "Pure" olive oil has a lighter color and a softer taste.

Olive oils typically have the highest percentage of monounsaturated fats among cooking oils, rich in antioxidants called polyphenols, useful plant compounds, and can improve heart health.


 
A study carried out in Spain involving about 7500 men and women at high risk of heart disease is the following: consumption of a Mediterranean diet supplemented with untreated olive oil or mixed nut oil results in a lower incidence of heart attack, stroke, and death from heart disease compared to people who are recommended to follow a simple, low-fat diet.
 
High-temperature cooking recommends refined or pure olive oil. Extra virgin olive oil has a more pronounced flavor and this is a good option for sautéing vegetables, salad sauces, and marinades.


 
Peanut oil

Among peanuts, peanut has the highest content of monounsaturated fats - about half (49%) and a similar percentage of polyunsaturated fats (33%), like rapeseed oil. Its percentage of saturated fats (18%) is higher than that of other vegetable oils, but not to such an extent as to pose a health hazard to the heart, with less saturated fat than coconut or palm oil.
 
This aromatic oil has a pale coloration and aroma of walnut and can withstand high temperature.


 
Sesame oil

Commonly used in Asian, Indian and Middle Eastern cuisine, sesame oil is a good blend of polyunsaturated fats (46%) and monounsaturated fats (40%). The remaining 14 percent are saturated fats. It is not usually used as cooking fat and is used in recipes because of its pronounced aroma. After opening, store the sesame oil in the refrigerator.

Sunflower oil



Bright and neutral, sunflower oil has one of the highest concentrations of polyunsaturated fats (69%) among cooking oils. It delivers some monounsaturated fats (20%) and is low in saturated fat (11%), making it a whole healthier option. Sunflower oil is suitable for cooking because it can withstand high temperatures.
 
Studies that compare the effect on heart health from a diet rich in conventional sunflower oil, polyunsaturated fat, with a diet rich in rapeseed oil that has more monounsaturated fats, conclude that sunflower oil and rapeseed oil have a similar effect as both lower overall cholesterol, as well as the level of LDL cholesterol.


 
Other vegetable oils


Historically, the most popular oil is soy, but nowadays blends of other oils are also used.
 
Soybean oil is mostly polyunsaturated oil (61% polyunsaturated fats, 24 monounsaturated fats and 15% saturated fats). As a bonus, it contains some omega-3 fats that are healthy for the heart, commonly found in salmon and sardines, but less common in plant foods.



Vegetable oil made from soy is a taste-neutral oil with no expressing aroma. It is a universal cooking oil, frying, choking, used in the raw kitchen.
 
Fat selection

It is recommended to include small amounts of oil daily for the supply of essential fatty acids that the body can not produce naturally and must extract it from food. There are two such fatty acids, both of which are polyunsaturated fatty acids: linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid.


 
As we have seen, all cooking oils consist of three different types of fatty acids: monounsaturated, polyunsaturated and saturated. Each oil is categorized based on which type of fatty acid is most prominent in it. For example, olive oil and rapeseed oil are primarily considered as monounsaturated fats whereas maize and soybean oils contain mainly polyunsaturated fats.
 
Controversial research, unsaturated fats are better for health than saturated ones. Monounsaturated fats are liquid at room temperature but can harden on cooling. Olive oil, avocado oil, rapeseed are such fats. The other type of unsaturated fat is polyunsaturated. Grape seed oil, sunflower and soybean oil contain more of this fat.
 
Remember that the main point in using cooking oils in moderation.
 
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