How to choose sunflower oil? The benefits of vegetable oils

For Russians, sunflower oil is the most traditional vegetable oil. It is made from sunflower oil annual. This heat-loving and light-loving plant from southern Mexico has successfully taken root in Europe. Currently, sunflower plantations account for 70% of its world crops. Products extracted from the plant, including unrefined sunflower oil, have absorbed useful and nutritious substances concentrated by the sunflower from the surrounding nature.

In contact with

The product is obtained from annual sunflower seeds by cold or hot pressing and extraction. cold pressed is also called press. It can also be obtained at home. Hot pressing and extraction are carried out in oil mills. The production process consists of several stages:

• preparation of raw materials (cleaning seeds from litter, hulling, separation of kernels and husks);
• crushing kernels in rollers, getting "mint";
• extraction from mint with a press;
• dissolving the pulp obtained after pressing with the help of organic solvents;
• distillation (extraction) of the oily substance from the solution and the solid residue (micelles and meal) in the extractor.

The spin derivative is subjected to settling or purification from related impurities (refining). There are several cleaning methods (chemical, physical, mechanical), as a result of which the color, smell, density and other qualities of the product change.

Unrefined oil has a rich dark yellow color

In the manufacture of cold-pressed sunflower oil, heating is sometimes still used. Seed kernels passed through the rollers, the so-called. mint, are placed in baking pans and subjected to heat treatment at a temperature of 45 ° C. Further, under high pressure, the juice of the seeds is released, which is then sent to sediment and storage.

When cold pressed, do not use any chemical processing, adding preservatives and exceeding the temperature above 45°C. Excessively overheated sunflower raw materials will give the product a burnt taste and smell, deprive it of many useful components. Sometimes manufacturers raise the heating temperature of raw materials to 90 ° C. With hot pressing, the pressing process is accelerated and the yield of the product increases, while with cold pressing, 20-30% of the oil component remains in the cake.

Unrefined cold-pressed varieties have a pleasant taste and aroma of roasted seeds, an oily substance gently envelops the mouth and throat when swallowed.

The presence of the inscription "Extra Virgin" on the label is a guarantee that this is an unrefined cold-pressed product.

How is it different from refined?

When starting cooking, housewives should understand the difference between refined sunflower oil and unrefined sunflower oil. The purified product has no smell and pronounced taste of seeds, therefore, when dressing salads and canned food, when roasting and adding to the dough, it does not affect the taste and smell of dishes. Refined varieties have a longer shelf life and are cheaper.

The difference between refined and unrefined sunflower oil is in the chemical composition. During the cleaning process, many useful substances are lost, which reduces the healing properties.

unrefined sunflower oil useful qualities not inferior to olive, soy, corn.

Compound

The composition of unrefined sunflower oil contains a large amount of fatty acids. Their average molecular mass is about 290 atomic units. A large proportion belongs to omega-9-oleic (25-40%) and omega-6-linoleic (45-60%) acids. Also, the unrefined product contains palmitic, stearic, myristic, arachidic, omega-3-linolenic acids.

Unrefined varieties are famous for containing vitamins that have been preserved during the cold pressing process. So α-tocopherol (vitamin E substance) is contained in an amount of up to 70 mg / 100 g. In olive oil, this figure is up to 24 mg / 100 g.

It is a powerful neuroprotector and antioxidant, it protects cell membranes from breakage as a result of oxidation, stabilizes mitochondria, regulates metabolic processes and immunity, and reduces the risk of malignant tumors. Another important vitamin found in unrefined butter is K.

Benefit for health

The benefits of unrefined sunflower oil are due to its composition. The combination of vitamins and fatty acids allows it to have the following effects:

• regulate fat metabolism, accelerate metabolism, as a result of which “bad” cholesterol is reduced and excess weight improves the regeneration of muscle and bone tissue;
• improve work of cardio-vascular system and brain (prevents degenerative changes, memory loss), strengthens the walls of blood vessels;
• reduce blood viscosity and the risk of blood clots;
• help form cell membranes and nerve fibers;
• improve liver function and digestion, eliminate constipation;
• strengthen immunity;
• prevent premature aging;
• and nails;
• improve the functioning of the endocrine and genitourinary systems.

Unrefined sunflower oil has not only benefits, but also harm, if consumed immoderately.

Which is more useful - refined or not?

Traditionally, the question of which sunflower oil is more useful, refined or unrefined, is answered by giving preference to the latter because of its greater naturalness. However, not all so simple.

