Vegetable fat is harmful. Vegetable fats: harm and benefit. Refined deodorized frozen sunflower oil

Why is Sunflower Oil harmful?- or the most common fat with which most people (and not only) cook and dress salads.

Do you still cook and season salads with Sunflower oil? Then this post is definitely for you!

Well, seriously, I’m dedicating this post specifically to the most common product in most people’s kitchens (not mine). And there is a special reason for this. I have already written about the dangers of vegetable oils, where a large number of people argued with me that, for example, olive and coconut oil are also vegetable oils.

So I decided to write a separate post about Sunflower oil and tell you why you can’t take everything plant-based as healthy and why it’s better to completely stop using it.

Here you have another bottle of Sunflower oil in your kitchen, with which you cook your food. And you probably think that this is the healthiest oil! But you are deeply mistaken, because Sunflower oil is:

Unstable fat

Sunflower oil consists mostly of polyunsaturated fat, which, due to its chemical structure, is very unstable and quickly susceptible to oxidative oxidation. What does it mean? The fact is that even without heating, free radicals begin to form in sunflower oil, accelerating the aging of our body and causing the development of numerous chronic diseases. In addition, oxidized molecules of polyunsaturated fat have the ability to accumulate in cell membranes, triggering a chain of destructive oxidative reactions.

Contains large amounts of Omega-6

Not all omega fatty acids are equally beneficial for us. Especially in large quantities. Our body needs balance. A normal healthy balance should ideally be 1:1 or at worst 1:4. And if you constantly use sunflower oil every day, what kind of balance can we talk about? 1:24? Or even more? What does excessive Omega-6 consumption mean for us? Well, at least chronic inflammation or the number 1 cause of chronic diseases. Have you been told that Sunflower oil is better for your heart and blood vessels? No matter how it is! It is this oil that leads to the deposition of cholesterol (mind you, oxidized) on the walls of our blood vessels, leading to their blockage, and there is already a heart attack and stroke.

Oil extraction method

Unfortunately, I could not find a video of obtaining Sunflower oil, but the process of obtaining its brother - Rapeseed or Canola oil (another toxic and popular oil in America and Canada) was covered long ago in a popular American program. You can read a detailed post describing the process of obtaining vegetable oils and watch a video there. I will say right away that this process is far from natural and sometimes causes vomiting, especially when I imagine that we are eating it. I advise you not to watch while eating

So which oil is suitable for consumption?

You need to cook food with fat that is stable, does not oxidize and does not form free radicals, that is, saturated. This includes butter, ghee, coconut oil and even animal fat such as lard. You can read more details. And if you are worried about your Cholesterol, I advise you to read it, after it you may not be so afraid of eating lard

I haven’t used sunflower oil for about 2 years now, and before that, unrefined sunflower oil was my favorite for salad dressing. For more than a year now, my parents and my sister have completely given up this oil, which is not as healthy as everyone thought.

And then I couldn’t, because I didn’t regain consciousness. And after another 3 weeks she was gone. An autopsy determined a heart attack due to very severe atherosclerosis. And no, I’m not saying that it was Sunflower oil that caused atherosclerosis in a week, but I am 100% sure that it was it that aggravated the situation and, one might say, killed my grandmother. By the way, it was this situation that led my parents to completely abandon the use of Sunflower oil...

Sunflower oil, although a plant product, is toxic to us. It is clear that it is much cheaper than the same healthy fats. But in the end you will have to pay with your health. And it, as many already know us, is priceless!

Do you use Sunflower oil? Or switched to healthy fats?

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There are three types of fats:

saturated (a lot of them are found in animal and solid vegetable fat, great for cooking);
monounsaturated (large amounts are found in almond, avocado and olive oil);
polyunsaturated (found in all vegetable fats).

Beneficial properties of vegetable fats:

They contain essential polyunsaturated acids. Omega-3 and Omega-6. They are vital for our health. But the body cannot produce them on its own. The only way they enter is through food.
Polyunsaturated fatty acids prevent blood clots, inflammation, and increased blood pressure. They help the immune system work at full strength and promote proper digestion.
The product contains substances that improve tissue regeneration. Thanks to this property, the aging process of cells slows down.
Natural oils (especially first cold-pressed) contain a lot of vitamin E. It is an antioxidant that helps the body fight free radicals. It is also called the “vitamin of beauty and youth.” Hence the beneficial effect of vegetable liquid fats on the skin.
Plant-based saturated fats contain less bad cholesterol. Liquid oils prevent the development of atherosclerosis.

Harm

There are a lot of vegetable fats. All of them can be combined into two large groups:

hard;
liquid (oils).

Each specific product can harm the body in its own way. Let's consider what is common to all vegetable fats.

