Most Indian kitchens and restaurants use seed oils like sunflower, soybean, canola, and corn. Find out from a doctor how these oils can harm your body.
The Cooking Oil in Your Kitchen Can Be Harmful to Your Health
Many believe cooking oil is a friend to the heart. Labels say “heart-healthy,” ads scream benefits. But all that glitters isn’t gold nor is all that sizzles safe. Heart physician Dr. Alok Chopra warns that such so-called healthy oils are potentially causing more damage to your heart than benefit. What’s on your pantry shelf, bottled and quietly resting, may be silently eroding your well-being.
Seed Oils Are Harmful
Sunflower, soybean, canola, and corn oils are not just kitchen staples; they’re industrial commodities. They are factory-produced under high temperatures, chemical solvents, and heavy machinery. They’re not pressed out of seeds the way orange juice is pressed; they’re pressed under pressure that distorts their very essence. This industrial process changes their structure, making them unstable and harmful once they enter your body.
What Happens When You Eat These Oils
Ever wonder what happens after that fried samosa goes down? Those seed oils, already damaged by heat, create tiny troublemakers inside your body called free radicals. These unstable molecules spark fires silent, slow-burning inflammation. Over time, your body suffers. Cells wear out. Arteries harden. Risks of heart disease rise. Cancer whispers louder. And weight gain sneaks in too.
They contain extremely high levels of omega-6 fatty acids, and that is linoleic acid. Omega-6 is not an evil in itself, but excessive amounts keep your body out of balance. What occurs is Inflammation, again. Your good cholesterol count goes down, and bad increases. Soon enough, blood sugar levels get out of whack, and chronic disease visits.
High in Trans Fats
To make things worse, some seed oils hide trans fats, silent enemies of your heart. These fats don’t just sit in your system; they build walls around your arteries. They’ve been tied to cancer too, making them a serious threat.
Restaurants reuse these oils. Not once, not twice but repeatedly. Every time they’re reheated, poisons called aldehydes are created. These compounds are linked to all sorts of health issues. That crunchy snack might carry more harm than taste.
What’s a Better Option?
Switch to cold-press oils.These are longer to produce, less complicated, and closer to nature. In food, keep omega-6 and omega-3 in balance. Save your heart tomorrow by doing small things today.