Specific taste and smell are created due to the presence of impurities in the product - pigments, odorants, soaps, natural contaminants. With the systematic use of these substances can have a negative effect on the body.

In addition, the answer to the question of which sunflower oil is better, refined or not, depends on the purpose of its use. For frying, baking and canning with heat treatment, peeled varieties are preferable. They do not lose quality when heated, do not violate the taste and smell of cooked food. In addition, the shelf life of unrefined oil is much shorter. If the hostess makes a supply of food for a long time, it is better for her to prefer peeled varieties.

Is oil treatment effective?

Treatment with unrefined sunflower oil should be agreed with the doctor after a preliminary medical examination. An important point any therapy is dosing. In the amount of 20-50 g (up to 3 tablespoons), the unrefined product has therapeutic effect at higher doses, it can have the opposite effect.

There are many recipes for healing mixtures of traditional medicine with the addition of olive or sunflower oil. For therapeutic agents, only the unrefined product is intended to be used. In some cases, it is helpful to just drink a spoonful of oil.

How to use?

In order not to harm your health, you should know how to use unrefined sunflower oil. You should not use it more than 20-50 g per day, so as not to disturb the lipid balance of the body and not gain excess weight. To achieve a healing effect, the intake must be regular.

Since the oil contains vitamins that are easily destroyed when heated, it makes no sense to use an expensive healing product when frying, baking and canning. Although there are recipes that recommend adding a lot of oil to the jar before seaming without subsequent sterilization. The most common and correct way to use an unrefined product is dressing vegetable salads.

Can you fry?

Choosing culinary recipes, housewives decide whether it is possible to fry in unrefined sunflower oil. If there is no other option, then as an exception, once, you can. It should be borne in mind that the vitamins will not be preserved, the taste and color of the oil will change, and the taste properties of the fried dish will also change. Some types of fish do not go well with the taste of unrefined varieties, and vegetable fried will spoil the taste of the soup.

Cooks need to clearly understand why it is impossible to fry in unrefined sunflower oil all the time. Substances dissolved in oil, when heated, change their structure, break down, turn into toxins and carcinogens.

Possible harm from use

The main point limiting the doses of unrefined varieties is the high calorie content (890 kcal/100 g) and the presence a large number fat (99.9 g / 100 g). It is undesirable to eat more than 3 tablespoons per day. Otherwise, the fat balance of the body will be disturbed, its work internal organs and systems, the weight will increase.

During the frying process, toxins that are harmful to the body can be formed. People suffering from chronic diseases (hypotension, blood incoagulability, gallbladder problems, etc.) should consult a doctor about the admissibility of using oil or reducing doses. With some anomalies of the body, the positive properties of the product turn into negative ones. There are cases of allergy to the ingredients of sunflower oil. In addition, the expired product will cause harm.

Shelf life and storage

The shelf life of unrefined sunflower oil, especially that which has not been mechanically refined, is rather short. It easily precipitates and has a cloudy color.

It should be clearly remembered how long unrefined sunflower oil is stored. After opening the package, the product should be used within a month. It should be stored in a glass container in a dark place at a temperature range of 5-25°C. If the color, smell and taste have changed, you should stop using the product.

Sunflower oil- a product that is extracted from vegetable raw materials and consists of fats. It is obtained by pressing or by extraction. Vegetable oil can be refined or unrefined.

What is the difference between refined sunflower oil and unrefined?

Refined oil implies multi-level purification from various impurities, and unrefined oil also undergoes some mechanical purification, but in a much smaller volume. IN modern world oil is made refined in order to deprive it of taste - this is required by cooking for the preparation of various dishes. Unrefined oil has a specific smell and taste, originally characteristic of sunflower seeds. Used fresh in salad dressings. It is better not to use unrefined oil for frying, as it smokes heavily, tastes unpleasant, and also releases a certain amount of carcinogenic substances that can harm the body.

Unrefined sunflower oil is obtained, as a rule, by cold or hot pressing. Cold pressing is carried out manually at home. Unrefined oil, obtained by cold pressing at a low temperature, has a light yellow tint and the aroma of fresh seeds. It is considered the most useful, as it retains the maximum of useful substances. It has a short shelf life and should be stored in a glass container in the refrigerator. In industry, a hot mechanical manufacturing method is used. This oil is brighter in color and has a roasted seed flavor and has a longer shelf life. We buy this oil in stores. Many are interested in the question of which sunflower oil is more useful - refined or unrefined. It has been scientifically proven that even with refining, the ratio of vitamins, fats and natural amino acids in the composition of the oil does not change, so both types of oil bring the same benefits.

