Know Which Oil Is Good For Your Health: Part 2

We Odias love food and we live to eat. Of course, cooking oil is part of the varied dishes we cook and relish.

The three known mediums that we used were mustard oil, groundnut oil and clarified butter. All the frying and fritters were done with groundnut oil; most of the cooking, shallow frying and sautéing were done with mustard oil; and the ‘satwik’ and temple food were cooked with desi ghee or clarified butter.

In contemporary cooking in many households, there has been an inclination towards olive oil, thanks to social media. But can the DNA of mustard oil go away from the Odias?

It is widely known in medical science that unsaturated fats improve blood circulation, ease inflammation, give us good heart rhythm, and a lot of other benefits to the body. On this count, mustard oil beats olive oil in the percentage of monounsaturated fats. Mustard oil generally has 11% saturated fats, 59% monounsaturated fats and 21% polyunsaturated fats. Olive oil has 13% saturated fats, 72% monounsaturated fats and 10% polyunsaturated fats.

Omega Fatty acids (Omega3 and Omega6): Mustard oil is rich in omega fatty acids. These acids help reduce the risk of heart diseases, reduce cholesterol and prevent blocking of the arteries. Mustard oil has 21% and olive oil has only 9% fatty acids.

Inflammation: This is a natural response of our body to heal and protect itself from harm. But chronic inflammation is harmful. Food products rich in anti-inflammatory properties help to prevent and heal inflammatory damages. Olive oil has inflammatory properties, but much less than mustard oil.

Minerals: They help our body to keep our bones, muscles, heart, and brain in healthy condition. Mustard oil contains calcium in sufficient quantities whereas olive oil has essential vitamins that are difficult to acquire from common food sources. Olive oil contains 1% potassium, 1% calcium and 0.5% iron. It is on this count that olive oil takes a little stride over mustard oil.

Shelf life: Olive oil and mustard oil both get rancid when exposed to oxygen. Mustard oil has a shelf life of 9 to 12 months while the shelf life of olive oil can last for 20 to 36 months.

Taste: Mustard oil has very strong smell and flavour and imparts strong flavour to food as well. On the other hand, olive oil has mild taste and almost no smell. The taste of mustard oil can be taken care of by tempering it with water while it starts smoking.

Price: There is a huge price disparity between the two oils. Mustard oil is available for Rs 250, the kachi ghani or the cold pressed. Olive oil costs around Rs 600 to 1,000 per litre.

Comparative Chart Between Mustard & Olive Oil

Also Read: Which Cooking Oil Is Good For Your Health

[Disclaimer: The views expressed by the author are personal and do not necessarily represent that of the website]