The Pros And Cons Of Different Cooking Oils

Cooking oils made from vegetables, nuts, and seeds contain essential fatty acids vital for optimal nerve and brain function. Many vegetable oils within supermarkets have undergone processes such as bleaching, cooking, defoaming, distillation, extraction, refining, and the addition of preservatives that deter the quality of the oil and can cause the formation of free radicals.

To obtain all of the possible benefits from cooking oils, make sure to purchase organic, cold-pressed, minimally processed oils from the local farmer’s market or local health food store.

Sunflower Seed Oil

Oil pressed from sunflower seeds is one of the most common vegetable oils used for cooking. Although the oil boosts immunity and can protect against respiratory problems such as asthma, there are quite a few cons to cooking with sunflower seed oil.

Sunflower seed oil is rich in omega-6, sometimes as much as seventy percent of the daily requirements, which is a fatty acid great in small doses. However, high levels of omega-6 can cause inflammation, which can eventually lead to heart disease and cancers. Some alternatives to sunflower seed oil include fish oil, hemp seed oil, flax oil, and walnut oil.