How harmful are vegetable fats in foods? Is sunflower oil harmful? Sunflower and olive oil – which is better?

Benefit

Unrefined sunflower oil has many beneficial properties that make this product stand out compared to foods of animal origin. Due to its composition, the product has a whole range of useful features:

active participation in metabolism;
memory improvement;
normalization of the functioning of the reproductive and endocrine glands;
prevention of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, liver and respiratory tract;
prevention of the development of atherosclerosis;
lowering blood cholesterol levels;
increasing the protective functions of the body, strengthening the immune system.

Also, unrefined sunflower oil is often used for toothache, has a rejuvenating effect and promotes the effective treatment of thrombophlebitis.

The presence of valuable polyunsaturated fatty acids helps to classify this product as one of the must-haves on the dinner table, because a person needs fatty acids no less than vitamins or minerals.

Thanks to regular consumption of sunflower oil, you can remove excess cholesterol from the body, cleanse blood vessels, prevent heart and vascular diseases, and normalize blood circulation in the brain.

Unrefined sunflower oil reduces the risk of developing skin diseases and is an effective prevention of rickets in children.

Considering the calorie content of this product, it can hardly be called dietary. But thanks to its valuable chemical composition and high taste characteristics, unrefined sunflower oil is a popular nutritious product and an effective means for rejuvenating and cleansing the body.

This product is also useful for nails: it strengthens the nail plate and prevents splitting. And masks with the addition of this oil will give your hair softness and easy combing. It is also useful to lubricate the roots with a small amount of oil from time to time: this can provide strength to the strands and stimulate their growth.

Harm

Sunflower oil can be beneficial if you do not consume it in excess. The daily dose should not exceed 2-3 tbsp. spoons. The calorie content of the oil is quite high, which should be taken into account when using it in weight loss diets.

And repeated frying of foods in the same oil provokes the appearance of carcinogenic substances, which cause the development of oncology.

If refined oils are more suitable for frying, then unrefined oils are better used raw (added to salads, for example).

Unrefined sunflower oil contains 9.86 grams of saturated fatty acids and does not contain sugar or carbohydrates. This product contains no harmful components, food additives or GMOs. It is not surprising that oil is such a popular nutritional product.

Calorie content

Unrefined sunflower oil contains 884 kcal per 100 grams, which is 40% of the daily calorie requirement. Moreover, this product contains 99.9% fat, but no protein or carbohydrates (0%).

Contraindications

This product has a diuretic effect: in the presence of diseases of the biliary tract and gallbladder, its consumption should be minimized. It is also necessary to reduce the intake of unrefined vegetable oil in case of heart and vascular diseases, diabetes mellitus and high cholesterol levels in the blood.

The substances that make up unrefined sunflower oil are useful for women at all stages of pregnancy and during breastfeeding. Therefore, this product has no contraindications for use while carrying and feeding a baby. For infants, it is better to postpone the use of unrefined oil: the body is not yet ready for such new products. Therefore, it should be well sterilized and only then given to the baby (for example, for constipation). It is also better to refrain from using this oil externally for newborns.

The nutritional value

The main value of unrefined sunflower seed oil is the presence of a large amount of fatty acids, which the body needs to strengthen cells, activate recovery processes, and improve health.

Vitamins and minerals

Unrefined sunflower oil is a source of valuable fatty acids, but is not rich in minerals. This product contains iodine, calcium, iron, magnesium, and zinc. But they are contained in minimal quantities (less than 1% of the daily requirement).

Thanks to unrefined sunflower oil, you can improve your well-being, improve the functioning of your internal organs, rejuvenate your skin and strengthen your hair. Like healing products, this oil has a positive effect on the entire body.

Unrefined and refined sunflower oil: benefits and harms

The debate surrounding the issue and benefits of sunflower oil does not stop. Some are quick to assure that refined oil is very harmful to health. Others swear off buying unrefined because it often has a bitter taste and foams in the pan. There are opinions that refined oil can withstand high temperatures, while natural (unrefined) oil, on the contrary, is only suitable for dressing salads. Where to find the truth and which sunflower oil to choose. The benefits and harms of this product will be discussed in our article today so that you can make your choice.

The benefits of sunflower oil

Let's start with the fact that this is one of the most popular products used in cooking. No kitchen can do without its use; every housewife always keeps sunflower oil in a darkened cabinet. Its benefits and harms depend on the method of use, because the product itself is very valuable. It contains vitamins A, D, E, as well as many biologically active substances. Eating this product helps improve vision, strengthen bone tissue, hair, nails and skin. Sunflower oil has a beneficial effect on the endocrine and genitourinary systems. The oil is capable of preserving many vitamins. For example, carotene contained in carrots dissolves only if it is consumed with oil.

The oil is also widely used in cosmetology. Almost all oils that are available in pharmacies (burdock, St. John's wort, nettle and many others) are prepared on its basis. As you can see, sunflower oil is a very valuable product. Its benefits and harms, however, go hand in hand.

Harm of sunflower oil

This is obvious, but it cannot be ignored. The product is very high in calories, and a large amount of fat in the composition can cause excess weight gain. Oil should be consumed very sparingly. This is especially true for those who are obese. That is, in fact, all the harm that a person can get from this product lies in the fact that it is quite high in calories. Therefore, you should not consume it in too large quantities. At the same time, dressing salads will not harm your body. However, anything fried in oil should be kept to a minimum.

Contraindications

Despite the fact that this is a product and not a medicine, sunflower oil also has its contraindications. Its benefits and harms have already been described, now let's see for whom this product is completely prohibited. These are primarily people suffering from cardiovascular diseases. If you have diseases of the biliary tract and gallbladder, then you should minimize your intake of oil. In addition, sunflower oil should be taken in minimal quantities for diabetes and high cholesterol.

