Are oils actually considered a health food?

Tag : Nutritional Value of Sesame Seeds

Some headlines are promoting the health benefits of certain oilsand can lead us to think that we should all be drizzling oil on topof our meals. But which oil is the best choice?
There are some great new varieties to choose from, but it reallydepends on what you plan on doing with it.
If you are mainly going to make salad dressings, or drizzle it ontop of some vegetables, then a cold-pressed olive oil is a greatchoice.
It is rich in mono-unsaturated fat which is known to lower totalcholesterol, LDL cholesterol (the bad one) while increasing the HDLcholesterol (the good one). It is also very low in saturated fatand contains no trans fat.
The problem is that it doesn't tolerate heat very well and startsto smoke at a low temperature (around 190C or 375 degrees F).
The heating of an oil can affect its composition and olive oilstarts to lose some of its beneficial properties.
A cold-pressed oil simply means it is one of the first extractionsand is richest in antioxidants.
Antioxidants can be sensitive to heat and can be lost when the heatstarts to build up in the pressing of the olives, or seeds.
When you are comparing regular olive oil to the light, and extravirgin varieties, you are comparing taste, not fat value.
The extra virgin olive oil has the lightest taste and is mostpopular, while the regular olive oil will have the strongest olivetaste.
Usually the darker the oil, the more pungent the taste. The fatvalues are all similar.
But if you want to cook with oil, what is the best choice? You wantan oil that has a higher smoke temperature.
Grapeseed oil is relatively new on the market and is believed tolower cholesterol and has a very light taste, but has a highersmoke temperature than olive oil so that you can cook with it.
Peanut oil is another option that tolerates high heat. It containsa substance called resveratrol, which can help reduce our risk forcardiovascular disease and cancer risk.
Walnut oil is also becoming popular as it helps reducetriglycerides and can be delicious sprinkled on salads. Sesame oilis another option which tolerates high heat and is popular choicefor stir fries.
Canola oil can be a wise choice, and can be a more economicalselection.
Palm oil, butter, hard margarine and vegetable shortening allcontain too much saturated fat and trans fats and their numbers canclimb very fast.
One teaspoon (5 ml) of oil can offer between 40 to 50 calories, sowhen a recipe calls for ½ cup (125 ml) of oil, you can findover 1,000 calories. It is wise to not only look at what form ofoil you are using but also consider the quantity.
For example, the darker sesame oil has a stronger taste, so you canuse less of it.
It can be worth playing with a recipe. If you are making an oil andvinegar based salad dressing, then you can often substitute amilder tasting vinegar, such as rice vinegar for the strongerbalsamic vinegar.
It allows you to add more vinegar than oil. I use three parts ricevinegar to oil, rather than the traditional three parts oil to onepart balsamic vinegar. If you are using the oil in baking, thenunsweetened applesauce can be a quick way of lowering the fatcontent while actually boosting the nutritional value of the food,without sacrificing taste and texture.
It can be wise to take advantage of the new great tasting andversatile oils on the market, but keep an eye on the quantity.Although they can be healthy varieties, the calories and fat gramscan climb quickly.
Catherine McCain, RD, BSc, MBA, is a consulting dietitian inprivate practice at a Fredericton physiotherapy clinic. She can bereached at 457-2722.