Peanut Oil

There are many types of fat on the market and we are always looking for the best. One of the options is  peanut oil - fat has many advantages and many disadvantages.

It is often used in Asian cuisine, and after World War II became popular in the United States.

There are several ways to produce peanut oil - refined, cold pressed, gourmet (prepared from roasted peanuts, which have a denser taste than refined), a mixture - peanuts with soybeans, for example.

Nutritional value per 1 tablespoon:

• 119 calories;
• 14 grams of fat;
• 2.3 grams of saturated fat;
• 6.2 grams of monounsaturated fats;
• Polyunsaturated fats: 4.3 grams;
• 11% of the recommended daily allowance of vitamin E;
• 27.9 milligrams of cholesterol.

The fat in peanut oil is broken down in the following proportions: 20% saturated fat, 50% monounsaturated fat and 30% polyunsaturated fat.

The main type of monounsaturated fat found in peanut butter is called oleic acid or omega-9.

Other fatty acids are omega-6, and they are not the most beneficial thing for health, because they lead to inflammation and are associated with various health problems.

On the other hand, peanut oil contains vitamin E, which is an antioxidant and has a number of health benefits - it protects against cell damage from free radicals and reduces the risk of heart disease.

Health benefits

By consuming only 1 tablespoon of peanut oil, you ensure 11% of the daily intake of the useful vitamin, which promotes various important functions in the body.

Its main role is to act as an antioxidant, protecting the body from free radicals. They can damage cells and lead to a number of chronic diseases.

Vitamin E takes care of the immune system by strengthening its defenses against viruses and bacteria. It is also essential for the formation of red blood cells.

The vitamin is also good for the eyes, as a study conducted among 15,021 people found a 17% reduction in the risk of cataracts when taking vitamin E.

Peanut oil contains high levels of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, which have been studied to support heart health.

There is evidence that unsaturated fats can reduce some of the risk factors associated with heart disease. For example, bad LDL cholesterol and blood triglycerides are associated with a high risk for the heart. And studies show a reduction in the replacement of saturated fats with unsaturated. In percentages, changing the choice of fat reduces the risk of heart disease by up to 30%. However, if you do not regulate your diet in any way, despite the addition of useful fats, you can not expect a significant improvement in your health.

But we must note something else - in recent years, a number of studies have been conducted on the subject of food. Some of them show that saturated fats have no effect on health, so the choice is yours, which of the two statements to believe.

Studies show that monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats help control blood sugar.

Consumption of fats with carbohydrates slows down the absorption of sugars in the digestive tract and leads to a slower rise in blood sugar.

In a study of 4,220 adults, replacing only 5% of fat with polyunsaturated fats also led to significant reductions in blood sugar when glycated hemoglobin was tested (this study monitored blood sugar levels for several consecutive months).

Health risks

Omega-6 fatty acids are a type of polyunsaturated fat. They are essential fatty acids, which means that the body cannot produce them on its own, so we need to get them through food.

They play an important role in the development of the body and brain function.

The problem with them is that they increase inflammation (unlike omega-3s, which fight them). Modern man has increased 14-15 times the intake of omega-6 at the expense of omega-3, and this imbalance has a negative impact on health. 4: 1 ratios in favor of omega-3 or at least 1: 1 are considered healthy. Peanut oil has no omega-3s at all.

Polyunsaturated fats are not resistant to heat and are easily oxidized, which leads to the formation of free radicals in the body. Therefore, for frying it is good to choose other oils suitable for high heat treatment. Although it has a high smoking point, it is still not the best choice for frying.

In conclusion, peanut oil is a good source of vitamin E, which has a number of health benefits. But the disadvantages of fat are not small - high amounts of omega-3 can increase the risk of some diseases. Given that you have a huge selection of fats, it is good to focus on olive oil, avocado oil and coconut.