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Originally published September 12 2013

The chemistry of healthy cooking oils

by Sandeep Godiyal

(NaturalNews) The use of plant oils rather than lard, butter and other animal-based fats universally eliminates the saturated fat that we would otherwise consume. The way that the human body processes saturated fats ends up forcing the body to build its own low-density cholesterol, so avoiding these types of fats is an exceptionally good idea. With this in mind, not all plants are created equal. Neither are the various oils made by pressing these plants.

Vegetable and plant oils are liquid at room temperature, because unsaturated fats have a lower melting point than saturated fats. The reason for this is chemical. Saturated fat is called saturated, because every carbon-carbon double bond along the spine of the fat molecule has had all of its double bonds removed and a number of hydrogen atoms added. Simply enough, it's totally saturated with hydrogen. Though normally perfectly safe to consume, vegetable oils can be chemically converted to saturated fats through a process known as hydrogenation, literally the addition of hydrogen to the fat. If this process is done part way so that only some of the double bonds have been saturated, we end up with partially hydrogenated oils, also known as trans fats. Keep an eye out for hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated vegetable oils on the ingredient lists of foods. They're just as bad as, if not worse than, animal fats.

Smoke Points and Flavor: The Heart of the Cooking Oil Search

When purchasing straight plant oils, there are two primary factors to consider. First, every oil will taste different. Second, each oil has a different smoke point, the temperature at which the oil will begin to smoke, sputter and denature into something decidedly less than delicious. These two properties influence how each oil is to be used.

A number of popular oils, a description of their flavors, and their smoke points are listed below.


The various cooking oils present on the market each have their own quirks working for them. Varying flavors, smoke points and fat profiles bring about a myriad of uses that the savvy consumer should always stay abreast of.

Bear in mind, however, that plant oils can be corrupted by modern industrial processes. Partially hydrogenated and hydrogenated vegetable oils are, in the end, no better for the consumer than animal fats and defeat the purpose of plant oils in the first place. By applying due diligence, however, the savvy consumer can enjoy these various oils without sacrificing health to do it.

Sources for this article include:


http://www.fitsugar.com

http://www.kumc.edu

http://health.ninemsn.com

About the author:
Sandeep has written many health field articles for both Internet and print publication. He currently writing for insurancetips4u.co.

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Sandeep has written many health field articles for both Internet and print publication. He currently writing for insurancetips4u.co. Read More articles from Sandeep: 5 Must-Know Things about Car Insurance Top 5 Reasons Your Health Insurance Premium Will Rise in 2016 Top 5 Tips for Finding Affordable Health Insurance Policy


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