Butter: healthy or unhealthy?
Butter is very caloric due to its high-fat content (9 kilocalories per gram), and butter intake should be limited depending on your daily requirement for calories and objectives in terms of weight loss or gain. Instead of butter, using oil that contains healthy fats will improve your diet and benefit you if you eat it in moderation. So, which fats does the body need and which ones should you avoid?
Saturated fats are blamed by doctors for the increase in blood cholesterol levels, atherosclerosis, and obesity. However, they are not all bad because they also contain essential vitamins. Therefore, we should not eliminate them completely, but it is necessary to limit their quantity. They are found in dairy products, fatty meats, coconut oil, and palm oil.
Trans fats or, as they are also called, hydrogenated fats, should not be in your diet because they raise the level of "bad" cholesterol with all the ensuing consequences. Trans fats can hide in all kinds of processed foods, from french fries to ordinary cookies.
Monounsaturated fats, on the other hand, are considered the healthiest because they reduce "bad" cholesterol and increase "good" cholesterol. They can be found in raw nuts, olives, and avocados as well as in extra virgin olive oil, peanut oil, and avocado oil.
Polyunsaturated fats are an excellent source of healthy omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. They are very good for the brain and can be found in oily fish such as salmon and mackerel as well as in chia seeds, walnuts, flaxseed, and other unrefined oils.
What should you cook with?
Each oil has a unique chemical composition, so some are better for frying while others are better for cooking without heat, such as salad dressings. When selecting oil to heat foods, it is important to consider a very important indicator — the smoke point, which is the temperature at which the oil begins to smoke and release dangerous vapors and free radicals. As a rule, refined (processed) oils have the highest smoke point and virgin oils have the lowest. When oil smokes or burns, all the healthy fats and antioxidants are burned with it. Oil also releases free radicals, which can cause health problems, especially if you fry foods regularly — and even more so if you use the "wrong" oil.
No oil should be fried repeatedly! Doing so produces carcinogenic substances.
What kind of oil should you choose?
Let's look at the most popular types of oil that can be found in any supermarket.
Olive oil. The fruits and seeds of the olive are crushed to produce a fragrant green or yellow oil. Extra virgin — the least refined of all types of olive oil — has the lowest smoke point, and is therefore not suitable for frying, but it is an excellent salad dressing. It is very good for the heart, contains omega-3 fatty acids, and vitamins A, D, E, and K. When cooking, you should use refined olive oil. It has fewer useful substances, but a high temperature of smoking.
Canola oil. This is extracted from rapeseed. Its neutral flavor and high smoke point make it a good choice for frying, stewing, and baking. It is also used to make margarine. It doesn't have as many omega-3s as olive oil, but the saturated fat level is very low. It also contains alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), which the body converts to essential fatty acids. This makes it a great addition to a vegetarian diet.
Coconut oil. This tropical oil is appreciated for its taste, but people watching their blood pressure should avoid this product because it contains a large amount of saturated fats. Coconut oil has a medium smoky temperature, so it is occasionally acceptable to use for baking.
Avocado oil. This has a sweet flavor and is very useful for health. It contains mainly monounsaturated fatty acids and helps to reduce inflammation. It has a high smoke point, which makes it suitable for frying and stewing.
Sunflower oil. This is made from sunflower seeds. It is a refined oil high in omega-6 fatty acids. It is good for heart health and slows down inflammation. It contains mostly monounsaturated fats and has a high smoke point.
Peanut (butter) oil. It is good for the heart and has a neutral taste. Refined peanut oil has a fairly high smoke point and is usually used for frying. Unrefined peanut oil can also be found, although it is quite rare.
Almond oil. If you want to give your dish a distinctive nutty flavor, almond butter is the way to go. In addition, it is rich in vitamins, oleic and linolenic fatty acids. Due to its high smoking temperature, refined almond oil is good for frying and toasting, but use the unrefined version for salads.
How should I store the oil?
It is best to buy a quantity of cooking oil that you will use within a month or two of opening the bottle. Otherwise, it can lose its useful properties and go bad. If you are storing the oil for several months, check to see if its smell has changed. Keep the oil in a cool and dark place (but not in the refrigerator) as heat and light can damage it.
