Cholesterol And Oils: Butter and Olive oil for your health.

Cholesterol And Oils

Nutritionist Joy Bauer, RD, has all the information you need to know about fats and oils. This includes learning how hydrogenated fat is hidden on labels and the difference between virgin and extra-virgin olive oil. Armed with these essential tips, you'll be more informed and ready for any tasks in the kitchen.

Cholesterol and oils....

Oils you should avoid totally

The worst type of oil is an ingredient in packaged foods. This includes some stick margarines, baked goods, chips, crackers and candy.These are partially hydrogenated oils—or trans fats, which are listed on Nutrition Facts panels on the labels. Partially hydrogenated oil is vegetable oil that has been chemically altered so it’s less likely to spoil. Food manufacturers often add it to their products because it can help foods stay fresh longer.

Even in very small amounts, partially hydrogenated oil can play havoc to your heart health. It lowers levels of “good” HDL cholesterol and raises “bad” LDL cholesterol. It can also increase your risk of getting diabetes.

Cholesterol And Oils
Partially Hydrogenated Vegetable Oils

The American Heart Association recommends that no more than 1% of your total daily calories should come from trans fat. This means less than 2 grams for women, who typically need fewer than 2,000 calories per day.

Remember, if a food contains trans fat, it’ll be listed under Saturated Fat in the “Total Fat” column.

which is better: butter or olive oil?

For health, olive oil is the better oil than butter. But you still need butter, because oils are a mixture of fats. Oils contain monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA), polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and saturated fatty acids (SFA). However, in each oil and in butter, too, (which is basically a solidified oil), one type of fat dominates.

Olive oil is rich in heart-healthy monounsaturated fat.

It decreases your risk for cardiovascular disease by lowering LDL cholesterol and increasing HDL cholesterol. On the other hand, butter is mostly saturated fat. It increases LDL cholesterol and causes inflammation in your body. Generally, it’s best to use olive oil.

The distinctive smell, flavor and consistency of butter works best in certain baked goods, like cakes, cookies and pastries. It’s OK to make these occasionally and enjoy the butter. Butter is solid at room temperature, you have more control over how much of it you spread on bread. You can`t do that with olive oil. It’s difficult to gauge how much oil is absorbed. So dip lightly!

The difference between regular olive oil, virgin and extra-virgin.

Olive oil is made by crushing olives to make a paste. This crushed olive paste is then put under a press. If the oil that comes out has a low acidity and a good taste and smell, it’s labeled extra-virgin or virgin. However, virgin is slightly lower in quality than extra-virgin. Thay are ideal for bread dunking, drizzling on veggies and other foods. They are also used in salad dressings, since their delicate flavor and aroma will be lost when heated . The deeper the color, the more intense the olive flavor.

If the oil is highly acidic or not of great quality, it’s refined and mixed with virgin or extra-virgin oil to make “regular” olive oil. This all-purpose oil is good for cooking.

The heart-health benefits of all types of olive oil are almost the same, only the virgin and extra-virgin ones have extra antioxidants.

Oils are so fattening.

Oils may be “fattening” in the sense that they’re high in calories compared with other foods. All oils have around 120 calories per Tbsp. You can easily gain weight if you use too much.

Cholesterol And Oils
Truth About Hydrogenated Oils/TransFats

Even butter has fewer calories than oil (100 per Tbsp of butter) because of its water content. “whipped” butter sold in a tub has even fewer calories—about 60 to 70 per Tbsp. The tub “light” margarine spreads have only 30 to 50 calories per Tbsp.

Since oils contain fats that are good for you, you’re better off getting that 120 calories from a healthy oil rather than stick or tub butter.

If you intend to cut out fats entirely, don’t: You need some fat to stay healthy. Without it your body can’t absorb fat-soluble vitamins like A, D, E and K.You can also miss out the fatty acids that are essential for the health of your skin, hair, heart and brain, and other part of your body.

end of cholesterol and oilsFor more information go to : Cooking Oils

Cholesterol And Oils