Diet

Healthy oils

What are healthy oils?

Healthy oils are sometimes called oils that have a good composition of various fatty acids, vitamins, essential oils and possibly other phytonutrients for the human body.
Essential fatty acids are of particular importance, these are fatty acids that the body cannot synthesize (produce) itself and which must therefore be supplied through food. The omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are particularly important when evaluating an oil.

You might also be interested in this topic: Fats and exercise

Which portion of the oil is considered particularly healthy?

When assessing a healthy oil, the fatty acid content of the oil is particularly important. Only unsaturated fatty acids are found in the oil (which are responsible for the oil being liquid). These can be divided into single, double and polyunsaturated fatty acids. Fatty acids are important sources of energy for the body, some of the fatty acids can be produced by the body itself (non-essential fatty acids), some have to be taken in through food (essential fatty acids).

The essential fatty acids omega 3 and omega 6 contained in the oil are therefore of particular importance. Fatty acids have important physiological tasks and support the immune system, the aforementioned unsaturated fatty acids have been shown to lower the risk of cardiovascular diseases and have a positive effect on blood lipid levels. In particular, the ratio of the fatty acids to one another is a decisive factor in the quality of the oil.

In addition to the fatty acids, there are other components that make an oil particularly healthy. These are, for example, essential oils, phytochemicals and certain vitamins. When assessing an oil, it is also important to pay attention to the intended use of the oil, as not all oils are equally suitable for cooking, frying or in salad dressing.

Also read the article on the topic: Essential oils

What is the importance of omega 3?

Omega 3 fatty acids are of great importance for health. Numerous studies prove the positive effects of omega 3 fatty acids. Omega 3 fatty acids are polyunsaturated fatty acids that have to be taken in daily through food as the body cannot synthesize them itself. Suppliers of omega 3 fatty acids are, for example, fatty sea fish, oils such as linseed oil and rapeseed oil or soy products.

The best-known omega 3 fatty acids are alpha linolenic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid. Omega 3 fatty acids ensure that fewer inflammatory substances are formed in the body and have a positive influence on metabolism, brain performance, the immune system as well as the muscles and the skeleton.

Thanks to these properties, omega 3 fatty acids reduce the risk of or have a positive influence on cardiovascular diseases, lipid metabolism disorders, diabetes, mental illnesses, osteoporosis, obesity, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer's disease, rheumatism, osteoarthritis, neurodermatitis and other diseases in which inflammatory diseases occur Processes play a role. With regard to the omega 3 contained in oil, it is important to make sure that the ratio between omega 3 and omega 6 is good, as the two fatty acids have opposite effects, so a high proportion of omega 3 is desirable.

Read more on the topic: Nutritional therapy

Which healthy edible oils are there?

There are many healthy edible oils. Which of them are best depends on the intended use (frying, cooking, salad dressing) of the oil. Some healthy oils are listed below.

Olive oil: This oil is available both cold-pressed (not suitable for searing) and hot-pressed (suitable for searing at medium temperatures. Olive oil contains many monounsaturated fatty acids and has a relatively favorable ratio of omega 3 to omega 6.
Rapeseed oil: Rapeseed oil has a high proportion of omega 3 fatty acids and alpha linolenic acid and is therefore very healthy. In the kitchen it is considered an all-rounder and can be used for almost anything. However, it is not the first choice when roasting over high heat.
Linseed oil: This oil also has a good omega-3 to omega-6 ratio and is generally beneficial to health. It is mostly used as an unheated oil, for example in salad dressings.
Avocado oil: This oil is very expensive, but has very good heat resistance and a high smoke point, as well as a relatively neutral taste, which makes it ideal for spicy frying.

Other healthy edible oils are walnut oil, grapeseed oil, coconut oil, sunflower oil or black seed oil.

You may also be interested in this topic: Healthy eating

Which oils are particularly healthy for frying?

Two points are decisive for whether an oil is suitable for frying or not. On the one hand its heat resistance and on the other hand the smoke point. These two factors are very important from a health point of view and should therefore always be observed.If an oil is not heat-resistant, it can decompose at unsuitably high temperatures, producing substances that are harmful to health.

It is similar with the smoke point. If the temperature is too high, the oil begins to smoke (the smoke contains volatile components of the oil such as water, free fatty acids and other oxidation products), and the gases released in the process can have harmful effects on the organism when inhaled. When buying an oil, the intended use must therefore always be taken into account.

Generally speaking, refined (hot-pressed oil) oils and fats with a high proportion of monounsaturated or saturated fatty acids and a smoke point above 200 ° C are best suited. Usually it is already indicated on the label whether oils are suitable for frying or not. Oils that are good for frying and healthy at the same time are, for example, rapeseed oil or avocado oil, as a cheaper alternative there are the so-called high oleic oils (HO oils), these are obtained from specially grown sunflowers and thistle varieties.

Which oils are particularly healthy for cooking?

When cooking, as with frying, it is important that the oils used are heat-resistant and have a higher smoke point. However, since the same high temperatures are often not reached when cooking as when frying, the selection of healthy oils available is correspondingly larger. Cold-pressed oils, such as many olive oils, on the other hand, are less suitable for cooking as they only remain stable up to temperatures of approx. 130 ° C.

Refined rapeseed oil is best suited for cooking, as it is rather heat-resistant and also tasteless. Peanut oil, coconut oil and sunflower oil are also healthy for cooking. It is important to ensure that the ratio of omega 3 to omega 6 fatty acids is good and that the oil is made up of saturated or monounsaturated fatty acids if possible.

Also read our topic: Food and Cholesterol- What To Look For?

What is the difference between an oil and a fat?

At the chemical level, fats and oils have a very similar structure. They are so-called long-chain esters. An ester is a combination of the trihydric alcohol glycerine and a long-chain carboxylic acid (also known as fatty acid). The fatty acids differ in the number of carbon atoms (C atoms) they contain in the molecule. Due to the way in which the individual carbon atoms in the molecule are connected to one another, a distinction is made between saturated (no double bond) and unsaturated (double bond) fatty acids. The more double bonds there are in the molecule, the more fluid the lipid becomes.

Oils in which there are multiple double bonds in the molecule can be converted into fat through a specific hardening process, an example of this is margarine. So the difference between an oil and a fat lies primarily in their firmness. Oils are liquid at room temperature whereas fats are usually solid. Most of the oils found are of vegetable origin, such as olive oil or rapeseed oil, fats are often animal products, including butter or lard.

You might also be interested in these topics: