Here’s why you need to switch to cold pressed oils for cooking right now!

Ditch refined oils that are laden with chemicals and contain harmful preservatives. Instead, make a healthy choice and pick cold pressed oils for cooking.
cold pressed oils
Cold-pressed oils have many benefits! Image courtesy: Shutterstock
Dr Rohini Patil Published: 5 Nov 2020, 13:45 pm IST
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Eating healthy is critical for a healthy life. We often try to avoid gluten, refined flour and what not. But have we ever thought of the refined oil we use for cooking in Indian kitchens? These are empty calories that increase the risk of diseases like cholesterol, heart disease, obesity etc. Does this mean we stop eating tasty meals? Absolutely not! Just go for healthy alternatives, and that’s exactly where cold pressed oils come into the picture!

What is cold pressed oil?

Cold pressed oils are drawn out from nuts, seeds and vegetables using steady pressure. This is exactly how oil was extracted by our ancestors. These oils are much healthier and more nutritious for your body, as compared to the highly refined oils. It also enhances the aroma of your food if used for cooking, especially in the case of Indian food.

Why choose cold pressed oils over regular refined oils?

It is important that the oil you use while cooking is not refined. You might come across several varieties in supermarkets that claim weight loss, and have labels like Losorb, blanched, refined, Lite. That actually means that they have been highly processed through extreme heat, and are laden with chemicals. They barely have any nutrients! Such oils have nothing but empty calories.

cold pressed oils
Cold pressed oil is the right choice. Image courtesy: Shutterstock
Benefits of cold pressed oils:

1. Cold pressed oils include all the important nutrients like antioxidants, vitamins, lecithin, phospholipids and protein also, so they are good for your body.

2. They are natural and free from harmful chemicals, In the process of refining, certain chemicals are used like hexane, sodium hydroxide, sodium bicarbonate, bleaching agents etc are used that are quite harmful for health. Cold pressed oils are organic and free from chemicals like propyl, BHA, gallate, BHT, that are known as preservatives, and are very toxic. If you prefer to eat organic and anything that is free from chemicals, you must switch to cold pressed oils as soon as you can!

3. Cold pressed oils are extracted naturally from seeds with less heat, and that saves all the nutrients present in it. It is healthy for your skin and also helps to lose weight.

4. The natural antioxidants present in cold pressed oil actually help to decrease radical cell damage in the body. They are also rich in vitamin E, which has properties like anti-inflammation and healing.

cold pressed oils
Just a couple of drops of vitamin E to keep you hale and hearty! Image courtesy: Shutterstock

Some cold pressed oils available in market are sesame oil, sunflower oil, coconut oil, olive oil, groundnut oil, and flaxseed oil

Try to add these oils slowly and steadily to your diet, as your body may not adapt to it quickly if you’re used to eating refined oils.

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About the Author

Dr. Rohini Patil is an MBBS and a nutritionist. Over the last eight years she has passionately done intense research in the field of diet, nutrition, fitness, mental health and overall lifestyle modifications. She is the founder & CEO of Nutracy Lifestyle. ...Read More

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