The benefits of refined oil

You will always recognize this product by its characteristic characteristics - light color, absence of odor and smoke when frying. Therefore, most often, if you plan to cook pies or flatbreads, you will take refined sunflower oil. The benefits and harms of this product are determined by the technologies with which it was purified. The composition of the product remains the same; the cleaning procedure does not change it. It is carried out in two ways. The first is physical, involving the use of adsorbents. The second is chemical, in this case the oil is passed through alkali. The second method is more common, as it is easier to control the quality of the final product.

First of all, we can appreciate the benefits of purified oil when frying. It has no taste, does not smoke and does not form foam. However, you shouldn’t criticize the frying pan too much. The smoke point, when the oil begins to burn, producing carcinogens, is higher for refined oil, but it still exists.

Harm of refined oil

In some cases, if you want an odorless product, you should use frozen sunflower oil. The benefits and harms of this product are little known, but it can be assumed that you get a purified, odorless product without using any alkalis or absorbent substances. Manufacturers, of course, claim that the oil is washed well after cleaning and no harmful impurities are retained in it. I want to believe this, but still the home cleaning process is much safer. For example, you should not use factory-refined sunflower oil on an empty stomach. The benefits and harms of such a product depend on the method of its purification. No matter how safe industrial alkalis are, it is unlikely that their impurities will add to your health.

The benefits of unrefined oil

Now let's look at unrefined sunflower oil. For a long time, its benefits and harms were not considered at all, it was included in cheap products for the poorest, and everyone else used the purified one. However, this is fundamentally wrong. Cold pressed oil is the best thing you can think of for your health. It retains the maximum of useful substances found in sunflower grains. It is this that is very useful for dressing vegetable salads; you can drink it on an empty stomach in the morning, and also rinse your mouth with sunflower oil. The benefits and harms of this ritual have been studied since ancient times. This is how they treat a sore throat, sore throat, and relieve headaches and toothaches. To do this, take a little oil into your mouth and rinse for 20 minutes, after which you should spit out the oil.

Since ancient times, this lean food product has been used as a substitute for animal fats during fasting, or during illness. They made dough in vegetable oil, baked Lenten pies, and added it to porridge.

The harm of unrefined oil

When frying, unrefined oil does more harm than good. When heating begins, excess moisture in the oil increases, and this immediately leads to the appearance of foam. It is very difficult to control the frying process when the products are covered with a thick layer of foam. Natural oil begins to smoke at 100 degrees; if you consider that the average frying temperature for pies is 230 degrees, it is clear that the formation of carcinogens is inevitable.

This means that if you decide to fry meat in aromatic oil, you will end up hopelessly spoiling the product, and the entire room will have to be ventilated for a very long time. The smell after frying in unrefined oil is very persistent. Nutritionists unanimously argue that despite the high calorie content, vegetable oil should be present in the diet regularly. At the same time, it is better to take refined for frying, and unrefined for making sauces and salad dressings. Therefore, you should always have two bottles of oil in your kitchen.

Let's sum it up

Today we looked at an important topic, since each of us constantly buys sunflower oil. The benefits and harms (we discussed in detail how to take purified and natural oils earlier) of this product very much depend on how to use it. First of all, you need to follow the dosage; it is permissible to consume only 2 tablespoons every day, due to its high calorie content. In addition, in order not to receive harmful carcinogens with food, you need to remember that you can fry only in purified oil. But for salads and sandwiches you can use aromatic, unrefined seeds that smell like seeds.

Refined sunflower oil - benefits and harms

When we talk about the beneficial properties of oil, we mean the presence of the same amount of useful substances in the oil as was contained in the raw seeds. Raw seeds are enriched with nine minerals and ten vitamins. The mineral composition of the oil cannot be preserved, but the vitamins after the first cold pressing remain in the same quantity.

The composition of sunflower oil includes the following components:

vegetable fats, which are absorbed by the body much more easily than animal fats;
fatty acids that the body needs for the proper construction of cells, for the healthy functioning of the circulatory and nervous systems;
vitamins D and A, which are responsible for the condition of the skin, bones, vision, healthy functioning of the immune system;
vitamin E, which protects the body from aging and cancer.

Refined and unrefined oil

When choosing oil for frying or for dressing salads, we are faced with a choice: which sunflower oil is better - refined or unrefined? Unrefined oil is considered more useful, because it retains all the valuable properties of sunflower seeds. It is not recommended to use such oil for frying; moreover, it becomes harmful to the body. Refined sunflower oil contains much less useful substances, but at the same time it is suitable for heat treatment of products.

Update: October 2018

Sunflower oil is a popular product that is present in the diet every day, used for cooking, is a universal skin care product and even helps in the treatment of certain diseases. Basically, people give preference to it - it is both budget-friendly and already familiar to many.

Few people think about the quality of the product, choosing solely based on external characteristics and the label. Is it really good to have perfectly transparent oil in an original bottle and what is hidden behind “100% naturalness”, we will tell you in this article.

Chemical composition and nutritional value of sunflower oil

The natural, raw product has the following composition (average values):

Nutrient/indicator	Quantity per 100 g. product
Calorie content of oil	899 kcal
Water	0.1 g
Fats	99.9 g
Vitamin E	44 mg
Phosphorus	2 mg
Sterols (beta sitosterol)	200 mg
Saturated fatty acids, of which:	11.3 g
Palmitic	6.2 g
Stearic	4.1 g
Begenovaya	0.7 g
Arachinovaya	0.3 g
Monounsaturated fatty acids (oleic)	23.8 g
Polyunsaturated fatty acids (linoleic)	59.8 g
Oil density, p	930 kg/m 3

The composition also contains vitamins D, K, carotenes, vegetable carbohydrates, protein substances, mucus, waxes, tannins, and inulin in small quantities.

