FATS & OILS - A Guide to Cooking Oils.

Fats perform many vital functions in organisms. They are major components of cell membranes as well as hormones, pigments, etc.
They are essential for energy, growth, and development of the human body.
Composition of dietary fats considerably influences composition of cell membranes, adipose tissues and blood.

We will discuss Food sources of fats, consequences of insufficient or excessive consumption of fat, some of the dietary guidelines for fat intake and ways to reduce fat intake.

Food Sources of Fat :-

Dietary fats are obtained from animal and vegetable sources.

Vegetable Sources :-

• Vegetable Oils and Fats are usually obtained from nuts and oilseeds by extraction and expression. Oilseeds such as soyabean, groundnut, sesame, sunflower, safflower, mustard are commonly used vegetable oils.
• Oils from olive fruit, coconut and rice bran are also extracted.
• Refining is done to obtain transparent and odor free vegetable oils.
• Vegetable oils are converted into solid fats, such as vanaspati or margarine by the process of hydrogenation. 
• Vegetable oils have been found to protect from several chronic diseases like coronary heart disease on account of their fatty acid composition.
• Each vegetable oil differs in its fatty acid composition. These fatty acids are saturated fatty acid (SFA), monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) and polyunsaturated Fatty acids (PUFA)
• In addition some vegetable oils also contain essential fatty acids (EFA), phytosterols, tocotrienols inluding tocopherol (Vitamin E) and non-glycerides components that exhibit many health benefits. All the oils are rich in PUFA with varying amounts of n-6 and n-3 fatty acids.

Animal Sources :-

• Edible animal fats are usually obtained from cattle, sheep, goats, and fish.
• The quantity and quality of animal fats vary from species to species.
• Fat is inherently present in egg, poultry and fish but it is invisible that cannot be separated out. 
• The fat in milk can be separated and consumed independently, e.g. butter, cream, ghee (desi ghee).
• In general, animal fats contain more SFA, cholesterol and some fat soluble vitamins like Vitamin A.
• Consumption of excess amount animal fats may be harmful for health and increase one's risk for many degenerative diseases.

Fatty Acid Composition of Commonly Consumed Oils/Fats (g/100 g)

CONSEQUENCES OF INSUFFICIENT INTAKE OF FATS & OILS :-

Studies reveal that fat intake is linked with income. Low income groups tend to consume less fats and oils because its expensive. However some high income groups because of some awareness choose low fat diets for weight loss and so. Some also follow fad diets. 

Zero fat or low fat diets  (< 5% of the total calories) increase the risk of :-

• Essential fatty acid (EFA) deficiency and its consequences
• Compromised growth in children
• Inadequate intake of fat soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K), vitamin B12 and minerals such as calcium, iron and zinc
• Low fat and high carbohydrate diet may raise triglycerides and cholesterol levels
• Low fat diet does not offer protection against breast or colorectal cancer, cardiovascular disease.

CONSEQUENCES OF EXCESSIVE INTAKE OF FATS & OILS :-

It is not only the quantity of fat but the fatty acid composition also play an important role in causing adverse effects that are as follows :-

• More Adipose tissue ( fat cells) in the body
• Affecting or de-shaping the body contour
• Overweight & obesity
• Elevated levels of serum cholesterol and low density lipoprotein (LDL)
• Coronary heart diseases
• Certain types of cancer
• Inflammatory diseases
• Autoimmune diseases

Dietary Guidelines for fat intake given by the expert committee :-

• Dietary pattern should be based largely on whole foods and individuals should consume fruits & vegetables, wholegrains, seeds, legumes, other sources of dietary fiber and n-3 PUFA rich sea food.
• Intake of energy-dense processed foods, fried foods and sugar-sweetened beverages should be low.
• It is advisable to pay attention to portion size and to avoid consuming large portions of food.
• Moderate amount of dairy products, lean meat and poultry can be included in the diet.
• Along with this, it is important to have adequate physical activity to prevent weight gain and maintain desirable body weight in order to ensure optimal health especially for individuals who are predisposed to insulin resistance.

Further, in order to consume appropriate type and amount of fats, the following suggestions may be useful :

1. Consume Foods having high content of ALA (alpha - linolenic acid) and long chain n-3 PUFA.
2. Use Oils containing LA (linoleic acid) and oil containing both LA and ALA, eg. groundnut, sesame, rice bran, cotton seed and mustard.
3. Use blend of 2 or more vegetable oils (1:1)
4. Avoid partially hydrogenated fats, i.e. vanaspati (clarified butter) as a medium of cooking, frying and shortening.
5. Also avoid consuming foods prepared in it (processed, premix, ready to eat and fast foods) because it contains more trans fatty acids.
6. Consume low fat milk and dairy products as it contains CLA besides containing short chain fatty acids.
7. Limit the use of butter/ghee, they contain saturated fatty acids (SFA).
8. Consume Moderate amounts of red meat, such as beef and mutton as they are sources of saturated fatty acids (SFA).
9. Consume Some whole nuts, legumes, fish and sea foods in limited quantity to obtain omega-3 fatty acids.
10. Use correct combinations/blend of 2 types of vegetable oil.
11. Use frying oils that have high thermal stability instead of hydrogenated fat, e.g. palmolein/palm oil/sesame/rice bran/ cotton seed (single or blend)
12. Include MUFA rich foods in the diet. Oils like olive oil, ric bran oil, groundnut oil contain MUFA. Nuts like walnut also contain MUFA.

Experts have suggested combinations of vegetable oils that can be used for optimal health benefits.

Combinations of Vegetable Oils that can be used for Optimal Health Benefits

WAYS TO REDUCE FAT INTAKE :-

1. Use as little oil as possible for seasoning when making vegetable preparations, curries, dals, etc.
2. Limit or avoid use of oil/ghee for chapatis, phulkas, parathas, breads.
3. Avoid consumption of deep fried foods containing a lot of fat, such as samosa, kachori, sev puri, fried potatoes, chips, and other sweets.
4. Avoid consumption of too much of nuts like peanuts, almonds, coconut particularly dry coconut, etc.
5. Keep absorption of fat during frying to the minimum. Foods that are soaked in fat tend to be less palatable and give more calories.
6. Absorption of fat during frying can be minimized by heating the oil to the right temperature, keeping contact time of the food with the oil to a minimum, not overloading the frying pan (this will prolong cooking time and increase oil absorption). Also water content and fat content of the dough should not be too much (more water and fat increase fat absorption).
7. Minimize use of foods such as biscuits, cookies, wafers, chocolates, ice creams, kulfis, indian sweets, pastries, instant noodles, cakes, frankies, etc., they contain relatively high amounts of hidden/invisible fat.
8. Trim all fat from non-vegetarian foods.
9. read label information very carefully when purchasing processed foods.
10. Include more of fibre containing foods in the diet like whole grain cereals, vegetables, fruits.
11. Use low fat dairy products.

EXERCISE REGULARLY

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