Make your cooking tasty and healthy

What to choose: taste or healthy? Let's see how you can get 2 for the price of 1.

Every family has its special rituals when it comes to cooking. A lot of people believe that for a healthy diet, the key is the foods we use and how we combine them. That's correct, but it's also crucial to pay attention to the fats and oils we cook with.

Why is it important to know which fats can be used and how? 

Some fats are not oxidized by heat treatment and those that are oxidized. The oxidized fats turn into trans fats.

The dangers of trans fats:

• increased risk of coronary heart disease

• contribution to cardiovascular disease

• increase levels of harmful LDL cholesterol and decrease beneficial HDL cholesterol, which are key risk factors for cardiovascular disease

• inflammation and endothelial dysfunction, further contribute to cardiovascular risk

• besides heart disease, trans fats have been linked to other health issues, including diabetes, obesity, and certain types of cancer, although more research is needed to fully understand these associations

So which sources of fatty acids can be heated and which ones shouldn't be:

Saturated animal fats:

• pork

• chicken

• beef

• rabbit

• duck

• ghee ghee

These fats are good for frying, including deep frying, because saturated animal fats don't break down with heat. This means that their fatty acids and molecules don't turn into harmful substances that can cause or worsen inflammation. However, there's a warning about using lard or pork fat: it has a lot of palmitic acid, which might increase inflammation. In contrast, lamb and beef fats have more stearic acid, which can reduce inflammation and keep cell membranes stable, even at high temperatures.

Saturated vegetable fats:

• coconut oil

• palm kernel oil

Coconut and palm kernel oils (don't confuse them with palm oil) are great for baking, heating, and frying. Coconut oil is rich in lauric acid, which makes it excellent at fighting off germs and fungus. That's why it's commonly used to rinse the mouth in case of inflammation and plaque on the teeth.

Plant fats from seeds:

• sesame oil

• pumpkin seed oil

• flaxseed oil

• canola oil

• sunflower oil

• cottonseed oil

• rice oil

• grape seed oil

Seed oils have a lot of Omega 6, including arachidonic acid, which is involved in the synthesis of prostaglandins and leukotrienes (pro-inflammatory cytokines). These oils, even when not cooked, can break down easily when heated, no matter how high their smoke point is. Heat processing turns these oils into trans fats, which are harmful to health.

Plant fats from fruit pulp:

• olive oil

• avocado oil

This type of oil works well for raw dishes, salads, and dressings. Sometimes, it can be used for short-term frying. It's also good for baking in the oven.

Warm regards,
Kos and Helen.