Harm of vegetable fat:

Frequent and large amounts of the product in food can cause infertility in women. This is due to an imbalance of fatty acids: they began to eat more vegetable oil, less animal fat.
After processing at high temperatures, polyunsaturated fats are oxidized. In this form, they lead to thinning of the artery walls and their subsequent rupture.
Oxidized substances are not absorbed by the body's cells and are not used by them as an energy resource. They float in the bloodstream and gradually settle on the walls of blood vessels. The result is obesity, heart pathologies, cancer.
Modified polyunsaturated fats help produce free radicals. The risk of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and oncology increases.

Calorie content

All types of liquid vegetable fat contain 900 kcal. Let's calculate the energy value depending on the weight measure:

The number of calories an adult needs daily depends on a number of factors:

age;
height and weight;

On average, an adult needs between 2,500 and 4,500 calories per day. The lower limit is for people engaged in mental work. The top one is physical. Of course, few people will eat vegetable fat in its pure form. But it is often used for cooking and salad dressing. Therefore, calorie content must be taken into account. Especially for those categories that need dietary nutrition.

Contraindications

The main food element of vegetable oils is fats. These are high-calorie foods. Therefore, people who are prone to obesity should not overuse vegetable fats.
To reduce costs, industrial corporations use chemical solvents when processing cotton, soybean or rapeseed seeds. Subsequently, all these chemicals settle in the liver and are absorbed into the blood. The situation is aggravated by repeated processing of plant raw materials. Therefore, you need to use cold-pressed oils.

The nutritional value

The food industry produces several types of vegetable fats. Let's look at the most popular:

Type of fat	Saturated fats	Monounsaturated fats	Polyunsaturated fatty acids			Oleic
Type of fat	Saturated fats	Monounsaturated fats	Total	linolenic	linoleic	Oleic
Rapeseed	7.37	63.28	28.14	9-11	19-21	-
Coconut	91	6	3	-	2	6
Corn	13	28	55	1	58	28
Cottonseed oil	26	18	52	1	54	19
Linen	6-9	10-22	68-89	56-71	12-18	10-22
Olive	14	72	14	2	9-20	-
Palm	49	37	9	-	10	40
Peanut	17	46	32	-	32	48
Soy	16	23	58	7	50	24
Sunflower	10	45	40	0.2	39.8	45

The data in the table is given as a percentage of total fat content. One hundred grams of product contains 90-100 grams of fat. There are no proteins or carbohydrates in vegetable oils.

Vitamins and minerals

Oil name	Vitamins and minerals, in mg (per 100 g of oil) and as a percentage of the daily value for an adult
Oil name	Vitamin E	Vitamin K	Iron	Phosphorus	Zinc
Rapeseed	18.9 (126)	-	-	2 (0.3)	-
Coconut	0.09 (1)	0.5 mcg	0.04 (0.3	-	-
Corn	18.6 (124)	-	-	2 (0.3)	-
Linen	2.1 (14)	-	-	2 (0.3)	-
Olive	14 (80.7)	62 mcg (59)	0.4 (2.2)	-	-
Palm	33 (220)	-	-	2 (0.3)	-
Peanut	15.7 (105)	-	-	-	0.01 (0.1)
Soy	17 (114)	-	0.05 (0.3)	2 (0.3)	0.01 (0.1)
Sunflower	44 (293)	-	-	2 (0.3)	-

All vegetable fats contain a lot of vitamin E. But it will bring maximum benefit if the product is not subjected to strong heating.

Vegetable fat - what is it? What products contain it?

Vegetable fat is a phrase that evokes different associations. It prompts some to put the product back on the store shelf, causing superstitious fear of harmful trans fats. And some will prefer healthier ones to creamy ones - again because of vegetable fats. So what do they bring - benefit or harm? Vegetable fat - what is it from the point of view of chemistry, biology and medicine?

Of course, vegetable fats differ in what they contain in plants. Most often they accumulate in seeds. Plants usually store nutrients for the development of a new organism. However, there are exceptions. is extracted from the pulp of palm fruits, olive oil is extracted from the pulp of olives.

What is the difference between the composition of vegetable fats and animal fats? In vegetable oils, those that melt at a lower temperature often predominate.

Classifications

Vegetable fats can be divided into categories according to several criteria. Firstly, they can be liquid and are most often called oils. There are solid vegetable fats such as palm oil and cocoa butter. It’s not entirely correct to call them oils, just like butter, but that’s the way it is in the language.

Drying oils are also distinguished - nut, linseed; semi-drying, for example sunflower; and non-drying ones such as olive and cocoa oil.

Receipt and processing

We will not describe in detail the technologies for obtaining oil and all their possible options. There are two main methods of oil extraction - the pressing method and extraction. In the first case, the mass, pre-treated with moisture and heat, is squeezed out under a press. This method can be considered the cleanest and most environmentally friendly. By the way, the most expensive and healthy olive oil, which can be recognized by the inscription on the Virgin or Extra Virgin packaging, is obtained by cold pressing. The raw material is heated to no more than 27°C. Extra Virgin is characterized by even stricter adherence to technology. The acid content in it should be no more than 1%, and some companies limit it to 0.8%.