The benefits and harms of unrefined sunflower oil

Unrefined sunflower oil contains fatty acids and minerals that a person needs. Its use reduces the risk of skin diseases, helps prevent rickets in children. In addition, with the help of it you can remove excess cholesterol from the body, cleanse blood vessels, and normalize blood circulation in the brain.

Harm can bring the use of unrefined oil above the norm, the recommended daily dose is no more than 2-3 tablespoons per day. In addition, high calorie this product not suitable for people on a diet. Repeated frying in sunflower oil contributes to the evaporation of harmful substances.

Composition of unrefined sunflower oil

Unrefined sunflower oil is a fatty product and consists of 99.9% fats, it does not contain proteins and carbohydrates. It contains no harmful components and various food additives. The nutritional value of vegetable oil lies in the presence of fatty acids that the body needs to heal and strengthen cells. The composition of unrefined vegetable oil contains magnesium, calcium, iodine and zinc, but the amount of these minerals is small.

Of course, it is best to eat those foods that nature gives us. These products include sunflower oil. Healing properties this natural product help you get the job done right digestive system, restores the functioning of internal organs, strengthens hair and nails, improves the immune system.

Sunflower oil is a popular product that is present in the daily diet, used for cooking, is a versatile skin care product and even helps in the treatment of certain diseases. Basically, people prefer it to him - this is both budgetary and already familiar to many.

Few people think about the quality of the product, choosing exclusively for external characteristics and label. Is the perfectly transparent oil in the original bottle so good and what is hidden behind “100% naturalness”, we will tell in this article.

Chemical composition and nutritional value of sunflower oil

The natural, raw product has the following composition (average values):

Also in the composition in a small amount there are vitamins D, K, carotenes, vegetable carbohydrates, proteins, mucus, waxes, tannins, inulin.

The composition of sunflower oil varies depending on the location and growing conditions of sunflower, and not always in better side. Plants can be treated with insecticides and pesticides, which also get into the seeds. The composition of the oil, including the residual content of chemically aggressive substances, is regulated by GOST.

Useful properties of the product

The beneficial properties of sunflower oil are well known today. This is a product with a high degree digestibility, up to 95-98%. The positive effect on the body is due to the composition:

• phospholipids improve the functioning of cells of the nervous tissue and brain, protect against the development of atherosclerosis, participate in the construction of cell membranes;
• tocopherol (vit. E) is a powerful antioxidant, normalizes metabolism, helps preserve youth, has an antitumor effect and improves immunity. According to the content of tocopherol, sunflower oil is richer;
• vitamin D is responsible for the good condition of bones and skin;
• vitamin K participates in the normalization of blood viscosity, prevents internal bleeding;
• unsaturated fatty acids (omega-6 and omega-9) are directly involved in the proper functioning of the liver, blood vessels, nervous system, normalize the blood lipoprotein spectrum and prevent the development of atherosclerosis. Increase immunity, have anti-carcinogenic and antioxidant effects. Participate in the normalization of hormonal levels.
• beta-carotene has a positive effect on growth processes, the state of immunity and improves vision.

Summing up, it should be said that, subject to the consumption norm, the real, quality product helps fight atherosclerosis and its complications (heart attack, stroke), improves the function of the central nervous system and increases concentration, slows down processes premature aging, improves the condition of hair and skin, has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the endocrine and genitourinary systems, has antiarrhythmic and cardioprotective effects, positively affects the condition of the gastrointestinal mucosa and is used for constipation (1 tbsp oil on an empty stomach).

Types of sunflower oil

This product is obtained from sunflower seeds using different technologies. Each of them is based on a similar process:

• peeling oilseed sunflower seeds mechanically;
• processing of kernels in vyaltsy: crushing into mush;
• extraction of sunflower oil: passing the slurry through a press and obtaining the first press product;
• processing of the remaining mass, which may contain up to 30% of the product, in the extraction shop.

Further, the oil is subjected to processing (purification and refining): centrifugation, settling, hydration, filtration, bleaching, deodorization and freezing. And each of these processes affects the quality of the final product. The production of sunflower oil is regulated by law: there is GOST 1129-2013, which clearly defines the standard amount of chemicals, organoleptic indicators, physical and chemical properties and others, according to which the quality of the product is normalized.

There are 5 types of oils. They are listed on the label. Studying the product in the store, it is already possible to draw a conclusion about its quality, composition and effect on the body.

