butter and some other sources of animal
fat is not too good for your health.
Some people are most likely to have
advised you to cook with vegetable oils
which are supposed to be high in
unsaturated fats (good fat) and low in
cholesterol (bad fat) which is good for
the body.
Sorry to bust your bubble. A new study
published by a group of Canadian
scientists shows that not all vegetable
oils are good for the heart.
The researchers say that many of them
in the market contain some harmful
chemical substances that could increase
one's risk for coronary heart disease,
obesity and diabetes.
The research work published in the
Canadian Medical Association Journal
last month states that despite the fact
that vegetable oils help lower
cholesterol content in the body, many of
them contain polyunsaturated fats that
increase a consumer's risk for
cardiovascular diseases.
Study author and professor of
Nutritional Science at the University of
Toronto, Canada, Dr. Richard Bazinet,
notes that the fact that vegetables oils
are reputed to have low cholesterol
does not necessarily mean that the
other fats they contain is good for the
body.
According to Bazinet, physicians were
able to deduce that some vegetable oils
contained unequal proportions of
Omega3 and Omega6 oils, which could
predispose one to heart disease-related
death, inflammation, and oxidative
stress.
Why then does vegetable oil come
highly recommended for cooking?
Bazinet explains that vegetable oils
contain essential fatty acids needed for
many metabolic functions which the
body does not produce itself, hence
these nutrients must be got from food.
He adds that with present findings, the
slogan must change from consuming
vegetable oils to consuming the oil that
has the right proportion of nutrients
that the body needs, as the study
revealed that vegetable oils are just a
little healthier than oil got from animal
sources which doctors quickly condemn
and discourage its use in cooking.
Bazinet notes, "Omega-3s and Omega-6
fatty acids are essential, which means
they're not produced by the body and
therefore need to be obtained by food.
The problem comes when we consume
too many omega-6s —which is easy to
do, since vegetable oils show up in tons
of processed foods and fried foods.
What we should be asking for now, is
which oil has the nutrients that I need
in the right amount?"
The experts recommend that individuals
should consume Omega-6s and
Omega-3s oil in a 10:1 or 5:1 ratio, but
now that most of people's consumption
rate is closer to 20:1 increasing the risks
diet has on the body, especially the
heart.
Bazinet also states that the ultimate in
our daily diet should be that one should
find ways to consume more Omega 3-
rich fats and fewer Omega-6 rich ones.
"The oils containing higher level of
Omega-3s tend to show more
protective effects in these coronary
heart disease studies. The oils that have
no omega-3s tend to show an increased
risk for diabetes and cardiac diseases,"
he says. Are you confused about which
oils are heart-healthy and which aren't?
If so, you're not alone. But you need
not worry, below are some vegetable
oils that cardiologists have described as
"kind to the heart."
Canola oil
One way to reshape your diet is by
choosing heart-healthy oils. Canola oil,
which is made from the crushed seeds
of the canola plant, is among the
healthiest of cooking oils. It has the
lowest saturated fat content of any oil
commonly consumed in the U.S., at just
seven per cent. By comparison,
sunflower oil has 12 per cent saturated
fat, corn oil has 13 per cent, and olive
oil has 15 per cent.
Although it's low in saturated fat, canola
oil is very high in healthy unsaturated
fats. It's an excellent source of the
Omega-6 fatty acid, linolenic acid, and it
is higher in the Omega-3 fatty acid
alpha-linolenic acid (ALA) than any other
oil commonly used. These fats are
particularly important in the diet
because the human body can't produce
them.
Health benefits of Canola
Studies show that alpha-linolenic acid,
or ALA, may help protect the heart by
its effect on blood pressure, cholesterol,
and inflammation. There is enough
evidence of canola oil's heart benefits
that the FDA allows canola oil
manufacturers to label their products
with this qualified health claim:
"Limited and not conclusive scientific
evidence suggests that eating about 1
1/2 tablespoons (19 grams) of canola oil
daily may reduce the risk of coronary
heart disease due to the unsaturated fat
content in canola oil. To achieve this
possible benefit, canola oil is to [sic]
replace a similar amount of saturated fat
and not increase the total number of
calories you eat in a day. One serving of
this product contains [x] grams of canola
oil."
Substituting canola oil for other fats in
your diet is an easy way to help you eat
healthier. One study shows that
completely substituting canola oil and
canola oil-based margarine for other oils
and spreads can help adults meet the
daily dietary recommendations for
saturated and unsaturated fat. Switching
to only canola-based products could
reduce your saturated fat intake by
almost 10 per cent, and increase your
ALA intake by nearly 73 per cent, shows
the study, published in the Journal of
the American Dietetic Association.
Soyabeans oil
Soyabean oil is a popular vegetable oil
that is valued for its affordability, high
smoke point and health benefits.
Soyabean oil is extracted from the
soybean. It often has a dark yellow or
faint green colour. Standard vegetable
oil is often composed of soyabean oil.
Soyabean oil accounts for 80 per cent of
all commercial oil used in the United
States. This is a good all around oil that
can be used for baking, cooking and
frying.
Soyabean oil is made by extracting oils
from the soyabean. This is done by
cracking the beans and then heating the
beans to remove any unnecessary
moisture. Next, the beans are sliced and
then rolled to extract the oil. Often,
commercial brands mix soyabean oil
with other cheaper oils to make it more
affordable. You can also find unrefined
soyabean oil, which is cold-pressed and
expeller-pressed. Often unrefined oils
have a stronger flavour, but usually
retain a higher nutritional value than
refined oils.
Health benefits of Soyabean oil
Soyabean oil contains no cholesterol,
which makes it a perfect choice for
individuals with heart disease or high
cholesterol.
The fats in soyabean oil are
polyunsaturated and they have shown
to help reduce total cholesterol, lower
LDL or bad cholesterol levels and
increase HDL or good cholesterol levels.
Soyabean oil has omega-3 fatty acids,
which have shown to reduce the risk of
cardiovascular disease, slow the growth
of atherosclerotic plaque, slow the risk
of arrhythmias or abnormal heartbeats
and decrease triglyceride levels.
Soyabeans naturally contain
antioxidants, which remain in the oil
even after it is pressed. These
antioxidants help prevent the damage
caused by free radicals, which may help
prevent certain cancers.
NB: Today is the World Diabetes
Day,have you checked your blood sugar
level?
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