But during pressing, a large amount of oil still remains in the raw material. It is not profitable. Therefore, at the next stage - extraction - the oil is extracted using special extraction gasoline. This is already alarming. However, experts assure that if the technologies were followed exactly, the product will not cause any harm. It's best not to buy the cheapest oil.

Benefit

Vegetable fats in foods are of great benefit due to their chemical composition. Fat is very nutritious and replenishes energy reserves. Vegetable oils contain Omega-3 and Omega-6 amino acids. Everyone knows about Omega-3 - this fatty acid is not produced by the human body, so it must be supplied with food. Its deficiency negatively affects the cardiovascular system. Therefore, it is not for nothing that foods rich in this acid are called the food of long-livers. Omega-3 must be contained in the diet of pregnant women so that the development of the nervous system and eyes of the fetus occurs correctly.

Vegetable oils contain vitamins A, D, E.

They contain phospholipids that regulate intracellular fat metabolism, participate in the creation of the structure of brain and liver cells and the removal of excess cholesterol.

Sources of healthy vegetable fats

Healthy vegetable fats - what products are they? We can get them from numerous vegetable oils - sunflower, olive, flaxseed. Oil can be obtained from almost anything, such as pumpkin seeds. A large amount of healthy fats is found in plant seeds, in nuts - after all, they are also seeds, in corn, and olives.

Avocado pulp contains healthy monounsaturated fatty acids - Omega-9. They benefit the cardiovascular system and even promote weight loss. Therefore, when eating avocados, you don’t have to count calories.

We can get Omega-3 fatty acid from many vegetable oils: mustard, flaxseed, camelina, rapeseed. Also, to get more Omega-3, you need to eat walnuts.

Harm

Of course, everything is good in moderation. Vegetable fats - what is it from a dietary point of view? They have a very high calorie content - on average 850 kcal per 100 g! Therefore, they need to be consumed in small quantities. A vegetable salad dressed with a spoon of olive oil is a healthy food, especially since fats help absorb fat-soluble vitamins. But french fries fried in a large amount of oil clearly do not benefit the body. And it's not just about calories. When heat treated above 110 degrees, beneficial unsaturated fatty acids begin to break down, and toxic aldehydes and ketones appear in their place. Their harm lies in the fact that they make the walls of blood vessels fragile, and this is a direct path to atherosclerosis, heart attacks, strokes - diseases that most often shorten our lives. So you need to handle oil wisely - it can bring both irreplaceable benefits and harm.

Buyers are increasingly indignant: “What is this? Vegetable fats are placed everywhere, even where they don’t belong!” That's how it happens. Often, manufacturers of dairy and other products replace milk fats with vegetable fats for the sake of cheapness. Cottage cheese and cottage cheese using such components must be designated as cottage cheese and cheese products. Milk fat substitutes are usually made from palm oil and if these oils are of good quality, they are not harmful. So replacing milk fat with vegetable fat will only result in a loss of taste.

In chocolate, cocoa butter is also sometimes replaced with palm oil. Then it cannot be called chocolate - it is a confectionery bar. In this case, the beneficial properties of cocoa butter and, of course, taste are lost. Although, if you noticed, cocoa butter is also a vegetable fat. But more expensive and capricious to produce.

Palm oil is generally used in the food industry. It allows you to greatly reduce the cost of products. However, sometimes, due to savings, insufficiently refined palm oil is used, which is unsuitable for food and intended only for technical purposes.

Trans fats

Trans fats are dangerous - liquid vegetable oils that have become solid due to hydrogenation - saturation with hydrogen bubbles. Molecular acids are distorted. And this leads to the fact that they are embedded in cell membranes and displace beneficial fatty acids from them, blocking the work of enzymes. Disruption of metabolic processes at the cellular level affects all systems of the body and provokes ailments: from obesity and depression to coronary heart disease and cancer.

A typical example of trans fat is margarine. This is a cheap analogue of butter. It is stored much longer than both animal and vegetable fats. In general, a complete benefit for manufacturers. It only causes harm to consumers. Therefore, you need to avoid margarine and the products that it contains - baked goods, chips and other things. And if you really want cookies or pies, it’s better to bake them yourself using butter.

To eat or not to eat?

So is it worth eating them, what vegetable fats are best to include in your menu? As you can understand from the article, the main thing is to approach this issue consciously and, of course, have a sense of proportion. We all know which foods are considered harmful. Even if it is difficult to exclude them from the diet completely, it is worth consuming mayonnaise and ready-made baked goods containing trans fats less often. Give preference to high-quality vegetable oils and nuts, but keep in mind that they are very high in calories, because oil is almost pure fat, and nuts contain up to 60-70%.

