Oil gets a bad name sometimes. It’s a bad word – we associate it immediately with fat and gaining weight and that can make many people shy away from oils and try to remove them for their diet entirely. But this isn’t a good idea; some oils can actually be very beneficial to your health especially when they are used in moderation. But what are the right oils to use, and how to you know that you are doing the right thing?
These days there are loads of different oils to choose from: rapeseed, groundnut, extra virgin, and the list just goes on and on. We no longer live in a wonderful where ‘olive oil’ is exotic; if anything it has become a standard that we all adhere to. The best choice is usually plant oils as they are generally higher in monounsaturates and polyunsaturates, which makes them better for you than most animal fats which generally contain higher levels of saturated fats. Replacing saturated fats in your diet with unsaturated fats is generally very good for you.
One of the other useful aspects of plant oils is that they tend to be a good source of omega 6 essential fatty acids, which are very important to our good health. They play a crucial role in ensuring good brain function, healthy skin and teeth and even a well-functioning metabolic and reproductive system.
Clearly, then, we should try to steer clear of the animal oils and instead endeavour to use vegetable oils whenever it is possible, which is most of the time. Doing this will ensure you stay as healthy as possible for longer.