Getting The Right Cooking Oil for Your Dish

SINGAPORE - Sept. 30, 2021 - PRLog -- There has been a considerable rise in obesity, cardiovascular diseases & diabetes in the last century or so. Genetics have not changed much in such a short period. Instead, the rise of diseases has lots to do with lifestyle issues e.g. dietary choices.

Data also shows that one of the significant dietary changes in the last century was in the choice of dietary sources of fats in various parts of the world. We are now more dependent on plant oils than before.

Only in some parts of the world, people continue to consume plant oil as part of their traditional diet, like in the Mediterranean. It may explain why the lower prevalence of obesity & metabolic disorders in that region.

Plant oils are not equal

Studies show that the prevalence of metabolic disorders is exceptionally high in regions where people have switched to vegetable oils that were not traditionally consumed in those regions, like soybean oil, sunflower oil & peanut oil.

Researchers believe that we have evolved to consume omega-3 & omega-6 fatty acids in equal quantities. However, the modern western diet has omega-6, about 15 to 20x higher than omega-3s. It is especially low in EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) & DHA (docosahexaenoic acid).

We could always include more omega-3 rich plant oils like flaxseed oil, canola oil, & extra virgin olive oil as a solution.

Linoleic acid, a major culprit

Researchers have recently also found that certain plant-based oil cause more obesity than saturated fats like lard. So, what could be the reason? They found that it was due to the high content of linoleic acid in vegetable oils. Linoleic acid causes more obesity than saturated fats & is the prime culprit in the risk of metabolic disorders.

However, do not confuse linoleic acid with alpha-linolenic acid, which is an omega-3 fatty acid & is suitable for health.

Analysis of vegetable oils shows that peanut oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil, cottonseed oil, & corn oil are all rich in linoleic acid. Thus, despite their low content of saturated fats, they cause obesity, metabolic disorders & low-level inflammation.

Extra virgin olive oil fits better

Lots have been written about olive oil and its health benefits, but the most critical point has been missed. Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) - https://oliveoil-people.com/shopevoo.html - is indeed rich in omega-3 fatty acids, but soybean oil also has them.

EVOO has the lowest linoleic acid content among various plant oils which makes it great for weight loss. It explains why plant oils with higher content of omega-3s than olive oil are still not as good. EVOO is high in EPA and DHA too, the two most essential fatty acids. Thus, EVOO is the healthiest plant oil.