Often we here so much being said about a balanced diet. But is just a balanced diet enough? Of course not! More than a balanced diet, what hold greater importance is that what you eat is healthy, free of preservatives and artificial flavoring and most importantly pure. But how do you ensure all of these?

Organic edible oils are the answer to your prayers here. These oils are not just extracted from natural sources but are free of harmful preservatives. What’s more, they carry with them all the goodness of nature – vitamins, essential nutrients and much more. These are not just your ordinary cooking oils but edible oils that are good for your health too!

A good natural cooking oil is one that contains high amounts of the “good” or “unsaturated fats” like Omega 3, 6 and 9 fatty acids and lowest amounts of saturated and trans fats (cholesterol causing fats). Keeping this in mind, let us first look at a list of the top edible oils that we can add to our daily cooking!

1. Olive Oil
2. Sesame Oil
3. Mustard Oil
4. Sunflower Oil
5. Canola Oil
6. Peanut Oil
7. Rice Bran Oil

Other oils include Coconut oil, Avocado oil and the like.

Let’s look at the hordes of benefits that each of these oils bring to the table!

Olive Oil

Olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fats that have a deep impact on the heart health and keep cholesterol levels at a minimum. From Indian to Italian dishes and for breakfast to dinner table spread, olive oil can be used for all kinds of dishes. Olive oil especially is good with baking cakes & pancakes or making brilliant salads. This edible oil is rich in antioxidants, polyphenyls, proteins, essential nutrients like calcium & magnesium and vitamins and is considered not just good for the heart but for hair and skin health too. Olive oil displays quite good anti-inflammatory properties as well.

Sesame Oil

Sesame oil is mildly aromatic, nutty flavored oil derived from sesame seeds. This organic edible oil is known for its high smoke point for which it finds special use in frying. This oil contains high amounts of polyunsaturated fat along with vitamin B6 and essential minerals like magnesium, copper, calcium and iron.

Mustard Oil

Mustard oil, derived from mustard seeds, comes with a delectable and unique flavor and is said to aid in digestion and blood circulation. It has great anti-bacterial properties because of which it finds good use in skin health and care. Having a good smoke point makes it ideal for frying too. However, its high content of erucic acid makes it not a very god candidate for a sole medium of cooking, despite its near-ideal composition of the “good” fats.

Sunflower Oil

Sunflower oil is extracted from sunflower seeds and contains the highest Vitamin E content, besides monounsaturated (MUFA) as well as polyunsaturated (PUFA) fatty acids. This gives sunflower oil a good amount of anti-oxidant power and assists the body cells in water retention. It serves as a good cooking medium due to its mild flavor that does not overpower the flavor of other ingredients. Plus, its high smoke point makes it ideal for frying especially in the Indian context where snacks like samosas, chips and vegetable chopsticks are a craze. A minor downside is that it may increase the sugar levels among diabetics and must be used with caution.

Canola Oil

Canola oil, obtained from crushing seeds of the canola plant, is fast gaining popularity as one of the healthiest natural cooking oils because of its extremely low content of saturated fats and high content of monounsaturated fats and Omega 3-, 6- and 9- fatty acids. This makes it heart healthy oil, maintaining the levels of good cholesterol. Neutral in taste and light textured, this oil has a high smoke point making it ideal for frying, baking, grilling as well as sautéing.

Peanut Oil

Groundnut oil, or peanut oil as it is popularly known, is a good mix of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, helping keep the LDL or bad cholesterol at bay. This oil finds good use in frying, grilling and seasoning too.  Peanut oil is also a rich source of vitamin E which works as an antioxidant and gives a glowing skin free of acnes and scars.

Rice Bran Oil

This new-kid-on-the-block is a fast making its way to kitchens. Obtained from the bran of the rice grain, this oil is high in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. It is also said to contain a natural chemical called oryzanol that is said to maintain good cholesterol and fight the LDL one.

However, do bear in mind that some oils like extra-virgin Olive oil have quite low smoke points and are not good options for frying food. Try Sunflower oil or Canola oil as these have relatively high smoke points and can be good options for frying your food.

Learn more about natural cooking oils.