Traditionally India used cold pressed oils or wood pressed oils. Mustard oil in the North and East, groundnut oil in the West and coconut oil in the South were the main oils. Sesame oil was used sparingly in all parts of India. Once refining process was invented large varieties of seeds were used to extract oil, not used earlier.
In 1970s, Dr Ancel keys postulated that saturated fats increases cholesterol, causing heart attacks, while consumption of PUFA (poly unsaturated fatty acids) decreases cholesterol and hence are cardioprotective. Once medical world certified them to be heart friendly due to high PUFA, a boost in the consumption of refined oils occurred pan India. Sunflower oil has become the most preferred oil for cooking replacing traditional cold pressed oils in India. The refined oils are most profitable to industry as it is economical to extract maximum amount of oil from the seeds. The cold press method is highly inefficient, enabling only 30-35% of oil extraction, while refining process can extract upto 95% of the oil in the seeds. Hence refined oils are cheaper than cold pressed oils. These qualities along with a so called heart healthy profile, made these oils as mainstay in homes and commercial establishments. To know about refining process one can refer to article “refining vegetable oils“.
Cold pressed oils are extremely healthy though not glamourous in appearance as refined oil. A cold pressed oil has high amount of tocopherols (vitamin E), phospholipids, squalene, polyphenols, and phytosterols which are health promoting substances. Vitamin E is an anti oxidant and cold pressed oils are the main source of these vitamins.
There is no doubt that, refining improves the texture of an oil making it more acceptable. However, the refining process transforms a healthy oil into a hazardous product which is killing us slowly due to following reasons:-
(a) The refining process yields pure oils or fatty acids, which is not good for health. It increases the fat load in the body. Body has to utilize its own quota of micronutrients to process these fatty acids increasing the demand of micronutrients (vitamins and minerals). With cold pressed oils this not an issue as the oil is loaded with antioxidants and other compounds. One Tablespoonful of cold pressed oil will have only 30-35% of fats and rest 65% will comprise of of health promoting substances like tocopherols (Vitamin E), phospholipids, squalene, polyphenols, and phytosterols et. On the other hand, a refined oil will have 95% of fatty acids or fats and only 5% of non fat component decreasing the healing property of the oil.
(b) Second disadvantage is the loss of chemicals, which are the goldmine of health. These compounds are lost during refining process, irrespective whether it is physical refining or chemical refining. One advertisement claiming physically refined rice bran oil containing oryzanol is highly misleading as this compound is lost during refining, unless proved otherwise Similarly other advertisement claiming heart healthy properties are equally misleading.
(c) Third notable disadvantage of refining is the formation of undesirable compounds such as glycidol & 3-MCPD-esters, harmful trans-fatty acids, and polymeric triacylglycerols or triglycerides. These can directly influence the safety level of refined oils. MCPD esters have been labelled as possible carcinogens by IARC (International agency for research in cancer). In addition MCPD esters have been found to be cause kidney damage and reproductive issues. For details one can refer to article “Exposure to dietary glycidyl and 3 MCDP esters. Trans-fatty acids, as we know, are responsible for heart attacks. Polymeric triacyglycerols get easily oxidized during heating or deep frying. Oxidative derivatives of triglycerides have been linked to several health problems, including liver diseases, abnormalities in the metabolism of lipids and carbohydrates, colitis and even colon cancer. Published epidemiological data showed that western dietary patterns with higher intake of fried foods increased the risk of acute myocardial infarction by 30%. Another research observed deep-fried foods including French fries, fried chicken, fried fish and doughnuts increased risk of prostate cancer ranging between 27% and 35%. Despite the limited available data, it remains evident that the health risks associated with oxidative derivatives of triglycerides should not be overlooked. These fact matches with the observations that in spite of efficient cholesterol reduction, the heart attacks and other chronic diseases are not showing a declining trend.
(d) Most of the refined oils are rich in omega-6 fatty acids disproportionally. Excess of omega-6 fats promote inflammatory chemicals and give rise to prolonged low grade inflammation in the body. The two most inflammatory refined oils are safflower and sunflower oil. To get a detailed overview of inflammatory potential of sunflower oil, one can refer to article ” Is refined sunflower oil making us sick“. Sunflower oil is extensively used pan India in homes as well as commercial establishments (hotels, restaurants and fast food shops).
The role of refined oils in genesis of chronic diseases like diabetes, heart attacks, joint problems, Alzheimer’s require a serious reconsideration. A good overview of the role of refined oils in generation of above diseases has been given by Dr Chris Knobbe in his YouTube presentation “Are vegetable oils primary drivers of obesity, diabetes and chronic diseases“.
For knowing fatty acid profile of various types of fatty acids please refer to Fatty acid profile of common fats and oils. Best oil for our health are cold pressed mustard, ghee and coconut oils. Traditional oils in cold pressed forms should be consumed within limited amounts. To know more about the role of PUFA in health you can read my article on unsatutarted fatty acids.
In the noise of heart healthy propaganda by industries, the bad effects of refined oils never got publicized and usage of refined oils is going unabated with erroneous beliefs that they are heart healthy. Remember, refining renders an oil odorless, tasteless and useless. The two most health hazards which have crept into our food system are refined oils and industrially processed foods.
In short, refined oils are a major health hazard. Earlier you stop using them, better will be for your health. At this moment, you may think that you are fit in spite of refined oil. You will be inclined to neglect the warning and prefer the convenience over so called health. But life is long. The affects of slow poison takes more than 20-30 years to manifest in the form of heart problems, joint, thyroid and cancers. Once you contract chronic diseases going back will be difficult. It is better to avoid the product which has been labelled bad by the research, however scanty it may be.
Message is loud and clear
Stop using refined oils, whether it is sunflower or others.
Use cold pressed oils instead or better wood pressed oil
Hope the article is useful. Your comments and feedbacks are welcome. Wish you health and happiness
If you are interested to meet likeminded people who are interested to gain insight to health through nutrition, you are invited to join our WhatsApp group “Premium Poshan Shiksha” and also subscribe to the YouTube channel of Poshan Shiksha YouTube@poshanshiksha
To join poshanshiksha WhatsApp group please fill the goggle form. The annual membership fee is Rs 300/- only. At present the membership is open to only Indian Nationals. In case of difficulty, kindly E mail at poshanshiksha@gmail.com