Raw unrefined

This is a first pressing product that is only subjected to filtration. It is considered the most useful: a minimum of production steps allows you to save a maximum of useful substances.

• pros: has a pleasant natural taste, intense yellow color. In unrefined oil, you can count on the presence of phospholipids, vitamins, carotene, fatty acids.
• Minuses: However, it quickly becomes bitter and tarnishes, so it has a short shelf life.

There are 3 types: top, first and second grade. Crude oil is obtained in three ways - hot and cold pressing and extraction:

• cold pressed allows you to get the highest quality, but expensive product (up to 20-30% of oil remains in the cake).
• hot pressing implies the use high temperature: the process speeds up and more oil comes out.
• Extraction. During the extraction, vegetable raw materials with “underexpressed” oil (cake) are mixed with a solvent, and the oil is completely converted into organic solvent, which is gasoline or hexane. The mixture is then separated, a process called distillation, during which the oil is separated from the solvent. This is already a proven technology, and we hasten to reassure readers - there are no gasoline residues in the oil! You can read more about the technology in food production manuals.

All subsequent purification and processing processes are nothing more than bringing the product to the required presentation and shelf life.

hydrated

A product that, in addition to mechanical cleaning, undergoes a hydration process: hot water is passed through the oil heated to 60 ° C in the form of a fine dispersion (70 ° C). During this process, protein and mucous fractions precipitate. After processing, the oil has a less pronounced smell and taste, becomes lighter, without turbidity and sediment.

They also distinguish between the highest, first and second grades of the product, similar to unrefined.

Neutralized and refined

The product undergoes complete purification from impurities, as well as free fatty acids, phospholipids using alkalis and acids. The oil acquires optimal external consumer properties, but loses its typical aroma and taste, as well as useful components. It is used for frying, stewing and deep-frying, as well as the production of cooking oils and margarines.

Refined deodorized

Obtained by refining and subsequent exposure to water vapor under vacuum. During processing, the product is deprived of aromatic substances, which shorten the shelf life.

• Mark "D" indicates that the product is suitable for dietary and baby food,
• Mark "P"» - for other groups of the population.

Sunflower oil refined deodorized frozen

Freezing the oil removes waxy substances (which make it cloudy in cold conditions and spoil the presentation) and further increase the shelf life. In fact, this product has no taste, no smell, no nutrients in the composition, and is nothing more than a mixture of triglycerides.

How to choose the best sunflower oil

Most Helpful– crude oil of the first extraction, obtained by cold pressing from high-quality sunflower seeds grown in environmentally friendly conditions and sold in glass containers. It has a short shelf life, in violation of which it becomes cloudy, rancid. In addition, when the oil goes rancid, carcinogens are formed in it that are dangerous to health.

This product contains all useful substances and is ideal for dressing salads, side dishes. But frying on it is definitely not worth it: when it boils, it begins to foam, smoke and release carcinogenic substances that enter the food, and with it into the human body. Yes, the incoming carcinogen does not necessarily cause cancer. But the regular intake of carcinogens (and not only with food) leads to their accumulation in the body, and sooner or later a sporadic effect can work!

A reasonable question arises: where to find it and how to choose a good unrefined oil?

Today, such products can be bought in small farms, shops healthy eating and from manufacturers who are engaged in obtaining an environmentally friendly product. Naturally, all manufacturers must have permits, strictly observe the technology and carry out production control: study of the quality and composition of the oil in accredited laboratories at regular intervals. The buyer has the right to demand documents for oil: research protocols and a quality certificate.

How to choose homemade sunflower oil?

It is very difficult to talk about the quality of oils that are sold on bottling or in bottles in the markets. There are only guidelines that you can rely on, but the main guarantee that the bottle is not counterfeit is a quality certificate.

So, homemade product:

• has a pronounced, rich odor and natural taste seeds;
• has a rich yellow-golden color, but not dark;
• a drop of oil on the skin of the hand should slowly spread;
• when pouring the product from a container into another container, there should be practically no sound;
• allow a small sediment at the bottom.

You should be concerned:

• unnatural dark color, taste and texture of the product,
• the presence of suspension (turbidity),
• Strong smell,
• the shelf life of draft oil is only 1 month - no one can guarantee that the seller is conscientious and says the real date of production.

If you are lucky enough to find the one the best manufacturer a product that is "sick" with its business - do not buy a lot of oil, it is better to come to the market twice or thrice a month for fresh oil. Store purchased oil only in the refrigerator and in glass containers.