Update: October 2018

Sunflower oil is a popular product that is present in the diet every day, used for cooking, is a universal skin care product and even helps in the treatment of certain diseases. Basically, people give preference to it - it is both budget-friendly and already familiar to many.

Few people think about the quality of the product, choosing solely based on external characteristics and the label. Is it really good to have perfectly transparent oil in an original bottle and what is hidden behind “100% naturalness”, we will tell you in this article.

Chemical composition and nutritional value of sunflower oil

The natural, raw product has the following composition (average values):

Nutrient/indicator	Quantity per 100 g. product
Calorie content of oil	899 kcal
Water	0.1 g
Fats	99.9 g
Vitamin E	44 mg
Phosphorus	2 mg
Sterols (beta sitosterol)	200 mg
Saturated fatty acids, of which:	11.3 g
Palmitic	6.2 g
Stearic	4.1 g
Begenovaya	0.7 g
Arachinova	0.3 g
Monounsaturated fatty acids (oleic)	23.8 g
Polyunsaturated fatty acids (linoleic)	59.8 g
Oil density, p	930 kg/m 3

The composition also contains vitamins D, K, carotenes, vegetable carbohydrates, protein substances, mucus, waxes, tannins, and inulin in small quantities.

The composition of sunflower oil varies depending on the area and sunflower growing conditions, and not always for the better. Plants can be treated with insecticides and pesticides, which also get into the seeds. The composition of the oil, including the residual content of chemically aggressive substances, is regulated by GOST.

Useful properties of the product

The beneficial properties of sunflower oil are well known today. This is a product with a high degree of digestibility, up to 95-98%. The positive effect on the body is due to the composition:

phospholipids improve the functioning of cells of the nervous tissue and brain, protect against the development of atherosclerosis, participate in the construction of cell membranes;
tocopherol (vit. E) is a powerful antioxidant, normalizes metabolism, helps preserve youth, has an antitumor effect and improves immunity. Sunflower oil is richer in tocopherol content;
vitamin D responsible for the good condition of bones and skin;
vitamin K participates in the normalization of blood viscosity, prevents internal bleeding;
unsaturated fatty acids (Omega-6 and Omega-9) are directly involved in the proper functioning of the liver, blood vessels, and nervous system, normalize the lipoprotein spectrum of the blood and prevent the development of atherosclerosis. They increase immunity, have anti-carcinogenic and antioxidant effects. Participate in the normalization of hormonal levels.
beta carotene has a positive effect on growth processes, the state of immunity and improves vision.

To summarize, it should be said that, subject to consumption standards, a real, high-quality product helps fight atherosclerosis and its complications (heart attack, stroke), improves central nervous system function and increases concentration, slows down the process of premature aging, improves the condition of hair and skin, and has a beneficial effect on work endocrine and genitourinary systems, has antiarrhythmic and cardioprotective effects, has a positive effect on the condition of the gastrointestinal mucosa and is used for constipation (1 tablespoon of oil on an empty stomach).

Types of sunflower oil

This product is obtained from sunflower seeds using different technologies. Each of them is based on a similar process:

cleaning oilseed sunflower seeds from husks mechanically;
processing of kernels in dryers: crushing into pulp;
pressing sunflower oil: passing the pulp through a press and obtaining the first pressed product;
processing of the remaining mass, which can contain up to 30% of the product, in the extraction shop.

Subsequently, the oil is subjected to processing (purification and refining): centrifugation, settling, hydration, filtration, bleaching, deodorization and freezing. And each of these processes affects the quality of the final product. The production of sunflower oil is regulated by law: there is GOST 1129-2013, which clearly defines the standard amount of chemicals, organoleptic indicators, physical and chemical properties and others, by which the quality of the product is standardized.

There are 5 types of oil. They are indicated on the label. By studying a product in a store, you can already draw a conclusion about its quality, composition and effect on the body.

Raw unrefined

This is a first-press product that is only filtered. It is considered the most useful: a minimum of production steps allows you to preserve a maximum of useful substances.

pros: has a pleasant natural taste, intense yellow color. In unrefined oil, you can count on the presence of phospholipids, vitamins, carotene, and fatty acids.
Minuses: However, it quickly turns bitter and tarnished, so it has a short shelf life.

There are 3 types: highest, first and second grade. Crude oil is obtained in three ways - hot and cold pressing and extraction:

Cold pressed allows you to get the highest quality, but expensive product (up to 20-30% of oil remains in the cake).
Hot pressing involves the use of high temperature: the process speeds up and more oil comes out.
Extraction. During extraction, vegetable raw materials with “under-extracted” oil (cake) are mixed with a solvent, and the oil is completely transferred into an organic solvent, which is gasoline or hexane. The mixture is then separated, a process called distillation, during which the oil is separated from the solvent. This is already a proven technology, and we hasten to reassure readers - there are no gasoline residues in the oil! You can read more about the technology in food production manuals.

