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A dash of aromatic sesame oil can do wonders for a hasty stir fry dish. Likewise, a slice of warm toast dipped in herb-infused olive oil has that extra zing.
Food, when spiced up with cooking oils, magically smells, looks and tastes better. There is a wide variety available today and you might wonder about the properties of the different types of oil.
In the kitchen, most of the oils we use are vegetable-based.
KNOW YOUR FATS
Saturated fats: Usually solid or waxy at room temperature. They come from animal and plant sources. Examples include butter, lard and coconut oil. Eating too much of these raises a person's LDL or bad cholesterol.
Monounsaturated fats: Usually liquid at room temperature. Common sources include olive oil, canola oil and avocados. The fats help to increase HDL or good cholesterol.
Polyunsaturated fats: Usually liquid at room temperature. Found in corn oil, fatty fish like salmon and mackerel and walnuts. These increase good cholesterol and decrease bad ones.
Trans fats: Man-made fats that are solid at room temperature. Found in most commercially baked goods and margarine. These increase bad cholesterol and decrease good cholesterol.
Good for health
Edible oils, if used correctly, can have tremendous health benefits. Most vegetable and fish oils are rich in essential fatty acids (EFAs), which are vital to life. Commonly known as omega-3 and omega-6, these EFAs are not produced by the body and are commonly found in certain foods.
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"To make these oils, there is a process of crushing, refining, bleaching and deodorising the plants," said Ms Sulina Tsai, senior marketing manager of oil producer Lam Soon Singapore.
But edible oils are not limited to vegetable sources alone.
Fish oil is commonly taken as a supplement, said Ms Jaclyn Reutens, a dietitian from Aptima Nutrition and Sports Consultants.
Said Dr Alvin Ng, a consultant cardiologist at Raffles Hospital: "Omega-3 fatty acids have been shown to improve heart health, reduce cholesterol and triglycerides and are present in fish and olive oil."
Omega-6 is reportedly important for brain function and is found in many vegetable oils, including sunflower and peanut.
Dr Ng said having a good balance in the ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 acids consumed makes a significant difference in improving heart health.
"It should ideally be no more than 4:1 (omega-6 to omega-3). In fact, consuming more omega-3 acids would be better," he added.
However, most people tend to consume far more omega-6 than omega-3, noted Mrs Sheeba Majmudar, a nutritionist in private practice.
An unbalanced ratio skewed towards too high a proportion of omega-6 may lead to health problems, like prostate and breast cancers, said Dr Ng. However, such findings are quite ambiguous as there are varying outcomes from different studies, he added.
» Next: Good vs. Bad fats
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