How to choose a good refined oil in the store?

• You can't blindly trust advertising . Very often, manufacturers manipulate the minds of buyers and write attractive phrases on the labels:
  • "no cholesterol". This is understandable - a product of plant origin cannot contain cholesterol;
  • "fortified". If we are talking about unrefined, then the statement may be true. But in a repeatedly purified product (refined), there cannot be vitamins, and most likely a synthetic vitamin is added (most often E);
  • "natural". Natural means it is made from sunflower seeds, i.e. natural, not artificial. Both refined and unrefined oils are natural. So far, there are no such nanotechnologies to synthesize oil artificially.

You can write anything on the label - but the consumer should pay attention not to the front part, but to the back, where the composition is indicated.

• Read the ingredients of the product carefully! On the front of the label may be written "Sunflower", and in the composition - a mixture of vegetable oils, for example, the addition of rapeseed. This is a tricky but legal trick of the manufacturer: in this case, the word "sunflower" is the name of the product, as well as "Golden Seed", "Kuban", etc.
• Give preference to verified well-known manufacturers sunflower oil, which manufacture their products in accordance with GOST with the marking "P" or "D".
• Choose a bottle that stands at the back of the shelf and in no case take the packaging from open windows - the oil oxidizes in the light.
• Carefully read the release date and expiration date: if it is coming to an end, you should not take such oil (and most often such products are sold under promotional goods with a very attractive price).

Slightly digressing from the topic, we note that adherents of a healthy lifestyle and people who want to live long have long abandoned such a method of cooking as frying in oil, deep-frying. There is a special cookware, which allows you to cook with an appetizing crust, but without oil.

If life is without fried the classic way products is not possible, you need to buy oils that do not change their properties and the properties of the product when boiled (high-quality refined deodorized and frozen).

Very important:

• pour the product into a cold pan and heat slowly;
• do not cook at the highest temperatures;
• do not overcook food (the crispier and tastier the crust, the more dangerous the food for health);
• flip while frying meat products more often - this is how uniform heating occurs without the formation of local overcooked foci with carcinogenic substances;
• allow excess oil to drain from the product and pour out the remains after frying. Most great harm Refined sunflower oil occurs if you use it repeatedly for frying food: with each subsequent heating, dangerous carcinogens accumulate that can cause cancer.

Experiment

In one of the programs of the "Habitat" cycle, an experiment was conducted: a professional chef fried potatoes in different types of oils: refined and unrefined sunflower, sesame, unrefined olive, melted and creamy. Samples of the finished product and oil residues were tested in the laboratory of the Institute of Nutrition of the Russian Academy of Medical Sciences for the content of one of the most powerful carcinogens - acrylamide.

Results:

• In all samples of the finished product, the level of acrylamide was 900-1500 micrograms per kilogram, which is within the normal range.
• In two samples, the level of acrylamide was negligible:
  • 0.584 milligrams per kilogram in unrefined sunflower oil,
  • 0.009 milligrams per kilogram in potatoes fried in refined sunflower oil.

Thus, it was concluded that best oil for frying products is refined sunflower oil.

• Even natural vegetable oil should be taken in limited quantities.. This is a high-calorie product that, in large doses, can provoke the development or exacerbation of diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and lead to weight gain. With uncontrolled use of oil, especially on an empty stomach, gastrointestinal dysfunction (diarrhea) may develop.
• Consumption rate- about 2 tablespoons per day in its pure form (including oil in dishes).
• In no case should you cleanse the body using this product.. This method is still positioned by charlatans as the best and safest, but in fact leads to irreversible changes in the function of the liver and gallbladder.
• You can’t ignore expiration dates, but it’s better to divide them by two. Over time, oxides (peroxides and hydroperoxides) are formed in the product, which disrupt metabolic processes. Any product after opening the container must be used within 1 month after opening.
• You should also follow temperature regime storage Do not place the product on a window or in direct sunlight. Natural unrefined oil should be stored only in glass containers and in the refrigerator.
• Turbidity and sediment, which have formed in the raw product during the permissible shelf life, are not a sign of poor quality. Waxes and phosphatides, useful components, precipitate. Just shake the bottle.

Harm of sunflower oil

Most swipe Sunflower oil is applied throughout the body in the following cases:

1. unrefined- if it is expired or used for frying and deep-frying;
2. refined– if it is expired or used for frying and deep-frying WRONG – repeatedly and at maximum temperatures at which it starts to smoke!

The danger of expired oil

In expired oils (when rancid), aldehydes and ketones are formed.

