Cook in safflower oil or cooking oil, which one is healthier?

You may be more familiar with and use palm oil more often for cooking. But actually, there are various types of cooking oil that are healthier. The criteria for a good cooking oil is that it contains less saturated fat than unsaturated fat. A good cooking oil should also have a high boiling point. One type of cooking oil that meets all of these criteria is safflower oil. However, is it true that your cooking will automatically be healthier when processed with safflower oil?

What is safflower oil?

Source: tipdisease.com

Safflower oil is a vegetable oil derived from the seed extraction process of the safflower plant (Carthamus tinctorius L.). Safflower flowers appear in clusters of bright orange color and have broad leaves. Safflower flowers from the Compositae or Asteraceae family that are widely grown in Asia, the Middle East and Africa.

There are two types of safflower oil, high in linoleic and high in oleic. Safflower oil high in linoleic is rich in polyunsaturated fats, while safflower oil high in oleic contains more monounsaturated fats (monounsaturated).

Is cooking with safflower oil healthier than regular cooking oil?

Safflower oil is an oil rich in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids. According to the American Health Association, these two fats are included in the good fats. The content of unsaturated fatty acids can help lower bad cholesterol in the blood.

Oleic-rich safflower oil is 78 percent monounsaturated, 15 percent polyunsaturated, and 7 percent saturated fat. This oil has smoke point which is quite high, which is around 107 degrees Celsius for crude oil and 266 degrees Celsius for refined oil. In addition, this one oil also has a neutral taste so it won't interfere with the taste of the dishes you are making.

Monounsaturated safflower oil is ideal for cooking at high temperatures because it has a high boiling point so it is more stable when heated, aka it doesn't oxidize quickly and creates free radicals. Meanwhile, polyunsaturated safflower oil is more suitable for dressing in raw preparations such as salads, or when cooking over low heat such as stir fry.

Well, you usually use palm oil for cooking. This cooking oil also has a high boiling point, making it safe for frying and sauteing. However, palm oil has more saturated fat content than safflower. About 50% of palm oil is saturated fat.

Consuming excessive saturated fat can increase the level of bad LDL cholesterol in the blood. This increases your risk of developing heart disease. Therefore, to reduce the risk, it is advisable to eat foods and materials that are low in saturated fat. In this case, safflower oil is a healthier choice than palm oil which is commonly used for frying.

Don't use oil repeatedly

Apart from the type of oil, you also need to pay attention to how the oil is used. Try not to use oil repeatedly (used cooking oil). Oil that is used repeatedly will undergo a faster oxidation process until it is damaged. This triggers the emergence of carcinogenic free radicals (cancer triggers).

In addition, repeated use of oil can also increase the content of trans fatty acids which causes bad cholesterol levels to increase. This condition can cause blockage of blood vessels and increase the risk of heart disease.

Therefore, be wise in choosing oil for cooking. In addition to paying attention to the type, you also need to understand that oil cannot be used repeatedly because it can endanger the health of you and your family.