Together, it's better

More is merrier when it comes to oils. Here are the many benefits of blending oils...

The prevalence of lifestyle diseases arising as a result of increasingly sedentary lifestyles, sitting at 9 to 5 office desks or school tables, is increasing significantly. Homemakers have become picky while shopping grocery. Organic food is gaining momentum with a significant number of people rejecting chemically treated food. In a shopping list, every food item is double-checked for its nutritional value as nobody wants to compromise health. However, oils still remain unevaluated while buying.

Why is fat essential?

* Fats envelop nerve cells and help in transmitting electrical messages. Also, a significant portion of the human brain is made of fat.

* Fat works as a gatekeeper for human cells; it oversees entry and exit of substances through the cell wall.

* Fats keep your skin healthy.

* Fats keep your bones healthy.

* Fats help in producing steroid hormones in the body, needed for regulation of many biological processes.

* Essential vitamins like A, D and K are soluble in fat, so fat is necessary for the absorption of these vitamins.

Blending health & taste

A recent study suggests that cooking oils can be blended in different combinations to maintain a healthy ratio between polyunsaturated and saturated fats to achieve the ideal quality of fats. The blending of oils combines the effectiveness of two edible oils offering a balance of fatty acids.

Various cooking preparations existing across different cultures and regions expose the oil to different cooking temperatures which causes corrosion of the oil’s chemical characteristics due to oxidative strain. To prevent the oxidation and damage of unsaturated fatty acids, a practice of blending two oils came into being. With a variety of nutrients and other health benefits, consuming blended oil can give a whole new dimension to a healthy diet.

Considering no oil alone can suffice the need of all nutrients in the anatomy, scientists have been promoting blending two culinary oils, submerging the good fats from both in one. Using more than one source of fat or oil has the advantage of providing various micronutrients in the body. Nutritionists say that plant oils contain certain useful substances like lignans, sterol, tocopherols, oryzanol and carotenoids, which are helpful to bring down cholesterol levels in the body.

A few good blends

Olive & rice bran oil

A blend of olive oil and rice bran oil is a great match. With the goodness of monounsaturated fats and vitamin A and K, and being a great source of iron, calcium, magnesium, potassium and amino acids in olive oil alongside the natural antioxidants present in rice bran oil fighting free radicals imposing a cancer threat to the body, this blend suffices for both taste and health.

Goodness in the blend:

* Blends yield combinations of chemicals that provide the vital energy needed for physical activities.

* Oryzanol in this blend is a powerful natural antioxidant that protects against heart disease by maintaining optimum cholesterol content in the body. It also helps prevent lifestyle diseases such as diabetes, obesity and cancer.

* Both olive and rice bran oils have high smoke points. Further, a blend of the two makes the combination excellent for frying and deep frying. It prevents fatty acid breakdown at high temperatures, thus making food healthier.

Rice bran & canola oil

A blend of rice bran and canola oil is like a liquid technology protecting the heart. This blend contains oryzanol that promotes regular blood circulation and overall physical health. It lowers bad cholesterol and keeps the heart healthy & young. Alongside cardizymes present, it sincerely reduces the risk of heart diseases.

Goodness in the blend:

* Fighting against impurities in the heart and body.

* This blend has the perfect balance of omega 3, 6 and 9 along with the goodness of MUFA, PUFA & ALA’s protecting the heart.

(The author is an educator, public health nutrition, Public Health Foundation of India)