• Ketones- toxic. They have an irritating effect, penetrate the skin, some of them have a carcinogenic and mutagenic effect.
• Aldehydes- able to accumulate in the body, providing a general toxic, irritating and neurotoxic effect, and some are also carcinogens.

• The most useful of all is raw and unrefined oil, but you can’t buy it for future use, because shelf life is limited (4-6 months).
• The shelf life of homemade oil is 1 month, i.e. it must be consumed immediately after purchase.
• Refined oil can store 12-18 months. after manufacturing(and as practice shows, it is stored even more, without changing outwardly at all, and some people use it), but there will be no benefit from such oil, but harm is quite possible.

What is harmful frying in vegetable oil

The smoke point of refined oil is 232°C, unrefined 107°C. It is easy to understand that the oil has reached the specified temperature range: it begins to smoke, exude a pungent odor, “cut” the eyes and irritate the mucous membranes of the upper respiratory tract.

When frying among a bouquet of "chemistry" are especially dangerous:

• Acrolein. Acrylic acid aldehyde, a poisonous substance that strongly irritates the mucous membranes of the respiratory tract and eyes. It is formed immediately when the oil reaches the smoke point.
• Acrylamide. Acrylic acid amide. A toxin that affects the liver, kidneys, and nervous system. Formed in starchy foods when fried in oil at temperatures above 120°C. It is localized in the very “tasty and fragrant” crust.
• Fatty acid polymers, heterocyclic amines and free radicals. Formed in the products of burning and smoking. They have a general toxic effect.
• Carbon-containing polycyclic substances (benzpyrene, coronene). Strong chemical carcinogens of the first hazard class, which are formed in the products of smoking and burning.

Application in cosmetology

A natural product used for cosmetic purposes to moisturize dry skin. It has regenerating and softening properties and helps to restore the skin after a long stay in the cold. Smoothes fine wrinkles. It is used to cleanse the skin of the face - quickly dissolves and removes impurities.

To moisturize dry skin, warm oil compresses are made. With such a problem as cracks in the feet, hands and lips, as well as irritation on the skin, a simple recipe helps: take 100 ml of oil and 1 bottle of pharmacy vitamin A, mix and lubricate problem areas of the skin two to three times a day.

For hair, it is used as a component of nourishing and moisturizing masks.

Contraindications and restrictions

A direct contraindication to the use of the product is individual intolerance - an allergy to oil or sunflower seeds.

In a limited amount and with caution, the oil should be used by people with:

• chronic diseases of the cardiovascular system;
• dysfunction of the biliary tract or gallbladder, cholelithiasis. This category of people should not take oil on an empty stomach and should strictly observe the recommended rate. In patients with gallbladder stones, while taking oil, stone movement and blockage of the bile ducts may begin;
• diabetes;
• obese.

conclusions

Many media write that olive oil is a panacea, which is positioned as the most valuable and useful. What's up?

To get the basic useful substances necessary for the body, sunflower oil familiar to Russians is enough: unrefined, fresh, not rancid, properly stored (no more than 1 month in the refrigerator in a glass container) and without subjecting the product to heat treatment, i.e. for dressing salads and as a flavoring additive.

For frying, deep-frying, you should use only good refined sunflower oil and drain it after cooking. For each new serving of food - pour fresh oil.

And in order to get the maximum, you need to combine various oils (and not only olive oil) or alternate their use:

• the largest amount of vitamin E gives a product from sunflower;
• essential Omega-3 acids contains linseed and mustard oil;
• a complex of Omega-6 acids, biologically active substances, minerals and vitamins and are contained in any unrefined product obtained by direct extraction, including olive oil.

And yet - everything useful is useful if the measure is observed. You can not use more than 3 tbsp. oils per day, even if you produce it yourself and are 100% sure of the quality!

Vegetable oil is a popular product that is used by housewives all over the world in cooking when preparing salads, soups, frying, stewing and canning. How sunflower oil is obtained, what are the unique properties of this useful product, what are the benefits and harms of unrefined oil - these are the range of issues that will be discussed in this article.

What is sunflower oil

Vegetable oil obtained from sunflower seeds is called sunflower oil. It is extracted from ripened sunflower seeds, widely used in cooking, industrial canning, soap making, paint and varnish production, pharmaceutical, cosmetology production (included in various ointments, creams). The industrial method of squeezing seeds was invented in 1829, since then it has been the most popular Russian oil product.