All subsequent purification and processing processes are nothing more than bringing the product to the required presentation and shelf life.

Hydrated

A product that, in addition to mechanical cleaning, undergoes a hydration process: hot water in the form of a fine dispersion (70°C) is passed through oil heated to 60°C. During this process, protein and mucus fractions precipitate. After processing, the oil has a less pronounced smell and taste, becomes lighter, without cloudiness or sediment.

They also distinguish between the highest, first and second grades of the product, similar to unrefined.

Neutralized and refined

The product undergoes complete purification from impurities, as well as free fatty acids, phospholipids using alkalis and acids. The oil acquires optimal external consumer properties, but loses its typical aroma and taste, as well as beneficial components. It is used for frying, stewing and deep-frying, as well as for the production of cooking fats and margarines.

Refined deodorized

It is obtained by refining and subsequent exposure to water vapor under vacuum. During processing, the product is deprived of aromatic substances, which shorten its shelf life.

Brand "D" indicates that the product is suitable for dietary and baby food,
Brand "P""—for other groups of the population.

Refined deodorized frozen sunflower oil

Freezing the oil removes waxy substances (which cause cloudiness in cold conditions and spoil the presentation) and further increases shelf life. In fact, this product has no taste, no smell, no beneficial substances in its composition, and is nothing more than a mixture of triglycerides.

How to choose the best sunflower oil

Most useful– raw virgin oil obtained by cold pressing from high-quality sunflower seeds grown in environmentally friendly conditions and sold in glass containers. It has a short shelf life, if not stored it becomes cloudy and goes rancid. In addition, when oil goes rancid, it produces carcinogens that are hazardous to health.

This product contains all useful substances and is ideal for salad dressings and side dishes. But you definitely shouldn’t fry with it: when it boils, it starts to foam, smoke and release carcinogenic substances that get into the food, and with it into the human body. Yes, an incoming carcinogen will not necessarily cause cancer. But the regular intake of carcinogens (and not only from food) leads to their accumulation in the body, and sooner or later the sporadic effect may work!

A reasonable question arises: where to find it and how to choose good unrefined oil?

Today, such products can be bought in small farms, health food stores and from manufacturers who produce environmentally friendly products. Naturally, all manufacturers must have permits, strictly adhere to technology and carry out production control: testing the quality and composition of the oil in accredited laboratories at established intervals. The buyer has the right to demand documents for the oil: research reports and a quality certificate.

How to choose homemade sunflower oil?

It is very difficult to talk about the quality of oils that are sold bottled or bottled in markets. There are only guidelines that you can rely on, but the main guarantee that the bottle is not counterfeit is a quality certificate.

So, homemade product:

has a pronounced, rich aroma and natural taste of seeds;
has a rich yellow-golden color, but not dark;
a drop of oil on the skin of the hand should spread slowly;
when pouring a product from a container into another container, there should be practically no sound;
Let's allow a little sediment at the bottom.

You should be wary of:

unnatural dark color, taste and consistency of the product,
the presence of suspension (turbidity),
Strong smell,
The shelf life of bottled oil is only 1 month - no one can guarantee that the seller is conscientious and tells the real production date.

If you are lucky enough to find that very best manufacturer of a product who is “passionate” about his business, do not buy a lot of oil, it is better to come to his market twice or thrice a month for fresh. Store purchased oil only in the refrigerator and in glass containers.

How to choose good refined oil in the store?

You can't blindly trust advertising . Very often, manufacturers manipulate the minds of buyers and write attractive phrases on labels:
- "no cholesterol" This is already clear - a product of plant origin cannot contain cholesterol;
- "fortified" If we are talking about unrefined, then the statement may be true. But a multiply purified (refined) product cannot contain vitamins, and most likely a synthetic vitamin is added (most often E);
- "natural". Natural means made from sunflower seeds, i.e. natural, not artificial. Both refined and unrefined oils are natural. There are no nanotechnologies yet to synthesize oil artificially.

You can write anything on the label - but the consumer should pay attention not to the front part, but to the back, where the composition is indicated.

Read the composition of the product carefully! On the front of the label it may be written “Sunflower”, and the composition may contain a mixture of vegetable oils, for example, the addition of rapeseed. This is a cunning but legal trick by the manufacturer: in this case, the word “sunflower” is the name of the product, as well as “Golden Seed”, “Kubanskoe”, etc.
Give preference to proven, well-known sunflower oil manufacturers who manufacture their products in accordance with GOST and marked “P” or “D”.
Choose a bottle that is located at the back of the shelf and under no circumstances take the packaging from open display cases - the oil oxidizes in the light.
Carefully read the release date and expiration date: if it is coming to an end, you should not buy such oil (and most often it is precisely such products that are sold as promotional items with a very tempting price).

