How to consume oil healthily?

"Eating more of this oil helps prevent disease," "This oil is closely related to the risk of developing disease"... We often hear such discussions about the relationship between the fats in cooking oil and health. Of course, the relationship between cooking oil and health mainly depends on the fatty acids in the cooking oil. So, what are the types of fatty acids, and what are the different functions of different fatty acids?

Don't refuse fat! It's important for maintaining health

Oil and fat are both major sources of energy and often give the impression that eating too much of them can easily lead to weight gain, so many women tend to avoid them. But fat is not just a source of energy; it is also an important component of cell membranes and a physiological substance that inhibits inflammatory responses, with various important physiological functions, making it very necessary to consume in moderation. Generally speaking, for adults, the energy supply from fat should account for 25%-30% of the total energy.

Dongbei Di San Xian (Northeastern Three Freshes)

The functions of oil and fat vary depending on the fatty acid components they contain. Fatty acids are divided into saturated fatty acids and unsaturated fatty acids based on their chemical structure, and unsaturated fatty acids are further divided into monounsaturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids. The human body cannot synthesize monounsaturated fatty acids and saturated fatty acids on its own. Animal fatty acids found in meat and dairy products are mostly used as energy sources. In addition, fatty acids in olive oil and coconut oil are mostly of this type.

In addition, the omega-6 (n-6) and omega-3 (n-3) fatty acids in polyunsaturated fatty acids also cannot be synthesized in the body and need to be obtained from food to maintain health, so they are called essential fatty acids.

Youn Men Xia (Braised Shrimp)

Omega-6 fatty acids are represented by docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which is abundant in cooking oils. A deficiency of this fatty acid can easily lead to symptoms such as dry skin and difficulty in sperm formation. Omega-3 fatty acids are represented by EPA and DHA, which are abundant in fish oil. They are considered to be closely related to brain and eye health and may help prevent depression.

Professor Tetsuyuki Kobayashi of Ochanomizu Women's University in Japan explains: "Essential fatty acids play an irreplaceable role as important physiological substances." Omega-6 fatty acids can trigger inflammatory responses to resist the invasion of pathogens on the body; but omega-3 fatty acids can inhibit the worsening of this inflammation. Because without an inflammatory response, the body cannot resist pathogens, but if the inflammation is allowed to continue, it may induce cancer or allergies.

Sun Gan Hong Shao Rou (Braised Pork with Dried Bamboo Shoots)

According to the 2015 edition of the Dietary Intake Standards by Japan's Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, consuming both omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids together helps reduce the risk of myocardial infarction. Conversely, consuming only omega-6 fatty acids may increase the risk. This means that the balance between omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids in the diet is important, and a ratio of 4:1 is more appropriate.

And saturated fatty acids, which are generally considered unhealthy, may increase the risk of myocardial infarction when consumed in large amounts, but at the same time, they can also reduce the risk of cerebral hemorrhage. This means that consuming too little saturated fat can also be harmful to health. Professor Osamu Easaki of Showa Women's University in Japan points out: "If you reduce or even stop eating dairy products in order to reduce saturated fat, it may lead to a reduction in protein intake, and protein plays an important role in preventing cerebral hemorrhage."

You Po Yu (Sizzling Fish)

Don't just eat one type of oil; the balance of fatty acids is important

Not just fat, from a scientific perspective, it is not easy to study the effects of any nutrient in a food on health. Foods contain many components, and it is difficult to simply understand the impact of a specific nutrient on the human body. In general, scientific experiments can only find that foods containing a certain component have a certain tendency to affect the human body, but it cannot be said that a certain nutrient will definitely bring a certain effect.

Recently, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which was once heavily promoted as beneficial to health, has also fallen from its pedestal. The Dietary Intake Standards report states: "Excessive intake of docosahexaenoic acid may increase the risk of breast cancer and myocardial infarction, which may be related to its easy oxidation and its role in causing inflammation." In addition, although EPA and DHA in omega-3 are believed to prevent coronary artery disease and stroke, recent scientific research has found that their effectiveness has shown a tendency to weaken statistically.

Many netizens may start eating only one type of oil because of the "certain oil is beneficial to health" circulating on the Internet, but this kind of biased fatty acid intake will only harm health. It is necessary to comprehensively consider the nutrients needed by the human body, rotate the oils you eat, and add other nutrients to ensure a nutritionally balanced diet in order to truly protect your health.

Xiang Yu Lu Sun (Asparagus with Sizzling Oil)