Thread by @ShreyaShah22

Which Cooking Oils Should You Use?
I hope to untangle some confusion around something most of us probably use every day:oils

But what is the nutritional value of these oils&how does it affect/benefit health?

A🧵on different types of oils,their composition&how do u choose one👇

🔸Introduction
Cooking oils are fats, fats are essential to overall health.

Oil is essential for cooking-
🔹Adds Flavor,
🔹Help the absorption of nutrients&
🔹Are used to create a Heat-conducting medium so that food can be heated&cooked without sticking to pan

🔸Oils can be sourced from plants and animals.
🔹Plant-based edible oils are mostly extracted from seeds-sunflower oil, fruits-olive oil

🔹Animal-based ones from milk butter, ghee and body fat-lard.

🔸Evaluation parameters to consider while choosing an oil

1️⃣ Manufacturing process- process by which the oil is extracted

2️⃣Smoke point- point at which oil starts releasing smoke & becomes unstable

3️⃣ Nutritional profile-Types of fatty acids- saturated/MUFA/PUFA

1️⃣ Manufacturing process - process by which the oil is extracted and refined

Based on the processing there are broadly three types of oil
🔹Refined oil
🔹Filtered oil
🔹Cold-pressed oil

🔹Refined oil
▪️Refined oils are generally treated with chemicals to get rid of the impurities,odour&give it clear appearance

▪️They're processed at high temp using chemicals for refining,deodorizing&bleaching,which refines the goodness that was present in the oilseeds

▪️Refined oils are less priced,have a longer shelf life&have higher smoking point

▪️Refined oils r preferred over unrefined oils esp. for deep frying&also in processed foods where the aroma&the taste of the oils have to be masked

▪️Most oils sold in the market are refined

Popular refined oils include soybean, palm, corn, canola, sunflower and safflower

🔹Filtered oil
▪️Filtered oils are oils filtered through strainers/other equipment to remove the solid particles&contaminants from the oil but no chemicals r used in the process
▪️They r generally dark&cloudy in appearance& have a peculiar seed smell from which they r extracted

▪️Filtered oils r subjected to processing at lower temperatures during extraction which keeps the fatty acid bonds, essential vitamins&minerals intact, thus making them heart-healthy
▪️They are of better quality as the oilseeds r carefully chosen to retain the flavour& taste

🔹 Cold-pressed oil
▪️Cold pressed oil, also called cold-drawn, or virgin oil, is purer&has a better flavour than oil expressed with the aid of heat.
▪️Cold pressed oils have strong, robust flavors& r higher in nutrients,but they also have a lower smoke point&shorter shelf life

Among cold-pressed /unrefined oils, olive, coconut and sesame top the charts.

2️⃣ Smoke point
The temperature at which the oil stops simmering and starts burning.

🔹Smoke points are essential for deciding the utility of oil because different cooking methods need different temperatures:
-Baking -180°C
-Frying 190°C
-Sauteing 163°C

Smoke points matter, but having a higher one does not reflect higher quality.

3️⃣ Nutritional profile
There are 4 main types of fatty acid found in all oils -
▪️Saturated,
▪️2 types of unsaturated - MUFA & PUFA
▪️And trans fat(present in only trace levels in oils)Trans fats can be both naturally occurring or artificially made.

A healthy oil has less saturated fat and more unsaturated fats. And within the two types of unsaturated, more MUFA and less PUFA.

🔸Oil selection method based on the cooking method suitability👇

🔸 General guidelines while choosing cooking oil
🔹Avoid refined oils (to the extent possible) and preferably choose filtered or cold-pressed oils.

🔹Don't get influenced by front of the pack claims - "heart healthy" or "cholesterol free"

🔹The ingredient list should only contain oil. Read the ingredient list. Good oils only have one ingredient — the oil’s name

🔹Use oil with different fatty acid profile to create a balance

🔹 Moderate the amount of oil to 15-20ml/day per person per day as general recommendation

🔹 Include healthy fats in their natural form, from sources like coconut,nuts&seeds, Avocado etc.

🔹Avoid reheating the oil(even if it is refined oil)Reheating cooking oils leads to the formation of free radicals that create oxidative stress.

🔹Store oils in dark, not clear, bottles and keep in a cool, dark place away from light and heat.

🔹Oils go bad over a span of months depending on the type. I recommend only purchasing the amount you will actually use within two months.

🔸Conclusion
Your cooking oil should be minimally processed. Preferably use cold-pressed oils(coconut oil,olive oil,ghee)for cooking&ghee for high-temp cooking

Do not overcook/re-use any cooking oil,as this will inevitably damage essential fats&will in turn affect your health