The composition of sunflower oil varies depending on the area and sunflower growing conditions, and not always for the better. Plants can be treated with insecticides and pesticides, which also get into the seeds. The composition of the oil, including the residual content of chemically aggressive substances, is regulated by GOST.

Useful properties of the product

The beneficial properties of sunflower oil are well known today. This is a product with a high degree of digestibility, up to 95-98%. The positive effect on the body is due to the composition:

phospholipids improve the functioning of cells of the nervous tissue and brain, protect against the development of atherosclerosis, participate in the construction of cell membranes;
tocopherol (vit. E) is a powerful antioxidant, normalizes metabolism, helps preserve youth, has an antitumor effect and improves immunity. Sunflower oil is richer in tocopherol content;
vitamin D responsible for the good condition of bones and skin;
vitamin K participates in the normalization of blood viscosity, prevents internal bleeding;
unsaturated fatty acids (Omega-6 and Omega-9) are directly involved in the proper functioning of the liver, blood vessels, and nervous system, normalize the lipoprotein spectrum of the blood and prevent the development of atherosclerosis. They increase immunity, have anti-carcinogenic and antioxidant effects. Participate in the normalization of hormonal levels.
beta carotene has a positive effect on growth processes, the state of immunity and improves vision.

To summarize, it should be said that, subject to consumption standards, a real, high-quality product helps fight atherosclerosis and its complications (heart attack, stroke), improves central nervous system function and increases concentration, slows down the process of premature aging, improves the condition of hair and skin, and has a beneficial effect on work endocrine and genitourinary systems, has antiarrhythmic and cardioprotective effects, has a positive effect on the condition of the gastrointestinal mucosa and is used for constipation (1 tablespoon of oil on an empty stomach).

Types of sunflower oil

This product is obtained from sunflower seeds using different technologies. Each of them is based on a similar process:

cleaning oilseed sunflower seeds from husks mechanically;
processing of kernels in dryers: crushing into pulp;
pressing sunflower oil: passing the pulp through a press and obtaining the first pressed product;
processing of the remaining mass, which can contain up to 30% of the product, in the extraction shop.

Subsequently, the oil is subjected to processing (purification and refining): centrifugation, settling, hydration, filtration, bleaching, deodorization and freezing. And each of these processes affects the quality of the final product. The production of sunflower oil is regulated by law: there is GOST 1129-2013, which clearly defines the standard amount of chemicals, organoleptic indicators, physical and chemical properties and others, by which the quality of the product is standardized.

There are 5 types of oil. They are indicated on the label. By studying a product in a store, you can already draw a conclusion about its quality, composition and effect on the body.

Raw unrefined

This is a first-press product that is only filtered. It is considered the most useful: a minimum of production steps allows you to preserve a maximum of useful substances.

pros: has a pleasant natural taste, intense yellow color. In unrefined oil, you can count on the presence of phospholipids, vitamins, carotene, and fatty acids.
Minuses: However, it quickly turns bitter and tarnished, so it has a short shelf life.

There are 3 types: highest, first and second grade. Crude oil is obtained in three ways - hot and cold pressing and extraction:

Cold pressed allows you to get the highest quality, but expensive product (up to 20-30% of oil remains in the cake).
Hot pressing involves the use of high temperature: the process speeds up and more oil comes out.
Extraction. During extraction, vegetable raw materials with “under-extracted” oil (cake) are mixed with a solvent, and the oil is completely transferred into an organic solvent, which is gasoline or hexane. The mixture is then separated, a process called distillation, during which the oil is separated from the solvent. This is already a proven technology, and we hasten to reassure readers - there are no gasoline residues in the oil! You can read more about the technology in food production manuals.

All subsequent purification and processing processes are nothing more than bringing the product to the required presentation and shelf life.

Hydrated

A product that, in addition to mechanical cleaning, undergoes a hydration process: hot water in the form of a fine dispersion (70°C) is passed through oil heated to 60°C. During this process, protein and mucus fractions precipitate. After processing, the oil has a less pronounced smell and taste, becomes lighter, without cloudiness or sediment.

They also distinguish between the highest, first and second grades of the product, similar to unrefined.

Neutralized and refined

The product undergoes complete purification from impurities, as well as free fatty acids, phospholipids using alkalis and acids. The oil acquires optimal external consumer properties, but loses its typical aroma and taste, as well as beneficial components. It is used for frying, stewing and deep-frying, as well as for the production of cooking fats and margarines.

Refined deodorized

It is obtained by refining and subsequent exposure to water vapor under vacuum. During processing, the product is deprived of aromatic substances, which shorten its shelf life.

Brand "D" indicates that the product is suitable for dietary and baby food,
Brand "P""—for other groups of the population.

Refined deodorized frozen sunflower oil

Freezing the oil removes waxy substances (which cause cloudiness in cold conditions and spoil the presentation) and further increases shelf life. In fact, this product has no taste, no smell, no beneficial substances in its composition, and is nothing more than a mixture of triglycerides.

How to choose the best sunflower oil

Most useful– raw virgin oil obtained by cold pressing from high-quality sunflower seeds grown in environmentally friendly conditions and sold in glass containers. It has a short shelf life, if not stored it becomes cloudy and goes rancid. In addition, when oil goes rancid, it produces carcinogens that are hazardous to health.

