Busting the myth about fats

by Areeb Khan Professional Laundry Attendant

With people becoming more health conscious with each passing day, new alternatives which promise to be healthier are emerging on an almost daily basis. People are also turning to natural superfoods such as chia seeds, wheatgrass etc. in addition to nutritional supplements to boost their health.

One of the main ingredients that people are looking for a healthier alternative to is oil. Oil as we are all aware, is high in fat content. Most people view fat as something that needs to be avoided at all cost and is universally detrimental to one’s health. That truth, however, could not be more opposite. Fats are essential to the survival of the body and are one of the three main macronutrients, the other two being proteins and carbohydrates. This widely believed myth of all fats being harmful originates from the fact that there are various kinds of fats and not all of them are created equal. Several of them aid in the healthy functioning of the body while the others have ill effects. The key is to understand the difference and ingest the right kinds of fats.

There are mainly two kinds of fats, saturated and unsaturated fats. Saturated and trans fats are bad for the health and can be found mainly in food such as cheese, palm oil, beef, pork etc. as well as most fried and fast food. These increase the cholesterol levels of the body, contribute to heart disease, strokes etc. Saturated fats, such as polyunsaturated fats and monounsaturated fats are extremely beneficial and essential to survival when taken in moderation. They help regulate the cholesterol levels, reduce the risk of heart disease, certain cancers, boost the immune system etc. They can be found in flaxseeds, fish, walnuts, almonds, mustard oil etc.

The trick is to avoid the ‘bad fats’ and ingest ‘good fats’ in moderation. So there is no need to avoid oil altogether but find healthier oil to cook with and eat. The oil that has globally been touted as the healthiest oil is olive oil. As healthy as olive oil is, its main drawback is that it degrades and forms toxins easily when heated at high temperatures. While this makes it ideal for Mediterranean diets which mostly have raw food, Indians tend to fry most food items. Therefore, mustard oil emerges as the ideal choice for Indian cooking as it can be heated to high temperatures without becoming toxic.

There are various mustard oil manufacturers in India. These include giant FMCG corporations as well as small, local producers. This makes mustard oil quite easy to procure and include in your diet. Mustard oil is online as well and can be bought from various online retailers.

So embrace healthy fats now!