Digging a little from the topic, we note that adherents of a healthy lifestyle and people who want to live long have long abandoned such methods of cooking as frying in oil and deep-frying. There is a special kitchen utensil that allows you to cook with an appetizing crust, but without oil.

If life without classically fried products is not possible, you need to buy oils that do not change their properties and the properties of the product when boiling (high-quality, refined, deodorized and frozen).

Very important:

pour the product into a cold frying pan and heat slowly;
do not cook at the highest temperatures;
do not overcook food (the crispier and tastier the crust, the more dangerous the food is for health);
during frying, turn meat products over more often - this ensures uniform heating without the formation of local overcooked pockets with carcinogenic substances;
Allow excess oil to drain from product and discard any remaining oil after frying. The greatest harm from refined sunflower oil occurs if it is reused for frying foods: with each subsequent heating, dangerous carcinogens accumulate, which can cause the development of cancer.

Experiment

In one of the programs of the “Habitat” series, an experiment was conducted: a professional chef fried potatoes in different types of oils: refined and unrefined sunflower, sesame, unrefined olive, ghee and butter. Samples of the finished product and remaining oils were tested in the laboratory of the Institute of Nutrition of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences for the content of one of the most powerful carcinogens - acrylamide.

Results:

In all samples of the finished product, the level of acrylamide was 900-1500 micrograms per kilogram, which is within normal limits.
In two samples the level of acrylamide was negligible:
- 0.584 milligrams per kilogram in a product prepared with unrefined sunflower oil,
- 0.009 milligrams per kilogram in potatoes fried in refined sunflower oil.

Thus, it was concluded that the best oil for frying foods is refined sunflower oil.

Even natural vegetable oils should be taken in limited quantities. This is a high-calorie product, which in large doses can provoke the development or exacerbation of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and lead to weight gain. With uncontrolled use of oil, especially on an empty stomach, gastrointestinal dysfunction (diarrhea) may develop.
Consumption rate– about 2 tablespoons per day in its pure form (including oil in dishes).
Under no circumstances should you cleanse your body using this product.. This method is still positioned by charlatans as the best and safest, but in fact it leads to irreversible changes in the function of the liver and gall bladder.
You can’t ignore expiration dates, but it’s better to divide them by two. Over time, oxides (peroxides and hydroperoxides) are formed in the product, disrupting metabolic processes. Any product after opening the container must be used within 1 month after opening.
Storage temperature conditions should also be observed., Do not place the product on a window or where there is direct sunlight. Natural unrefined oil should be stored only in glass containers and in the refrigerator.
Cloudiness and sediment, which formed in the raw product during the permissible shelf life, are not a sign of poor quality. Waxes and phosphatides, useful components, precipitate. Just shake the bottle.

Harm of sunflower oil

Sunflower oil delivers the strongest blow to the body in the following cases:

Unrefined- if it is expired or used for frying and deep-frying;
Refined– if it is expired or used for frying and deep-frying INCORRECTLY – repeatedly and at maximum temperatures at which it starts to smoke!

The harm of expired oil

In expired oils (when they go rancid), aldehydes and ketones are formed.

Ketones- toxic. They have an irritating effect, penetrate the skin, some of them have a carcinogenic and mutagenic effect.
Aldehydes- are able to accumulate in the body, producing general toxic, irritating and neurotoxic effects, and some are also carcinogens.

The most useful of all is raw and unrefined oil, but it will not be possible to buy it for future use, since Shelf life is limited (4-6 months).

The shelf life of homemade oil is 1 month, i.e. it must be eaten immediately after purchase.

Refined oil can be store for 12-18 months. after production(and as practice shows, it can be stored longer without changing at all in appearance, and some people take advantage of this), but there will be no benefit from such oil, but harm is quite possible.

Why frying in vegetable oil is harmful?

The smoke point of refined oil is 232°C, unrefined 107°C. It is easy to understand that the oil has reached the specified temperature range: it begins to smoke, emit a pungent odor, “cut” the eyes and irritate the mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract.

When frying among a bouquet of “chemicals”, the following are especially dangerous:

Acrolein. Acrylic acid aldehyde, a toxic substance that is highly irritating to the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract and eyes. Forms immediately when the oil reaches its smoking point.
Acrylamide. Acrylic acid amide. A toxin that affects the liver, kidneys and nervous system. Formed in starch-containing products when frying in oil at temperatures above 120°C. It is localized in that very “tasty and aromatic” crust.
Fatty acid polymers, heterocyclic amines and free radicals. Formed in combustion and smoking products. They have a general toxic effect.
Carbon-containing polycyclic substances (benzopyrene, coronene). Strong chemical carcinogens of the first hazard class, which are formed in smoke and burning products.