This product contains all useful substances and is ideal for salad dressings and side dishes. But you definitely shouldn’t fry with it: when it boils, it begins to foam, smoke and release carcinogenic substances that enter the food, and with it, the human body. Yes, an incoming carcinogen will not necessarily cause cancer. But the regular intake of carcinogens (and not only from food) leads to their accumulation in the body, and sooner or later the sporadic effect may work!

A reasonable question arises: where to find it and how to choose good unrefined oil?

Today, such products can be bought in small farms, health food stores and from manufacturers who produce environmentally friendly products. Naturally, all manufacturers must have permits, strictly adhere to technology and carry out production control: testing the quality and composition of the oil in accredited laboratories at established intervals. The buyer has the right to demand documents for the oil: research reports and a quality certificate.

How to choose homemade sunflower oil?

It is very difficult to talk about the quality of oils that are sold bottled or bottled in markets. There are only guidelines that you can rely on, but the main guarantee that the bottle is not counterfeit is a quality certificate.

So, homemade product:

has a pronounced, rich aroma and natural taste of seeds;
has a rich yellow-golden color, but not dark;
a drop of oil on the skin of the hand should spread slowly;
when pouring a product from a container into another container, there should be practically no sound;
Let's allow a little sediment at the bottom.

You should be wary of:

unnatural dark color, taste and consistency of the product,
the presence of suspension (turbidity),
Strong smell,
The shelf life of bottled oil is only 1 month - no one can guarantee that the seller is conscientious and tells the real production date.

If you are lucky enough to find that very best manufacturer of a product who is “passionate” about his business, do not buy a lot of oil, it is better to come to his market twice or thrice a month for fresh. Store purchased oil only in the refrigerator and in glass containers.

How to choose good refined oil in the store?

You can't blindly trust advertising . Very often, manufacturers manipulate the minds of buyers and write attractive phrases on labels:
- "no cholesterol" This is already clear - a product of plant origin cannot contain cholesterol;
- "fortified" If we are talking about unrefined, then the statement may be true. But a multiply purified (refined) product cannot contain vitamins, and most likely a synthetic vitamin is added (most often E);
- "natural". Natural means made from sunflower seeds, i.e. natural, not artificial. Both refined and unrefined oils are natural. There are no nanotechnologies yet to synthesize oil artificially.

You can write anything on the label - but the consumer should pay attention not to the front part, but to the back, where the composition is indicated.

Read the composition of the product carefully! On the front of the label it may be written “Sunflower”, and the composition may contain a mixture of vegetable oils, for example, the addition of rapeseed. This is a cunning but legal trick by the manufacturer: in this case, the word “sunflower” is the name of the product, as well as “Golden Seed”, “Kubanskoe”, etc.
Give preference to proven, well-known sunflower oil manufacturers who manufacture their products in accordance with GOST and marked “P” or “D”.
Choose a bottle that is located at the back of the shelf and under no circumstances take the packaging from open display cases - the oil oxidizes in the light.
Carefully read the release date and expiration date: if it is coming to an end, you should not buy such oil (and most often it is precisely such products that are sold as promotional items with a very tempting price).

Digging a little from the topic, we note that adherents of a healthy lifestyle and people who want to live long have long abandoned such methods of cooking as frying in oil and deep-frying. There is a special kitchen utensil that allows you to cook with an appetizing crust, but without oil.

If life without classically fried products is not possible, you need to buy oils that do not change their properties and the properties of the product when boiling (high-quality, refined, deodorized and frozen).

Very important:

pour the product into a cold frying pan and heat slowly;
do not cook at the highest temperatures;
do not overcook food (the crispier and tastier the crust, the more dangerous the food is for health);
during frying, turn meat products over more often - this ensures uniform heating without the formation of local overcooked pockets with carcinogenic substances;
Allow excess oil to drain from product and discard any remaining oil after frying. The greatest harm from refined sunflower oil occurs if it is reused for frying foods: with each subsequent heating, dangerous carcinogens accumulate, which can cause the development of cancer.

Experiment

In one of the programs of the “Habitat” series, an experiment was conducted: a professional chef fried potatoes in different types of oils: refined and unrefined sunflower, sesame, unrefined olive, ghee and butter. Samples of the finished product and remaining oils were tested in the laboratory of the Institute of Nutrition of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences for the content of one of the most powerful carcinogens - acrylamide.

Results:

In all samples of the finished product, the level of acrylamide was 900-1500 micrograms per kilogram, which is within normal limits.
In two samples the level of acrylamide was negligible:
- 0.584 milligrams per kilogram in a product prepared with unrefined sunflower oil,
- 0.009 milligrams per kilogram in potatoes fried in refined sunflower oil.

Thus, it was concluded that the best oil for frying foods is refined sunflower oil.

Even natural vegetable oils should be taken in limited quantities. This is a high-calorie product, which in large doses can provoke the development or exacerbation of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and lead to weight gain. With uncontrolled use of oil, especially on an empty stomach, gastrointestinal dysfunction (diarrhea) may develop.
Consumption rate– about 2 tablespoons per day in its pure form (including oil in dishes).
Under no circumstances should you cleanse your body using this product.. This method is still positioned by charlatans as the best and safest, but in fact it leads to irreversible changes in the function of the liver and gall bladder.
You can’t ignore expiration dates, but it’s better to divide them by two. Over time, oxides (peroxides and hydroperoxides) are formed in the product, disrupting metabolic processes. Any product after opening the container must be used within 1 month after opening.
Storage temperature conditions should also be observed., Do not place the product on a window or where there is direct sunlight. Natural unrefined oil should be stored only in glass containers and in the refrigerator.
Cloudiness and sediment, which formed in the raw product during the permissible shelf life, are not a sign of poor quality. Waxes and phosphatides, useful components, precipitate. Just shake the bottle.

