When it comes to health, cooking oils have always been a source of contention. Some experts bat for it, while others recommend staying away from it. However, there is one thing everyone would agree, oils make the food tastier. And that is their primary goal. Oils are added to food to make it more appetizing and flavourful. But, how do they impact health? Most importantly, are these good or bad for health? Which type of oil is the healthiest and which one is the worst? To get answers to these questions, Onlymyhealth spoke to Sreemathy Venkatraman, a gut health practitioner & wellness nutritionist and the founder of ‘Mitha Aahara-Eat to Live’.

Types Of Cooking Oil

If you are even a bit into cooking, you know there are several kinds of oils used. Primarily these are made of nuts, grains, seeds, fruits, cereal bran, or vegetables. Sources of cooking oils include:

• Legumes: Soybean
• Grains: Germ of rice, bran of rice
• Vegetable: Germ of corn
• Seeds: Sunflower, sesame
• Nut: Walnut, groundnut, peanut, coconut
• Fruit: Olive oil

Cooking Oils: Are There Any Benefits

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Cooking oils aren’t bad, as they are made out to be. Consuming them will provide you with these benefits:

• Essential Fatty Acids: These are rich in essential fatty acids, which since cannot be synthesised in the body, hence, should be consumed through food.
• Vitamin E: Cooking oils are also rich in vitamin E. It’s a rich source of antioxidants, which help fight free radicals and hence prevent cellular damage. It’s good for the skin and keeps it supple and healthy. Vitamin E also maintains the integrity of the cell membrane. 
• Fats: Cooking oils contain fats, which helps in the absorption of vitamins such as A, E, D, and K.
• Beta Carotene: Vegetable oil is generally red palm oil that is rich in beta carotene, which is good for the skin, eye health, and immune system.
• PUFA: Similarly, sunflower oil is rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), which are good for heart health and are anti-inflammatory.
• Energy: Also, oils are a rich source of energy. A gram of it contains 9 kCal. Hence, it is particularly good for children in their rapid growth stage.

Cooking Oils: Are They Detrimental For Health?

To increase the shelf life of oils, they undergo refining in factories.

• Trans Fatty Acids: Oils are hydrogenated to keep them solid at room temperature. Hydrogenated vegetable oils contain trans fatty acids. These clog the arteries, increasing the risk of heart attacks.
• Weight Gain: Oils are calorie-dense. Hence, consumption in large quantities leads to weight gain, which puts you at risk of several serious illnesses.

Cooking Oils: Things To Keep In Mind

As you saw, cooking oils have both benefits and downsides. Here are some of the things you must keep in mind while consuming it:

• Rotate the source of oil every three to four months. Hence, use two kinds of oil, such as groundnut and sesame, sunflower and rice bran, etc.
• Sreemathy recommends cold-pressed oils of sunflower and olive oil.
• Just 15 to 25 grams of oil is enough in a day. Remember, your total fat consumption shouldn’t exceed 30% of your total calorie intake.
• Also, do not use the oil, which is heated to the smoking point for deep frying, more than 2-3 times. Also, fried foods can cause clogged arteries and are detrimental to heart health.

Hence, you can consume cooking oils but in moderation. Also, cold-pressed or olive and sunflower oils are generally recommended. 3-4 tablespoons of oil in a day is enough to make your food appetizing and flavourful.

(With inputs from Sreemathy Venkatraman, a gut health practitioner & wellness nutritionist and the founder of ‘Mitha Aahara-Eat to Live’)