Are Oils in Food Good or Bad?

 

Hi folks,

This can be pretty confusing; we are told that frying & roasting are bad for us but that some oils can be good for us. All oils are fats so which ones do we use?

Cooking with oils:

Coconut oil, palm oil, & peanut oil are all examples of fats high in saturates. These are hard for our bodies to break down & so too much will get stored as body fat. However, the high levels of saturates cause these oils to have a higher resistance to heat, delaying their breakdown into free radicals (atoms that can have an oxidative effect on our body & can cause cell damage / disease). Intense exercise can also increase free radical levels so if you also have a healthy balanced nutrition (with lots of anti-oxidants) then a little extra saturated fat is probably the lesser of two evils.

Oils as dressings:

Rapeseed oil, olive oil & other oils low in saturated fat will have a higher ratio of monounsaturated & poly unsaturated fats. These are no good for heating but very healthy cold pressed. They contain vital nutrients such as the Omega’s which help maintain our immune system, brain health, blood clotting, eye sight & many other important functions. Try to use these oils as a light dressing on foods instead of a sauce.

In the workplace: If your company operates a staff canteen then a small investigation into the cooking methods of the regular dishes has the potential to have a huge positive affect across your workforce!

So in conclusion we could have an oil that’s moderate / high in saturates for heating, & an oil low in saturates for dressings. If in doubt then olive oil is a good all-rounder.

Hope this helps,

James