Choosing The Right Cooking Oil

Many people will not pay much attention to this, or they rather just choose not to, but cooking oil is something that is very important when it comes to preparing your food. In Malaysia, people normally tend to have oily food, but the people in Malaysia should realize the fact that they should be opting for a better source of cooking oil whenever they are able to. When you are opting to cook on a high heat, you would want to use oils that are stable and the ones that do not oxidize or go rancid easily. When oils undergo oxidation, they tend to react with oxygen to form free radicals and harmful compounds that you most certainly will not want to be consuming.

The most important factor when it comes to determining an oil's resistance to oxidation and rancidification, both at the high and low heat, is simply the relative degree of saturation of the fatty acids that are present in it. Saturated fats will have only single bonds in the fatty acid molecules, monounsaturated fats will have one double bond and polyunsaturated fats will usually have two or more. It is these double bonds that tend to be chemically reactive and also sensitive to heat. Both the saturated fats and monounsaturated fats are pretty resistant to heating, but oils that are particularly high in polyunsaturated fats should be avoided for cooking altogether. In this article, we will be discussing and taking a look at a few different types of cooking oils!

COCONUT OIL.
When it comes down to high heat cooking, coconut oil is certainly your best choice. Over 90% of the fatty acids present in it are saturated, which makes it very much resistant to heat. This oil is usually semi solid at room temperature and it can last up to months and years on end without going rancid. Coconut oil also carries a number of powerful health benefits. It is particularly rich in a fatty acid which is called lauric Acid, which may improve the cholesterol and also help kill bacteria and as well as other pathogens. The fats that are found in coconut oil can also help in boosting metabolism slightly and also increasing the feeling of fullness in comparison to other fats. It is also the only cooking oil that has made it into my list of super foods previously. The fatty acid breakdown is 92% saturated, 6% monounsaturated and 1.6% polyunsaturated. Make sure that you go for virgin coconut oil. It is organic, it certainly taste good and it carries powerful health benefits. The saturated fats found in these used to be considered unhealthy, but newer studies have proven that they are totally harmless. Saturated fats are now known as a safe source of energy for humans.

BUTTER.
Butter was yet another one that was demonized in the past due to its saturated fat content. But there really is no proper reason for us to fear real butter. It is the processed margarine which is the truly awful one. Real butter is actually good for you and it is actually fairly nutritious. It has vitamins A, E and even K2. It is also rich in the fatty acids conjugated linoleic acid or CLA and Butyrate, both of which are known for having powerful health benefits. CLA can potentially lower your body fat percentage in humans and butyrate can fight inflammation, improving your gut health and has been also shown to make rats totally resistant to becoming obese. The fatty acid breakdown is 68% saturated, 28% monounsaturated and 4% polyunsaturated. There is one caveat for when you are cooking using butter. Regular butter does tend to contain tiny amounts of sugars and proteins and for this reason it tends to get burned during high heat cooking such as frying. If you want to avoid that from happening, you can make either clarified butter or ghee. That way, you will remove the lactose and proteins, which leaves you with pure butterfat. You need to make sure to choose butter from grass fed cows. This butter will contain far more vitamin K2, CLA and also the other nutrients, in comparison to the butter from grain fed cows.

OLIVE OIL.
We all know what olive oil is and it is well known for its heart healthy effects and it is believed to be a key reason for the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet. Some studies have shown us that olive oil can improve biomarkers of health. It can raise your HDL which is the good cholesterol and also lower the amount of oxidized LDL which is the bad cholesterol, which is circulating in your bloodstream. The fatty acid breakdown is 14% saturated, 75% monounsaturated and 11% polyunsaturated. Studies conducted on olive oil have shown us that despite having fatty acids with double bonds, you can still opt to use it for cooking as it is fairly resistant to high heat. Make sure to go for some quality extra virgin olive oil. It carries much more nutrients and antioxidants in comparison to the refined type. Plus it will also taste much better. Remember to keep your olive oil in a cool, dry, dark place, in order to prevent it from going rancid.

ANIMAL FATS.
The fatty acid content of animals usually comes down to what the animals eat. If they happened to eat a lot of grains, the fats will then contain quite a bit of polyunsaturated fats. If the animals are pastured raised or grass fed, there will be more of the saturated and monounsaturated fats found in them. Therefore, animal fats which comes from animals that are naturally raised are most certainly excellent options for when it comes to cooking. You can choose to buy ready made lard or tallow from the store, or you may opt to save the drippings from meat to use at a later time. Many people tend to consider bacon drippings to be especially tasty.

PALM OIL.
Palm oil is known for being derived from the fruit of oil palms. It will consist mainly of saturated and monounsaturated fats, also with some small amounts of polyunsaturated. This will make palm oil a good choice for when it comes to cooking. Red palm oil, which is also the unrefined variety is the best. It is also rich in vitamins E, coenzyme Q10 and as well as other nutrients. However, some concerns have been raised about the sustainability of when it comes to harvesting palm oil, apparently growing these trees leads to lesser environment available for the Orangutans, which are known for being an endangered species.

CANOLA OIL.
Canola oil is derived from rapeseeds, but the uric acid which is a toxic, bitter substance has been removed from it. The fatty acid breakdown of canola oil is actually relatively good, with most of the fatty acids monounsaturated, and then also containing omega 6 and omega 3 in a 2 to 1 ratio, which is absolutely perfect. However, canola oil needs to go through a variety of very harsh processing methods before it is turned into the final product. You can also try checking out how the canola oil is made, and make up your own mind before heading out to purchase some for yourself.

Thank you.