Cooking oil is a kind of fat needed for the body to function properly, such as for producing energy, aiding in digestion, and vitamin absorption. Dr. Udgeath Dhir, Director and Head of Cardiovascular Surgery at Fortis Gurgaon, told Indian Express that the body needs 10% to 15% fats in the daily diet to balance out carbohydrates and proteins.
But he added that the cooking oil being used should also be good for the heart and not end up harming or clogging artery walls. So, how to choose the best cooking oil that is good for the heart?
Best Cooking Oil for Heart Health: Here's Why Deep Frying Should Be Avoided
Choosing the Healthiest Cooking Oil
Cooking oil comes in a variety of flavors since it may be derived from a variety of seeds, nuts, legumes, plant fruits, and cereals. For example, vegetable oils may come from sunflower seeds, walnuts, soybeans, olives, and grains like rice. But not all of them are created equal as they vary in the type and ratio of different fats that they contain.
According to the Heart Foundation, the healthiest oils are those high in poly- and mono-unsaturated fats, which are good for your heart. Nuts, seeds, avocado, olives, and vegetable oils high in these heart-healthy fats aid to lower levels of dangerous cholesterol known as low-density lipoprotein (LDL) in the blood.
Palm and coconut oil, on the other hand, are heavy in saturated fat, which raises LDL cholesterol and increases the risk of heart disease. Although using tiny quantities of coconut oil to enhance flavor is good to consume, it is a better idea to use another oil, such as olive oil, as a major cooking oil.
Oils rich in polyunsaturated fats include flaxseed, grapeseed, safflower, sesame, sunflower, and wheat germ. while oils rich in monounsaturated fats include olive, avocado, peanut, rice bran, canola, and almond. Lastly, oils rich in saturated fat, which are recommended to be eaten the least and replaced with oils rich in poly and monounsaturated fats, are coconut, palm, and palm kernel.
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How Frying Affects Heart Health
Fried foods are a delectable feature of many cuisines, but eating too much of them can be harmful to one's health. As per GoodRx Health, researchers have long investigated the link between consuming a lot of fried meals and bad heart health.
Frying food not only changes its flavor and texture, but it also changes its nutritional composition. High-temperature cooking methods can cause the oil to break down and release compounds potentially hazardous to human health, such as peroxides and aldehydes.
Fried meals are high in fat since they are formed by absorbing oil. If the oil is animal-derived, such as lard or bacon grease, the fried dish will be more elevated in cholesterol. Furthermore, frying meals increases their calorie content dramatically.
Fast food restaurants commonly reuse their cooking oil, causing it to break down and the food to absorb more oil. But this also leads to their harmful influence on heart health.
Since fried meals are high in saturated and trans fat, it raises blood cholesterol levels that damage the artery walls and eventually form plaque that constricts the artery and makes the blood pump more difficult.
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