Harm of sunflower oil

Sunflower oil delivers the strongest blow to the body in the following cases:

Unrefined- if it is expired or used for frying and deep-frying;
Refined– if it is expired or used for frying and deep-frying INCORRECTLY – repeatedly and at maximum temperatures at which it starts to smoke!

The harm of expired oil

In expired oils (when they go rancid), aldehydes and ketones are formed.

Ketones- toxic. They have an irritating effect, penetrate the skin, some of them have a carcinogenic and mutagenic effect.
Aldehydes- are able to accumulate in the body, producing general toxic, irritating and neurotoxic effects, and some are also carcinogens.

The most useful of all is raw and unrefined oil, but it will not be possible to buy it for future use, since Shelf life is limited (4-6 months).

The shelf life of homemade oil is 1 month, i.e. it must be eaten immediately after purchase.

Refined oil can be store for 12-18 months. after production(and as practice shows, it can be stored longer without changing at all in appearance, and some people take advantage of this), but there will be no benefit from such oil, but harm is quite possible.

Why frying in vegetable oil is harmful?

The smoke point of refined oil is 232°C, unrefined 107°C. It is easy to understand that the oil has reached the specified temperature range: it begins to smoke, emit a pungent odor, “cut” the eyes and irritate the mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract.

When frying among a bouquet of “chemicals”, the following are especially dangerous:

Acrolein. Acrylic acid aldehyde, a toxic substance that is highly irritating to the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract and eyes. Forms immediately when the oil reaches its smoking point.
Acrylamide. Acrylic acid amide. A toxin that affects the liver, kidneys and nervous system. Formed in starch-containing products when frying in oil at temperatures above 120°C. It is localized in that very “tasty and aromatic” crust.
Fatty acid polymers, heterocyclic amines and free radicals. Formed in combustion and smoking products. They have a general toxic effect.
Carbon-containing polycyclic substances (benzopyrene, coronene). Strong chemical carcinogens of the first hazard class, which are formed in smoke and burning products.

Application in cosmetology

The natural product is used for cosmetic purposes to moisturize dry skin. It has regenerating and softening properties and helps restore the skin after a long stay in the cold. Smoothes out small wrinkles. Used to cleanse facial skin - quickly dissolves and removes impurities.

To moisturize dry skin, make compresses from heated oil. For problems such as cracks on the feet, hands and lips, as well as irritation on the skin, a simple recipe helps: take 100 ml of oil and 1 bottle of pharmaceutical vitamin A, mix and lubricate problem areas of the skin two to three times a day.

For hair it is used as a component of nourishing and moisturizing masks.

Contraindications and restrictions

A direct contraindication to the use of the product is individual intolerance - an allergy to oil or sunflower seeds.

In limited quantities and with caution, the oil should be used by people with:

chronic diseases of the cardiovascular system;
dysfunction of the biliary tract or gallbladder, cholelithiasis. This category of people should not take the oil on an empty stomach and should strictly follow the recommended dosage. In patients with gallstones, while taking the oil, stone movement and blockage of the bile ducts may begin;
diabetes mellitus;
obesity.

conclusions

Many media outlets write that the panacea is olive oil, which is positioned as the most valuable and healthy. What's the reality?

To obtain the basic nutrients necessary for the body, the sunflower oil familiar to Russians is enough: unrefined, fresh, not rancid, properly stored (no more than 1 month in the refrigerator in a glass container) and without subjecting the product to heat treatment, i.e. for dressing salads and as a flavoring additive.

For frying and deep-frying, you should use only good refined sunflower oil and drain it after cooking. For each new portion of food, pour fresh oil.

And to get the maximum, you need to combine different oils (and not just olive oil) or alternate their use:

the largest amount of vitamin E comes from sunflower products;
essential Omega-3 acids contain flaxseed and mustard oil;
a complex of Omega-6 acids, biologically active substances, minerals and vitamins and are contained in any unrefined product obtained by direct extraction, including olive oil.

And one more thing - everything useful is useful if taken in moderation. Do not consume more than 3 tbsp. oil per day, even if you produce it yourself and are 100% sure of the quality!

This is not a joke, this is an official study! Natural vegetable oil is a common killer all over the world...

Two well-known British medical experts recently published articles in the Daily Mail about the dangers of using vegetable oils for cooking. This is a famous cardiologist and the author of many scientific works, as well as one of the leaders of the healthy eating movement, Dr. Asim Malhotra, and the popular science journalist Michael Moseley, author of the acclaimed “5:2” diet.

We translated the main points from their publication, so that you too learn the truth about the dangers of vegetable oil.

Asim Malhotra begins his article by saying that when he comes to his favorite Indian restaurant, he has to ask the waiter to prepare his curry using ghee rather than vegetable oil.

He's writing:

As a cardiologist with a keen interest in obesity and heart health, I would never put my health at risk by eating the toxic compounds that form when vegetable oils are heated to high temperatures.

But unfortunately, curry lovers in both the UK and the Indian subcontinent itself are doing just that, abandoning traditional ghee in favor of “healthy” vegetable oils.

The consequences of this trend are catastrophic:

increase in obesity%
heart diseases;
type 2 diabetes;

Research shows that sunflower, corn and other vegetable oils easily break down into toxic aldehydes when heated, which is, among other things, associated with an increased risk of cancer.

A recent study showed that

After 20 minutes of frying in vegetable oil, the level of aldehydes is 20 times!!! exceeds the maximum permissible according to WHO recommendations.

