Think You Know Everything About Cooking Oils and Ghee? Read on to Find Out

Have you ever heard your grandmother telling you about the times when oil and ghee was abundantly used while cooking? How the rotis and parathas were served with a huge dollop of ghee?

You, being a part of the weight conscious generation, must have cringed mentally at the imagined amount of fat and cholesterol consumed.

Cooking oils and ghee have been an important part of cooking in the Indian kitchens for many years.

However, over the last few years, they have gained an unfavourable reputation as two of the many causes of obesity, diabetes, and other dietary evils.

But, how much of this is actually true? With many types of cooking oils and ghee available in the market and tons of opinions floating about, it is very easy to get misinformed.

Let us have a look at some of the commonly known ‘facts’ that are, in reality, only myths –

Myth – Olive Oil Is The Best Choice For All Cooking Needs

You might be happily using olive oil for all kinds of cooking after hearing about its virtues from every other person.

Yes, it contains heart-friendly omega three fatty acids and is free of any chemical refinements; but it has its own limitations.

Do you know olive oil has a low smoking point? That means, once the temperature of oil goes higher than this point, all the factors that contribute to its goodness are destroyed. Thus, olive oil is unsuitable for traditional high heat cooking.

Using olive oil in its natural, raw form, i.e., as a salad dressing or drizzling over dishes is the best way to reap its benefits.

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Myth – Reusing Oils Causes No Harm

We Indians thrive on being economical whenever and wherever possible.

You may be happy that you are saving money by reusing oil, but you do not realize you are compromising your health by doing so.

Reusing oil, again and again, causes chemical changes in the oil that affect healthy cells that not only results in high cholesterol but also poses the threat of cancer.

So, even if you feel you are being terribly wasteful, strengthen your mind and never reuse cooking oils.

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Myth – One Should Always Buy Vegetable Oils with Low Cholesterol

Have you rushed to the nearest store after seeing an advertisement for a particular brand of vegetable oil that claims to contain very low cholesterol?

But, what you fail to realize is that vegetable oil is obtained from plants. Therefore, it contains absolutely zero cholesterol!

Rather than falling prey to marketing strategies, you should always buy oil only after checking its nutritional information on the label.

Image source: @organicfacts.net

Myth – Eating Ghee Will Make You Fat

This is not true at all. Ghee is lipolytic in nature, meaning it breaks down fat.

Additionally, it is anti-viral and anti-bacterial. Therefore, ghee prevents you from falling sick often and helps you recover faster when you do.

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Myth – Ghee Is Not Beneficial For Heart

On the contrary, ghee is antioxidants rich and contains all the essential vitamins that are required for a healthy heart.

Your heart will bless you for providing all the good nutrients by consuming ghee regularly in adequate quantity. After all, even over- consumption of elixir can prove to be poisonous.

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Bibliography

Chilukoti, Bhavyajyoti. “Top 5 myths about cooking oil busted”. Thehealthsite.com. N.p, 4 Feb 2015. Web. 3 Nov 2017.

“Cooking Oil – Facts and Myths”. Healthisall.com. N.p, N.d. Web. 3 Nov 2017.

Bowden, Jonny. “Busting the Myths about Cooking Oils”. Jonnybowden.com. N.p, N.d. Web. 3 Nov 2017.

Tuck, Fiona. “The top cooking oil myths debunked by health expert”. Mouthsofmums.com. N.p, 15 June 2017. Web. 3 Nov 2017.

Diwekar, Rujuta. “The goodness of Ghee”. Rujuta’s Gyan. N.p, 7 March 2013. Web. 3 Nov 2017.

“Don’t believe these myths about ghee”. Gopaljeefresco.com. N.p, 7 Jan 2016. Web. 3 Nov 2017.