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Animal fats and oils are slaughter derived from pigs (lard), chickens & ducks (poultry fat), cattle, goats & sheep (tallow), fish (fish oil), and other creatures. Dairy products such as butter and ghee are also animal fats used for cooking.
Cooking oil is obtained from different sources ranging from coconut, safflower/kardai, sesame/til, groundnut, mustard, etc. As long as the plants are not genetically engineered (like rapeseed from which canola oil is produced) the oils extracted, if consumed in moderation, are basically not harmful.
Cold pressed oil is how oil was first extracted. No impurities were removed, it was not heated and no preservatives were added. It was pure oil with nutrients intact.
Refined oil came about with industrial extraction and marketing of oil. They began subjecting the oil to different procedures and added chemicals to increase shelf life, remove typical odors and change colour. Naturally then, refined oil is not a healthy choice.
For example, people think olive oil is the ultimate oil. Little do they realize that there are various types of olive oil, the main categories are: extra virgin (first press of olives, 100% natural, high in antioxidants), pure (refined oil with a small addition of virgin olive oil), light (refined oil with higher smoke point), pomace (oil extracted from left-over pulp with the help of solvents and considered unhealthy).
Fatty Acids
Components of all oils and fats are fatty acids. Oils are labeled depending on the type of fatty acid prominent in it.
Saturated fatty acids (SFA) remain solid at room temperature. They are mostly derived from animal sources like ghee and butter. Plant derived saturated fats are palm and coconut oil. In fact, coconut oil is frequently used as a good substitute for ghee and butter.
Mono-unsaturated and poly-unsaturated fatty acids are plant derived. They are called MUFA and PUFA. An American study found that one needs to combine MUFA and PUFA oils for a healthy heart.
Trans-fats are man-made and toxic because they are produced during processing of oils/fats or during repeated heating at high temperature for frying. Trans-fats increase LDL and reduce HDL (the “good” cholesterol) in our blood.
A review of studies on trans-fats published in the New England Journal of Medicine established a strong link between trans-fat consumption and coronary heart disease. Therefore all high-heat refined oils, olive included, should be avoided.
Poly-unsaturated fatty acids (commonly known as PUFAs as stated above) are critical for good health. Linoleic acid or Omega 6, and alpha-linoleic acid or Omega 3, are two PUFAs that are essential fats. They are not produced in our bodies and need to be absorbed from the food we consume, or should be taken as supplements.
The richest source of Omega 6 oil is safflower/kardai oil, followed by grape seed oil; whereas, the richest source of Omega 3 is flax seed.
Certain studies conducted in 2017 that analyzed the effects of specific nutrients showed that when 5% of calories from saturated fats were replaced by an equal number of calories from poly-unsaturated fats, mono-unsaturated fats or whole-grain carbohydrates, the risk of coronary heart disease reduced respectively by 25%, 15% and 9%. |
India Imports
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Wanting to help our farmers lift oilseed prices and encourage domestic supply and marketing, in March 2018 the Government of India raised import duties on crude oil from 30 to 44 percent, and on refined palm oil from 40 to 54 percent.
India imports palm oil from Indonesia and Malaysia, soy from Argentina and Brazil, sunflower from Ukraine and canola from Canada. In 2018-19 India imported Rs 69,023.79 crore worth of vegetable oil.
Do you know that world demand for palm oil is destroying families, indigenous peoples, forests and their inhabitants, particularly, but not only orangutans? To know exactly how it impacts the environment, animals and people visit www.saynotopalmoil.com
Do you know Argentina and Brazil mainly grow GM soy? The biodiversity in and around agricultural fields consists of all the different plants, weeds, animals, micro-organisms and other species that live there. Growing GM soy impacts this biodiversity.
All the sunflower oil from Ukraine may not be GM but it could very well be so.
Do you know Canadian scientists turned industrial rapeseed oil into edible oil and named it Canola (coined from the words Canada and Oil)? Canola oil is extracted from GM rapeseeds. Its manufacture involves high heat during which process harmful trans-fats are formed.
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Good Oils
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When choosing oils to replace animal derived fats, we should not decide only on the variety oil seed used, but check how the oil has been extracted: cold-pressed, high-heat or refined.
It is best to use different oils for different dishes. Oils produced in India, more so, if manufactured using organically grown natural oil seeds are good. Two oils, like sesame or rice bran mixed with mustard oil, used in combination is also beneficial.
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| Page last updated on 05/11/19 |
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