Compound

The main useful component in the chemical composition of sunflower oil are omega fatty acids. This type of vegetable oil product is an almost indispensable source of vegetable fats: saturated fatty acids, unsaturated fatty acids (oleic acid) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (linoleic acid, linolenic acid) - vitamin F. In addition to them, the product is saturated with vitamins D, A and E. Energy value (caloric content) - 899 kcal. The content of all substances per 100 g of the product is given in the table below:

Kinds

There are several types of classification of vegetable oils, including sunflower. There are types of product according to the method of obtaining (type of extraction) - cold (the greatest benefit), hot pressing, and obtained by extraction. The following types of sunflower oil that have undergone various purification methods are common:

• unrefined sunflower (rough mechanical cleaning; has a sharp specific odor);
• hydrated (purified hot water);
• refined (additionally purified after mechanical cleaning);
• deodorized (deodorization - steam treatment under vacuum).

To answer the question of which vegetable oil is better to buy, you need to understand which cleaning method retains more useful substances in the product. After passing through several stages of purification, the nutritional properties of sunflower oil are reduced, so the most useful is an unrefined cold-pressed oil product that retains the maximum percentage of polyunsaturated fatty acids.

How do they do

The manufacturing process of the product begins with the cleaning of sunflower seeds and their grinding. The higher the humidity and the degree of ripening of raw seeds, the greater the amount of product obtained at the exit. Before squeezing the seeds, pulp or mint is obtained from them. Then by pressing or extraction (separation by chemical means of the resulting mixture into an oil product and miscella) an oil is isolated from this mass. During subsequent refining, it is further purified with hot water.

Application

A vegetable oil product from sunflower is one of the most popular Russian dressings, which is widely used for cooking a variety of dishes, for salad dressing. However, cooking is not the only area of ​​\u200b\u200bits application. Due to its high oleic composition, the product is used in the manufacture of cosmetics, added to ointments and creams. It is also used in in kind- in the process of treating a number of diseases and promoting health. traditional healers It is recommended to drink a tablespoon of the oil product in the morning on an empty stomach to improve digestion.

The benefits of sunflower oil

Sunflower seeds contain vitamins and a number of essential trace elements such as phosphorus. The benefits of sunflower oil for the body lies in the high content of polyunsaturated fatty acids, which normalize metabolic and reproductive processes, improve the condition of the skin and hair, strengthen the vascular walls, and activate the immune system.

refined

High-quality refined deodorized oil is widely used for frying, it is considered a more dietary product with a lower cholesterol content. In cooking, it is mainly used for frying and preserving dishes, it is transparent, does not have a pronounced odor, does not contain sediment, and is perfectly stored for a period of one to three months.

unrefined

This type pomace of sunflower seeds gives a product that retains the maximum amount of their original beneficial properties. Therefore, the use of this type is useful for:

• strengthening of cell membranes and vascular walls;
• normalization of the digestive system;
• improving the functioning of the endocrine and genitourinary systems;
• skin strengthening and hair growth.

cold pressed

With cold pressing technology, useful and medicinal properties the oil product is preserved best. Therefore, it is used for most recipes of traditional medicine and in cosmetology, as part of masks for hair, face and hands. Such a product perfectly moisturizes dry skin, making it more elastic, activates healing and natural renewal of epithelial cells.

Frozen

Freezing technology cleans the oil product from waxy impurities, thereby increasing transparency. The frozen sunflower oil product is recommended for people who are on a dietary diet, since the content of harmful impurities in it is minimal. Vegetables are fried and stewed on it, added to light desserts and pastries.

sunflower oil treatment

Beneficial features sunflower oil (unrefined, cold pressed) are widely used in traditional medicine. The simplest and most effective method of strengthening general condition body health is sucking sunflower oil product in the morning on an empty stomach. The oral cavity is a place of concentration of a large number of nerve endings, plus due to contact with salivary glands the best absorption occurs. Take a dessert spoon of oil into your mouth, roll it over the entire cavity for 1.5-2 minutes without swallowing.

To strengthen immunity, it is good to give a teaspoon of sunflower oil product to children in the morning (this method is especially relevant for the cold season). Unrefined sunflower oil is added to herbal infusions used in the treatment of constipation, diseases of the liver, kidneys, and cholelithiasis. For example, oregano tincture (3 tablespoons of herb per 0.5 liter of oil product) is taken to relieve pain from stomach ulcers.

Sunflower oil in cosmetology

The benefits of vegetable oil for moisturizing the skin and improving its condition lies in the high content of fatty acids in it. The simplest face mask is easy to prepare by mixing:

• unrefined sunflower oil - 15 g;
• steamed cereals- 10 g;
• large strawberries - 5 pcs.