The sight of a person trying to live a healthy lifestyle and frying healthy foods in vegetable oil makes Asim Malhotra feel despair at how much harm sometimes good intentions can cause us.

We've been taught for years that vegetable oils, incl. sunflower and corn are much better than butter and animal fats. But Now the opinion of scientists is changing, because Modern scientific research shows that dairy products actually protect us from heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Unfortunately for the millions of people who gave up butter and full-fat milk because they thought they were bad for them, the news came too late.

Extra virgin olive oil may actually be good for your heart and contains antioxidants that fight free radicals in the blood. But most vegetable oils won't help you, despite claims that they lower cholesterol.

It showed that lowering cholesterol on a diet rich in vegetable oil and margarine provided no benefit for heart health and, most worryingly, increased overall mortality.

Dr. Asim Malhotra always advises his patients to avoid all industrially produced vegetable oils and recommends butter and ghee for cooking.

Michael Moseley describes a study examining changes in the chemical composition of oil when heated. It is generally accepted that the main changes occur when the oil reaches the so-called temperature. smoke points. That is why most experts advise against frying with extra virgin olive oil (smoke point 160-190 C°) and advise using, for example, refined sunflower (225 C°) or corn (230 C°).

Verification of this statement

The remaining cooking oil was collected from the volunteers and analyzed in the laboratory. The samples were examined by Martin Grootveld, professor of bio-analytical chemistry and chemical pathology at De Montfort University in Leicester. The scientists also conducted a parallel experiment, heating various oils to frying temperatures. The study used sunflower and corn oil, cold-pressed rapeseed oil, olive oil (refined and cold-pressed), butter, goose fat and lard.

The results of the analysis were quite surprising and for many of those who followed traditional recommendations, they will mean:

Everything we knew before turned out to be untrue.

Of all the vegetable oils, olive oil turned out to be the best option.

Sunflower, which is considered healthier, turned out to be much worse. Even lard (rendered pork fat), so demonized that the word itself has become a dirty word, turned out to be preferable to sunflower oil and its close relative, corn oil.

To understand why, we need to take a closer look at what happens to fats and oils when heated to high temperatures. They go through a process of oxidation, reacting with oxygen and forming various substances such as aldehydes and lipid peroxides ( which can participate in free radical reactions). The same processes occur at room temperature, but much slower. When fat goes rancid, it also oxidizes, and the result is the same by-products. The problem is the aldehydes that form. Eating them or inhaling them leads to an increased risk of cancer, heart disease and dementia.

Martin Grootveld says:

We found that oils rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, such as sunflower and corn, generate particularly high levels of aldehydes.

Scientists even managed to detect two new, previously unknown, aldehydes in oil samples. It turned out that cooking with these oils creates even more harmful substances than was commonly believed. But cold-pressed olive and canola oils rich in monounsaturated fatty acids produced significantly fewer aldehydes, as did the saturated fats butter and goose fat. They turned out to be much more stable when heated.

Professor Grootveld explains:

Much lower levels of toxic substances were generated by these oils and these substances are not as harmful to the human body.

But even if you use vegetable oils cold, their improper storage can cause the same harmful substances to appear - sunlight can cause the same reactions as heating, only much slower.

Chemistry professor Martin Grootveld's advice on choosing vegetable oil for cooking:

Fry less, especially at high temperatures above the smoke point. Use the minimum amount of oil required.
To reduce aldehyde formation, choose oils that are rich in monounsaturated or saturated oils (more than 60%) and low in polyunsaturated oils (less than 20%).
The ideal compromise is olive oil: 76% monounsaturated, 14% saturated and 10% polyunsaturated fatty acids.
If you're buying olive oil for cooking, there's no point in paying extra for the first extraction - it won't provide any additional health benefits.
Given its high saturated fat content, coconut oil is also recommended.
Always keep oils in a cupboard or other dark place and do not reuse them because... harmful substances can accumulate.

P.S. Formation of toxic aldehydes when heating vegetable oils confirmed and earlier studies.

One of the chapters in Nina Teicholz’s book “The Big Fat Secret” is devoted to the problems associated with cooking with vegetable oil. As Teicholz writes, their use in cafes and fast food restaurants has increased greatly in recent years, when the fight against trans fats began. But using non-hydrogenated vegetable oils for deep frying can lead to even greater health problems than frying with more stable frying mixtures containing trans fats. It’s interesting that before the fight against saturated fats began, McDonald’s restaurants used melted beef fat, so-called, to deep-fry their potatoes. tallow.

It seems that news about the health risks associated with heating vegetable oils has not yet reached Russian science and the media. At the very least, the director of the Institute of Nutrition of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences, academician Viktor Tutelyan, and Channel One recommend using sunflower oil for frying; this is due to the commercial interests of the food industry.

In the structure of consumption of vegetable oils by Russians, sunflower oil dominates and occupies 69.1% of the market, and in the structure of production its share is even higher - 82.9%.

Several decades ago, during times of food shortages, housewives did not face the question of which oil to choose for frying or salad - they had to take what was available in stores. Nowadays, the shelves are replete with a huge number of varieties of oils from various fruits and seeds, which can sometimes be quite difficult to navigate.

Which oil from the range on the market should you buy, and which products should you be wary of? Are all types of oil equally beneficial? And what does the cost of this or that product consist of? M24.ru and the “Consumption Revolution” program tried to find answers.

Myth #1: Sunflower oil contains toxins

According to experts, on average, Muscovites eat about 250 tons of vegetable oil per year. This means that per person there is about 15 liters of product per year. The most popular oil is predictably sunflower – it is chosen by about 60% of Muscovites. In second place is olive, preferred by 35% of Muscovites. And only a few residents of the capital introduce so-called “exotic” oils into their diet: cedar, hemp, flaxseed, camelina, etc.