Application in cosmetology

The natural product is used for cosmetic purposes to moisturize dry skin. It has regenerating and softening properties and helps restore the skin after a long stay in the cold. Smoothes out small wrinkles. Used to cleanse facial skin - quickly dissolves and removes impurities.

To moisturize dry skin, make compresses from heated oil. For problems such as cracks on the feet, hands and lips, as well as irritation on the skin, a simple recipe helps: take 100 ml of oil and 1 bottle of pharmaceutical vitamin A, mix and lubricate problem areas of the skin two to three times a day.

For hair it is used as a component of nourishing and moisturizing masks.

Contraindications and restrictions

A direct contraindication to the use of the product is individual intolerance - an allergy to oil or sunflower seeds.

In limited quantities and with caution, the oil should be used by people with:

chronic diseases of the cardiovascular system;
dysfunction of the biliary tract or gallbladder, cholelithiasis. This category of people should not take the oil on an empty stomach and should strictly follow the recommended dosage. In patients with gallstones, while taking the oil, stone movement and blockage of the bile ducts may begin;
diabetes mellitus;
obesity.

conclusions

Many media outlets write that the panacea is olive oil, which is positioned as the most valuable and healthy. What's the reality?

To obtain the basic nutrients necessary for the body, the sunflower oil familiar to Russians is enough: unrefined, fresh, not rancid, properly stored (no more than 1 month in the refrigerator in a glass container) and without subjecting the product to heat treatment, i.e. for dressing salads and as a flavoring additive.

For frying and deep-frying, you should use only good refined sunflower oil and drain it after cooking. For each new portion of food, pour fresh oil.

And to get the maximum, you need to combine different oils (and not just olive oil) or alternate their use:

the largest amount of vitamin E comes from sunflower products;
essential Omega-3 acids contain flaxseed and mustard oil;
a complex of Omega-6 acids, biologically active substances, minerals and vitamins and are contained in any unrefined product obtained by direct extraction, including olive oil.

And one more thing - everything useful is useful if taken in moderation. Do not consume more than 3 tbsp. oil per day, even if you produce it yourself and are 100% sure of the quality!

Several decades ago, during times of food shortages, housewives did not face the question of which oil to choose for frying or salad - they had to take what was available in stores. Nowadays, the shelves are replete with a huge number of varieties of oils from various fruits and seeds, which can sometimes be quite difficult to navigate.

Which oil from the range on the market should you buy, and which products should you be wary of? Are all types of oil equally beneficial? And what does the cost of this or that product consist of? The website and the program "Consumption Revolution" tried to find answers.

Myth #1: Sunflower oil contains toxins

According to experts, on average, Muscovites eat about 250 tons of vegetable oil per year. This means that per person there is about 15 liters of product per year. The most popular oil is predictably sunflower – it is chosen by about 60% of Muscovites. In second place is olive, preferred by 35% of Muscovites. And only a few residents of the capital introduce so-called “exotic” oils into their diet: cedar, hemp, flaxseed, camelina, etc.

There are many prejudices associated with the production and consumption of oil. One of the most common is: sunflower seeds contain little toxins.

Food industry experts argue that the presence or absence of toxins in sunflower oil depends more on the conditions of production and storage than on the “natural predisposition” of the product to release hazardous substances, which, one way or another, are found in a certain amount in all plant organisms. If the product is not stored correctly (for example, under direct sunlight or in the open air), secondary oxidation is possible, leading to the release of dangerous toxic substances - aldehydes and ketones.

Another danger that an unscrupulous manufacturer can expose the buyer to is the ingestion of benzopyrene, a carcinogenic substance of the first hazard class, which can cause cancer. This carcinogen can enter the body when using a method of drying sunflower seeds that does not comply with technical safety standards, for example, using diesel fuel. In this case, fat-soluble combustion products of fuel can get into the oil itself and “poison” it.

Fortunately, for large productions such mistakes are a thing of the past. Modern enterprises, as a rule, have their own laboratories and all the equipment necessary for analyzing the composition of oils. The buyer risks only if he buys oil secondhand from an unverified supplier.

Myth No. 2: The best sunflower oil is in the "Premium" category

Some buyers tend to avoid purchasing “budget” varieties of sunflower oils because they believe that price and category are directly related to the quality of the product: the more expensive it is, the healthier and safer it is. However, experts tend to disagree with this point of view.

The main difference between oils of the categories “Premium”, “Highest grade” and “First grade” is the difference in the peroxide number, which reflects the degree of oxidation of the product - the lower it is, the higher the category of oil. Experts note the extreme importance of maintaining the peroxide value within the normal range after the expiration date of the product, since this means not only compliance with the declared quality standards, but also compliance with storage standards. For an adult, the difference in the degree of oxidation is not so significant (2 mmol per kilogram for “Premium” category oil, 4 mmol per kilogram for “Highest Grade” and 1 mmol per kilogram for “First Grade”), while for baby food you should choose oil with the lowest rating - “Premium” category.

