Choose the right oil

Vegetable oils derived from plants are known to have umpteen benefits. Besides enhancing the texture and flavour of food, vegetable oil has many other advantages and hence should be incorporated in our daily diet.

Some of the more popular oils for daily consumption include sunflower oil, safflower oil, peanut oil, and soybean oil among others. Gauri Iyer, Technical Head, AAK

Kamani shares some interesting facts about

Vegetable oils.

Improves health of heart: Most vegetable oils help to make the food delicious and nutritive too because of their unique fatty acid profile. By using Soyabean oil, low erucic acid Rapeseed oil, we can manage to keep cholesterol levels low as it contains polyunsaturated fatty acids or essential fatty acids (omega 6 and omega 3). With these oils in our diets, the chances of suffering from heart ailments are decreased as well.

Enhance the flavour: Edible cooking oils like peanut, olive and soy oil are not only healthy but also enhance the flavour of food and hence they are extensively used for cooking. Peanut oil or Groundnut oil, when used as filtered oil, is a favourite because of its aroma, which can be used for dressing, for sautéing as well as cooking.

Naturally trans-fat free: Vegetable oils are naturally trans-fat free. Hence oils like Refined Palm oil and other oils are used by the food industry as a replacement for hydrogenated vegetable fats which may contain unhealthy trans-fats.

Dairy fat replacement in ice cream: We now have trans free vegetable fats, which have proved to be a suitable replacement for milk fat in ice creams. Vegetable fats provide a good texture to the frozen desserts. Frozen desserts are nutritious since they are made from vegetable fats, which are trans-free and cholesterol free and at the same time economical as compared to ice cream

Menopausal issues: In a research conducted on health benefits of rice bran oil, it was observed that there was a reduction in symptoms of menopause like hot flushes in more than 90 per cent of the women who consumed rice bran oil daily.

Benefits for pregnant women: A pregnant woman and her unborn child have a high possibility of suffering from vitamin deficiencies. Vegetable oils are carriers of oil soluble vitamins like A, D, E and K and it is necessary to include it in your daily diet. Other interesting facts about vegetable oils

Naturally remove splinters: One of the best ways to get rid of splinters is to use vegetable oil. Soaking the finger for a few minutes in vegetable oil softens the skin, just enough to pull out the splinter with the help of tweezers.

Easy peeling of stickers: Storing used jars and containers – both of glass and plastic is a common practice, but removing the labels always leaves behind a sticky residue which doesn’t come off easily. Soak the jars in vegetable oil to slide off the labels and stickers easily.

Smoothen feet: We have all experienced rough feet at some point and one of the best remedies suggested for it is vegetable oil. Before going to bed, rub cracked feet with vegetable oil like coconut oil and cover it with a pair of soft socks. This helps to nourish cracked heels and naturally smoothen the feet.

Choosing the right kind of oil can not only change the flavour of your meal, but can also make a difference to your health. Vegetable oil, which was once a questionable cooking product, is now considered a diet-friendly source of beneficial nutrients, according to a new study.

Keep in mind though that excess of anything can be harmful for your health and everything should be consumed only in moderate quantities. Visit a nutritionist on a timely basis who can help you chalk out a diet plan according to your health and help you make wise and healthy lifestyle changes.