There are many prejudices associated with the production and consumption of oil. One of the most common is: sunflower seeds contain little toxins.

Food industry experts argue that the presence or absence of toxins in sunflower oil rather depends on the conditions of production and storage than on the “natural predisposition” of the product to release hazardous substances, which, one way or another, are found in a certain amount in all plant organisms. If the product is not stored correctly (for example, under direct sunlight or in the open air), secondary oxidation is possible, leading to the release of dangerous toxic substances - aldehydes and ketones.

Another danger that an unscrupulous manufacturer can expose the buyer to is the ingestion of benzopyrene, a carcinogenic substance of the first hazard class, which can cause cancer. This carcinogen can enter the body when using a method of drying sunflower seeds that does not comply with technical safety standards, for example, using diesel fuel. In this case, fat-soluble combustion products of fuel can get into the oil itself and “poison” it.

Fortunately, for large productions such mistakes are a thing of the past. Modern enterprises, as a rule, have their own laboratories and all the equipment necessary for analyzing the composition of oils. The buyer risks only if he buys oil secondhand from an unverified supplier.

Myth No. 2: The best sunflower oil is in the “Premium” category

Some buyers tend to avoid purchasing “budget” varieties of sunflower oils because they believe that price and category are directly related to the quality of the product: the more expensive it is, the healthier and safer it is. However, experts tend to disagree with this point of view.

The main difference between oils of the categories “Premium”, “Highest grade” and “First grade” is the difference in the peroxide number, which reflects the degree of oxidation of the product - the lower it is, the higher the category of oil. Experts note the extreme importance of maintaining the peroxide value within the normal range after the expiration date of the product, since this means not only compliance with the declared quality standards, but also compliance with storage standards. For an adult, the difference in the degree of oxidation is not so significant (2 mmol per kilogram for “Premium” category oil, 4 mmol per kilogram for “Highest Grade” and 1 mmol per kilogram for “First Grade”), while for baby food you should choose oil with the lowest rating - “Premium” category.

Another distinctive feature is the production technology. Oil of the “Premium” category (some manufacturers use the definition “Extra virgin”) cannot be produced by the extraction method, in which oil is extracted from the cake remaining after direct pressing using reagents. But there is no need to worry about the safety of the oil obtained using this technology: after extraction, the product is purified of all impurities, so it is completely harmless to health.

Among sunflower oils of various categories, the price spread is relatively small, so adulteration is rare

Falsification can be considered to be the non-compliance of a product with the stated requirements revealed during the examination - in this case, the buyer will have to deal with an unreasonably inflated cost, which, of course, is unpleasant, but does not yet indicate a threat to his health. According to industry experts, the most common method of falsification, which is resorted to in order to reduce the cost of production, is mixing more expensive types of oils with cheaper ones. However, among sunflower oils of various categories, the price spread is relatively small, so adulteration is rare. Again, they are more likely to occur in small industries than in large, reputable companies.

Myth #3: Refined oil does not contain nutrients

As you know, the main task of refined oil is to be the basis for cooking. To do this, the product is specially purified from all possible impurities and odorless. The whole value of unrefined oil, on the contrary, lies in the content of impurities that are useful in their raw form, but dangerous during heat treatment - they contribute to the release of carcinogens, which were already mentioned in the text. At the same time, fatty acids and vitamins in unrefined oil are preserved to a greater extent. This does not mean that refined oil is devoid of useful substances - they can only be contained in a relatively smaller volume compared to unrefined oil. Thus, it can be argued that unrefined oil is more suitable for consumption "raw", while refined oil is better used for frying.

However, you should not resort to extremes in choosing one type of oil or another: according to nutritionists, carcinogens are also released during frying in refined oil, but in significantly smaller quantities. To minimize harm to health, you should whenever possible monitor the heating temperature of the frying pan so that the oil does not start to burn, or bake dishes in the oven, where the required temperature can be maintained. Also, do not use oil for re-frying that has already been used to cook food.

When frying, using oil with a high content of extremely heat-resistant oleic acid can significantly reduce the release of oxidation products. According to nutritionists, high-oleic oil is optimal for frying and is affordable in comparison with other types of refined oil.

Myth #4: Olive oil is better than sunflower oil

In general, the difference in the content of nutrients in these two types of oils is not that great.

Among the obvious advantages of unrefined olive oil over unrefined sunflower oil, one can note a higher content of vitamin E. It is also worth noting the closest to optimal ratio of unsaturated fatty acids omega-3 to omega-6 in olive oil (approximately 1/13 with an optimal value of 1/4 up to 1/10, while in sunflower oil – 1/200).

If we talk about refined oils, then sunflower oil is in no way inferior to olive oil, and both are inferior to high-oleic oil in terms of price/quality ratio.

Thus, preference for one or another type of oil remains a matter of taste and financial capabilities (olive oil for Russia is an imported product and costs an order of magnitude more than sunflower oil). However, nutritionists insist that excess sunflower oil in the diet can have a detrimental effect on the body precisely because of the imbalance of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.

Experts also recommend paying attention to the packaging of the product - if possible, pour the oil into opaque glass containers (in which olive oil is more often found than sunflower oil) and not store it in cans after opening.