Apply the mixture on your face, keep it until it dries completely. After several applications, the skin of the face will be cleansed, tightened, become more elastic, and acquire a fresh healthy look. For hands, a different recipe is used:

• fat cottage cheese - 100 g;
• unrefined sunflower oil - 1 tsp.

Grind cottage cheese with an oil product, apply on clean, dry skin of the hands for 7-10 minutes. Make a mask once a week. To strengthen and activate nail growth, hold your fingertips for two to three minutes three times a week in a mixture of sunflower oil product with lemon juice in a ratio of 1:5. The same mixture can be applied to the hair roots to accelerate growth, reduce the percentage of loss.

Harm of sunflower oil

Use only a fresh product so as not to harm the body by eating pomace from the seeds of any sunflower varieties. Check the expiration date when buying, pay attention to transparency, the absence of sediment or impurities. Store unrefined oil in a glass container, observe the maximum shelf life of an opened bottle - no more than 30 days.

Sunflower oil contraindications

Vegetable oil products should be used with caution by people suffering from advanced level cholesterol, as well as

• patients with diabetes;
• with diseases of the liver and kidneys;
• with allergies to sunflower seeds, products of their processing.

Video

Ecology of consumption. The production of vegetable oil is a huge business, the scale of which requires quick returns at minimal cost....

I urge people to think more and more when using conventional products and after reading this article to answer the question: do we need such a product that it gives us useful and valuable?

The production of vegetable oil is a huge business, the scale of which requires quick returns at minimal cost. This means that modern manufacturers are forced to use technologies that will allow him to as soon as possible get the final product, sacrificing its nutritional value and usefulness. At the same time, having received in the appendage not only a product that is useless, but also extremely harmful to the human body. And if so, is there any point in using it at all?

This is what happens in the production of refined vegetable oil: extraction with a petrochemical solvent (more often hexane), then they try to evaporate this solvent, but there is no certainty that it is completely removed. Hexane is highly toxic.

Further refining - depriving it of useful resinous and sticky substances. The hydration process removes lecithin (extremely important element for every cell in the body), chlorophyll, vitamin E and minerals. Actually, all the most important for our body, for the sake of which this oil was produced earlier.

But that's not all. Since the oil is still completely “not killed”, for the final separation of important nutrients, which are an undesirable substance, an alkaline solution is added to it, and for discoloration - diatomaceous earth (this component dynamite, made famous by Alfred Nobel, which is a diatomaceous earth impregnated with nitroglycerin)

The diatomaceous earth is then filtered from the oil along with carotene (vitamin A), chlorophyll and other nutrient residues. Purification is complete.

After that, the oil is subjected to deodorization at a temperature of over 230 degrees, then it is purified into fractions by cooling. This process is called demargarization. The result is a product that is devoid of everything that nature has endowed it with, as well as color, smell, taste and does not have any nutritional value for the body.

Is that how food is made?

In the process of such “cleaning”, the molecules of fatty acids are broken and twisted, which leads to the creation of molecules - freaks - trans fatty acids, or trans fats. Refined oils contain up to 25% trans fats! These substances do not exist in nature! Therefore, the body does not know how to deal with them and cannot bring them out. Over the years, they accumulate and create big problems for the owner of the body: trans fats are extremely toxic and give rise to serious consequences - stress, atherosclerosis, ischemia, heart disease, cancer, hormonal disruptions (for example, obesity), etc.

Frying in any vegetable oil radically changes its composition. At t 200-250 C ° (a hot frying pan has approximately this temperature), carcinogenic substances are formed and it makes no sense to talk about the biological value of the product. Fat is inevitably absorbed and transfers carcinogens to the main product - a cutlet, potatoes, etc.

I hope that I was able to convince you that the harm of refined oil is obvious, and the choice of what to fry food on is the main issue of proper, reasonable nutrition. Experts advise using ghee or pork fat, as the safest, and it is better to do without frying at all.

I recently switched to pork fat, which I render at home myself. and real peasant oil from dried sunflower seeds (I buy it on the market from the manufacturer).

But sunflower oil (real peasant oil from dried sunflower seeds, which I buy on the market from the manufacturer) I add to pastries instead of butter or margarine - there is no smell or taste from it. Our ancestors used such oil for centuries, while refined oil appeared relatively recently.

Victoria Bushakova based on Lena Radova's blog. published

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