The Art of Using Oil: 4 Common Mistakes 60% of Households Make
[Introduction] Many people, in order to prevent high blood pressure, high blood sugar, and high cholesterol, as well as obesity, consistently use vegetable oil for cooking and strictly avoid animal fats. The knowledge about edible oil goes far beyond this; there are also specific techniques to consider when selecting cooking oil.
Mistake 1: Oil Temperature is Too High
Some people prefer to stir-fry at high temperatures and habitually wait until the oil in the wok is smoking before adding the ingredients. Experts warn that this practice is highly unscientific. Excessively high temperatures can destroy some of the nutrients in the cooking oil and also produce peroxides and carcinogenic substances.
Recommendation:
When stir-frying, it's best to heat the wok first before adding the oil. This way, you can achieve the effect of hot oil while also getting the result of high-heat stir-frying, killing two birds with one stone.
The method of using oil is also very important. When cooking, it's best not to let the oil "smoke." Improper cooking can turn even the best oil "bad."
Editor's Recommendation: Cooking fumes are the most misunderstood cause of cancer in daily life!
Mistake 2: Only Eating Vegetable Oil and Not Animal Oil!
Many people, to prevent high blood pressure, high blood sugar, high cholesterol, and obesity, consistently use only vegetable oil for cooking and completely avoid animal fats.
Expert Reminder:
If you avoid animal oil for a long time, it can lead to deficiencies in vitamins and essential fatty acids in the body, affecting human health. It's not true that only eating vegetable oil and not animal oil is beneficial for your health. In fact, in appropriate amounts, animal oil (saturated fatty acids) can be beneficial to the human body.
Mistake 3: Eating Only One Type of Oil
For convenience and health, many families often use only one type of oil for a long time, believing this is good for their health.
Expert Advice:
It's best to pair the oil with the specific dish being cooked, and you should not use the same oil long-term. It's better to alternate between several oils, or use one type of oil for a period and then switch to another, because it's rare for a single oil to meet all the body's lipid needs.
Mistake 4: Using Too Much Oil
The amount of oil used must also be strictly controlled. For people with normal blood lipids and body weight, the total daily oil intake should not exceed 25 grams, with polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids each accounting for about half. For the elderly, people with abnormal blood lipids, obese individuals, those with obesity-related diseases, or people with a family history of obesity, their daily oil intake per person should be even lower, potentially reduced to 20 grams.
Recommendation:
The knowledge about edible oil is not limited to just these points; there are also techniques to consider when selecting cooking oil. For example, when choosing from the same brand of edible oil, it's best to select the lighter-colored one. As for more oil-related tips, you will need to discover them carefully in your daily life.
In addition, Zeng Xiaofei believes that "artificial fats are harmful to the body." This fat is also known as hydrogenated fatty acid or trans fatty acid. It is formed when normal vegetable oil undergoes hydrogenation. Foods like plant cream, margarine, coffee creamer, cookies, biscuits, donuts, chips, cereals, and milk tea contain large amounts of trans fatty acids."
Zeng Xiaofei believes that the harm of trans fatty acids to the human body can be summarized as:
First, it induces cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases;
Second, it leads to obesity, asthma, allergies, and other diseases;
Third, it affects human fertility;
Fourth, it causes memory decline;
Fifth, it affects the healthy growth of infants, children, and adolescents.
He explained: "Because trans fatty acids are artificial and non-natural, they are difficult for the human body to accept and metabolize, which can easily lead to multiple physiological dysfunctions." Therefore, when buying processed foods, people should pay special attention to the food labels and be wary of ingredients such as "artificial cream, butter," "vegetable fat powder," or "shortening."