Did you know that the cooking oil used in our homes can make one hospitalized? Scientific research has proven that many of the cooking oil used in homes threaten people’s health. One of the reasons cooking oil is used in preparing various dishes is because it transfers heat quickly to cooked food. Thus, frying food becomes faster than other food preparation methods like roasting. The second reason for using cooking oil is its ability to flavor the meal. Precisely, during baking, cooking oil helps in leavening and tendering the ingredients. However, some of the cooking oil can result in one acquiring health problems such as cancer, heart disease, obesity, and body inflammation, among others. The article aims to elaborate on some of the health risks that come with various vegetable cooking oils.
There are different kinds of cooking oils depending on the ingredient used in making them. Cooking oil can be made from plant products such as corn oil, olive oil, peanut oil, soybean oil, palm oil, coconut oil, cottonseed oil, and canola oil, among other vegetable oils. It can also be made from animal products such as lard and butter. Here are some reasons one should be very careful while consuming vegetable oils.
Cardiovascular problems
Most manufacturers add hydrogen gas to vegetable oil to prolong its shelf life. Consequently, the hydrogen gas increases the amount of “trans fat” in the oil. The “trans fat” inhibits the body from producing prostacyclin. Prostacyclin is a product that helps smooth blood flow in the body. If the body cannot produce a prostacyclin, blood clots happen in the arteries. This may result in one getting heart problems as well as memory damage.
Interfering with the body cell structures
Vegetable oils contain a large amount of omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid, which is harmful to the body when taken in excess. The unsaturated fatty acid interferes with the composition of the body cells’ fatty acids. Since the polyunsaturated fats are double bonded, they tend to be more reactive with oxygen resulting in a chain of reactions that causes damage to vital body structures such as DNA.
Inflammation
Omega 3 and Omega 6 help make eicosanoids, the substance that causes body inflammation. However, Omega-6 eicosanoids are pro-inflammatory while the Omega-3s eicosanoids are anti-inflammatory. For this reason, if one consumes more Omega-6, which is found in vegetable oil, and less Omega-3, which is found in Animals oil, he/she will get body inflammation.
The above risk factors apply mainly to all vegetable oils that are extracted in unnatural ways, such as soybean oil, corn oil, cottonseed oil, and canola oil. Instead, one should go for cooking oils that are extracted in natural ways, such as olive oil, coconut oil, sesame oil, or grass-fed butter.
As one looks for a pocket-friendly and flavored cooking oil, one should always consider the health issue of the preferred cooking oil. Researching a product should be a priority before its consumption for health’s sake.
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