Myth No. 5: “Exotic oils” are the healthiest

The truth of this statement is beyond doubt among any of the experts. Indeed, the benefit of “exotic oils” lies in the mentioned ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 unsaturated fatty acids. For this reason, nutritionists recommend combining them with more familiar types of oils - sunflower or olive (or both at the same time). But still, “exotic oils” have a number of disadvantages:

Specific taste. Mustard oil may seem too tart, flaxseed oil may seem bitter, camelina oil may seem sour (camelina oil is a genus of herbaceous plants from the cabbage family). The perception of taste is subjective, and you will probably have to spend a certain amount of time to find yours among the “exotic” oils;

Price. Not only the time of a buyer who decides to try something “exotic” is at risk, but also his money. Price range: from 160 (camelina oil) to 4000 (hemp oil) rubles per liter. One of the main pricing factors in this case is the low prevalence and growing popularity of such oils;

Medical contraindications. Flaxseed oil can be a very useful product, but it is not suitable for a particular person, and instead of benefiting it, it can cause damage to the body. Therefore, before including any of the “exotic oils” in your diet, you should consult your doctor.

The use of “exotic oils” has a beneficial effect on the body, but its choice, perhaps, should be approached even more thoroughly than the choice of refined oil for frying or unrefined oil for dressings for various hot and cold dishes.

Source: www.m24.ru

There are three types of fats:

saturated (a lot of them are found in animal and solid vegetable fat, great for cooking);
monounsaturated (large amounts are found in almond, avocado and olive oil);
polyunsaturated (found in all vegetable fats).

Beneficial properties of vegetable fats:

They contain essential polyunsaturated acids. Omega-3 and Omega-6. They are vital for our health. But the body cannot produce them on its own. The only way they enter is through food.
Polyunsaturated fatty acids prevent blood clots, inflammation, and increased blood pressure. They help the immune system work at full strength and promote proper digestion.
The product contains substances that improve tissue regeneration. Thanks to this property, the aging process of cells slows down.
Natural oils (especially first cold-pressed) contain a lot of vitamin E. It is an antioxidant that helps the body fight free radicals. It is also called the “vitamin of beauty and youth.” Hence the beneficial effect of vegetable liquid fats on the skin.
Plant-based saturated fats contain less bad cholesterol. Liquid oils prevent the development of atherosclerosis.

Harm

There are a lot of vegetable fats. All of them can be combined into two large groups:

hard;
liquid (oils).

Each specific product can harm the body in its own way. Let's consider what is common to all vegetable fats.

Harm of vegetable fat:

Frequent and large amounts of the product in food can cause infertility in women. This is due to an imbalance of fatty acids: they began to eat more vegetable oil, less animal fat.
After processing at high temperatures, polyunsaturated fats are oxidized. In this form, they lead to thinning of the artery walls and their subsequent rupture.
Oxidized substances are not absorbed by the body's cells and are not used by them as an energy resource. They float in the bloodstream and gradually settle on the walls of blood vessels. The result is obesity, heart pathologies, cancer.
Modified polyunsaturated fats help produce free radicals. The risk of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and oncology increases.

Calorie content

All types of liquid vegetable fat contain 900 kcal. Let's calculate the energy value depending on the weight measure:

The number of calories an adult needs daily depends on a number of factors:

age;
height and weight;

On average, an adult needs between 2,500 and 4,500 calories per day. The lower limit is for people engaged in mental work. The top one is physical. Of course, few people will eat vegetable fat in its pure form. But it is often used for cooking and salad dressing. Therefore, calorie content must be taken into account. Especially for those categories that need dietary nutrition.

Contraindications

The main food element of vegetable oils is fats. These are high-calorie foods. Therefore, people who are prone to obesity should not overuse vegetable fats.
To reduce costs, industrial corporations use chemical solvents when processing cotton, soybean or rapeseed seeds. Subsequently, all these chemicals settle in the liver and are absorbed into the blood. The situation is aggravated by repeated processing of plant raw materials. Therefore, you need to use cold-pressed oils.

The nutritional value

The food industry produces several types of vegetable fats. Let's look at the most popular:

Type of fat	Saturated fats	Monounsaturated fats	Polyunsaturated fatty acids			Oleic
Type of fat	Saturated fats	Monounsaturated fats	Total	linolenic	linoleic	Oleic
Rapeseed	7.37	63.28	28.14	9-11	19-21	-
Coconut	91	6	3	-	2	6
Corn	13	28	55	1	58	28
Cottonseed oil	26	18	52	1	54	19
Linen	6-9	10-22	68-89	56-71	12-18	10-22
Olive	14	72	14	2	9-20	-
Palm	49	37	9	-	10	40
Peanut	17	46	32	-	32	48
Soy	16	23	58	7	50	24
Sunflower	10	45	40	0.2	39.8	45

The data in the table is given as a percentage of total fat content. One hundred grams of product contains 90-100 grams of fat. There are no proteins or carbohydrates in vegetable oils.

Vitamins and minerals

Oil name	Vitamins and minerals, in mg (per 100 g of oil) and as a percentage of the daily value for an adult
Oil name	Vitamin E	Vitamin K	Iron	Phosphorus	Zinc
Rapeseed	18.9 (126)	-	-	2 (0.3)	-
Coconut	0.09 (1)	0.5 mcg	0.04 (0.3	-	-
Corn	18.6 (124)	-	-	2 (0.3)	-
Linen	2.1 (14)	-	-	2 (0.3)	-
Olive	14 (80.7)	62 mcg (59)	0.4 (2.2)	-	-
Palm	33 (220)	-	-	2 (0.3)	-
Peanut	15.7 (105)	-	-	-	0.01 (0.1)
Soy	17 (114)	-	0.05 (0.3)	2 (0.3)	0.01 (0.1)
Sunflower	44 (293)	-	-	2 (0.3)	-

All vegetable fats contain a lot of vitamin E. But it will bring maximum benefit if the product is not subjected to strong heating.