Another distinctive feature is the production technology. Oil of the "Premium" category (some manufacturers use the definition "Extra virgin") cannot be produced by the extraction method, in which oil is extracted from the cake remaining after direct pressing using reagents. But there is no need to worry about the safety of the oil obtained using this technology: after extraction, the product is purified of all impurities, so it is completely harmless to health.

Among sunflower oils of various categories, the price spread is relatively small, so adulteration is rare

Falsification can be considered to be the non-compliance of a product with the stated requirements revealed during the examination - in this case, the buyer will have to deal with an unreasonably inflated cost, which, of course, is unpleasant, but does not yet indicate a threat to his health. According to industry experts, the most common method of falsification, which is resorted to in order to reduce the cost of production, is mixing more expensive types of oils with cheaper ones. However, among sunflower oils of various categories, the price spread is relatively small, so adulteration is rare. Again, they are more likely to occur in small industries than in large, reputable companies.

Myth #3: Refined oil does not contain nutrients

As you know, the main task of refined oil is to be the basis for cooking. To do this, the product is specially purified from all possible impurities and odorless. The whole value of unrefined oil, on the contrary, lies in the content of impurities that are useful in their raw form, but dangerous during heat treatment - they contribute to the release of carcinogens, which were already mentioned in the text. At the same time, fatty acids and vitamins in unrefined oil are preserved to a greater extent. This does not mean that refined oil is devoid of useful substances - they can only be contained in a relatively smaller volume compared to unrefined oil. Thus, it can be argued that unrefined oil is more suitable for consumption "raw", while refined oil is better used for frying.

However, you should not resort to extremes in choosing one type of oil or another: according to nutritionists, carcinogens are also released during frying in refined oil, but in significantly smaller quantities. To minimize harm to health, you should whenever possible monitor the heating temperature of the frying pan so that the oil does not start to burn, or bake dishes in the oven, where the required temperature can be maintained. Also, do not use oil for re-frying that has already been used to cook food.

When frying, using oil with a high content of extremely heat-resistant oleic acid can significantly reduce the release of oxidation products. According to nutritionists, high-oleic oil is optimal for frying and is affordable in comparison with other types of refined oil.

Myth #4: Olive oil is better than sunflower oil

In general, the difference in the content of nutrients in these two types of oils is not that great.

Among the obvious advantages of unrefined olive oil over unrefined sunflower oil, one can note a higher content of vitamin E. It is also worth noting the closest to optimal ratio of unsaturated fatty acids omega-3 to omega-6 in olive oil (approximately 1/13 with an optimal value of 1/4 up to 1/10, while in sunflower oil – 1/200).

If we talk about refined oils, then sunflower oil is in no way inferior to olive oil, and both are inferior to high-oleic oil in terms of price/quality ratio.

Thus, preference for one or another type of oil remains a matter of taste and financial capabilities (olive oil for Russia is an imported product and costs an order of magnitude more than sunflower oil). However, nutritionists insist that excess sunflower oil in the diet can have a detrimental effect on the body precisely because of the imbalance of omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.

Experts also recommend paying attention to the packaging of the product - if possible, pour the oil into opaque glass containers (in which olive oil is more often found than sunflower oil) and not store it in cans after opening.

Myth No. 5: “Exotic oils” are the healthiest

The truth of this statement is beyond doubt among any of the experts. Indeed, the benefit of “exotic oils” lies in the mentioned ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 unsaturated fatty acids. For this reason, nutritionists recommend combining them with more familiar types of oils - sunflower or olive (or both at the same time). But still, “exotic oils” have a number of disadvantages:

Specific taste. Mustard oil may seem too tart, flaxseed oil may seem bitter, camelina oil may seem sour (camelina oil is a genus of herbaceous plants from the cabbage family). The perception of taste is subjective, and you will probably have to spend a certain amount of time to find yours among the “exotic” oils;

Price. Not only the time of the buyer who decides to try something “exotic” is at risk, but also his money. Price range: from 160 (camelina oil) to 4000 (hemp oil) rubles per liter. One of the main pricing factors in this case is the low prevalence and growing popularity of such oils;

Medical contraindications. Flaxseed oil can be a very useful product, but it is not suitable for a particular person, and instead of benefiting it, it can cause damage to the body. Therefore, before including any of the “exotic oils” in your diet, you should consult your doctor.

The use of “exotic oils” has a beneficial effect on the body, but its choice, perhaps, should be approached even more thoroughly than the choice of refined oil for frying or unrefined oil for dressings for various hot and cold dishes.