What Are The Differences In Healthy And Unhealthy Oils?

Knowing how to distinguish healthy oils and include them in the diet instead of unhealthy ones will allow us to improve health and avoid different diseases.

Every day we use oils to prepare different foods. However, we rarely stop to think if they are healthy, what benefits they bring to the body and if they have toxic components. We even tend to think that there are no healthy oils or that they do not cause us great damage to our health.

For this reason, it is common to find people who avoid any type of fat all the time.   It is true that some classes plug the arteries and generate heart problems, but this is not in all cases.

Why consume healthy oils?

Oils are essential fatty acids for the body as they are the greatest source of energy . They allow us to process the different essential nutrients such as vitamins A, E, K, D.

These types of oils are those derived from vegetable sources. Some good examples are coconut, avocado, or sunflower.

Which to choose? Animal fats or vegetable fats

Animal fats are obtained from the adipose tissues of different animals. The most common are lard, Butter and some marine animal oils.

For its part, vegetable fats go through a chemical distillation process. Through this, fatty liquids and properties of some plants and seeds are extracted.

Animal fats should be consumed in moderation , as they are the ones that can increase cholesterol levels in the blood. However, the latest scientific studies begin to cast doubt on this association that was believed to be true until a few years ago.

On the contrary, fats of vegetable origin are considered healthy oils because they contain essential amino acids for the body and because they provide vitamins and minerals.

Saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats

Depending on the source from which they are obtained, you will consume healthy or harmful oils. For many years, saturated fats have been considered unhealthy. These are the ones that have been associated degenerative diseases and heart problems.

It is believed that they cause a high content of cholesterol in the blood. This means that they obstruct the proper functioning of the cardiovascular system, clogging the arteries and thickening the walls of the heart. However, recent studies, such as the one published in the journal Lipids , deny this position.

In contrast, healthy oils provide mono and polyunsaturated fatty acids. These combat the aforementioned problems. However, not all the oils in this group give us the same benefits.

Most of the vegetable oils that we find in the supermarket are usually a mixture of different oils so they could be highly toxic. Therefore, it is extremely important to select the right oil and not get carried away by the offers.

Healthy oils, which are the best?

Among the healthy oils, the two most used are:

The olive oil

It is the protagonist of the Mediterranean diet. Among its properties it’s found not contributing bad cholesterol (LDL) to the blood. Thus, you can drastically reduce the probability of having cardiovascular disease.

In addition, it is rich in Vitamin E . Is It has antioxidant properties and protects against skin damage caused by pollution and poor diet. This translates into an effective fight against premature aging.

• The best thing about olive oil is that high temperatures do not change its chemical structure. That is, it is not toxic to health and is the most recommended for cooking food.
• Of course, remember that the ideal is to avoid cooking based on fried foods. Get the benefits of this oil by using it natural in your salads.

Coconut oil

The second of the healthy oils is coconut. Thanks to its properties,  coconut oil promotes weight loss, as it is easily assimilated into the body and regulates metabolism .

It prevents degenerative diseases, such as cancer and diabetes. Also, topical application of coconut oil improves hair health and skin hydration.  

Unhealthy oils are cheaper

Oils with harmful fats are usually much cheaper. However, as we can see, in the long run cheap oils are only going to cause poor health. Thus, we will have to invest in treatments and medicines .

It is always preferable to choose the highest quality olive oils. These, in addition to containing a more suitable lipid profile, better withstand high temperatures, which reduces the risk of damage.

Choose quality oils

Health is the best investment . Therefore, it is ideal to save in the long term by buying a healthy oil that improves the quality of life. Otherwise, diseases could be promoted in the medium and long term. Don’t hesitate to eat good fats for your health.