About Oil

Fat facts: Not all fats and edible oils are bad for healthMost brands of edible oil claim to be more healthy than the other, leaving even informed consumers confused. Reams have been written about a healthy oil being one that has no trans fatty acids, is low in saturated fatty acids, high in mono-unsaturated fatty acids and also has some amount of poly-unsaturated fatty acids. But what does all this jargon mean?All experts say that olive oil is the healthiest oil and people obviously know: its consumption in the metros has been skyrocketing. In 2006-07, India imported about 1,500 tonnes of olive oil, of which half was for consumption and the other half for industrial use in sectors such as cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. But with a one-litre bottle of Pomace olive oil — the cheapest — priced at Rs 400, Pure Olive Oil (Rs 550) and Extra Virgin costing Rs 600 (prices for imported Leonardo brand), some people want options that are cheaper yet healthy. "Among the best oils are olive oil, mustard oil, til (sesame) oil, rapeseed, canola and rice bran oil,” says Dr RR. Kasliwal, senior consultant cardiology, Apollo Hospital. Canola oil imported from Canada is widely available and priced at Rs 260 (Hudson Canola Oil) a litre."Other vegetable oils such as corn, soyabean and groundnut are also good, but one must remember that refining and de-odouring spoil the oil. Refined oils should be avoided,” says Kasliwal. Refining involves heating the oil to a temperature higher than 200 degrees Celsius, which not only destroys the vitamins but also produces cell destroying oxidants and trans fatty acids."Trans fatty acids found in refined oils and vanaspati are worse than cholesterol in terms of their impact on cardiovascular health,” says Ishi Khosla, nutritionist, WholeFoods. Trans fatty acids are widely used in the food processing industry as they retain the flavour of the food. The US Food and Drug Administration has made it mandatory for all packaged food to carry a health warning listing the amount of trans fatty acid used in their products.