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In their health-conscious frenzy for chasing Zero-Fat and Fat-Free products, people tend to forget that fats are an essential part of one’s diet. The body converts fats into energy and you use that energy to get your work done. A totally fat-free diet isn’t a very healthy idea.
The National Institute of Nutrition recommends that for Indians one-fifth of one’s daily diet should be made up of fats. That’s significant. It means 20 percent of what you eat regularly should comprise fats. At the same time it is important to acknowledge that not all fats are healthy. For instance, trans fats are bad for health – they lead to clogged arteries and are known to increase the risk of heart disease and stroke. The best fats to add to your diet are Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated Fatty Acids and Omega-3 Fatty Acids.
By this measure, the best edible oil would definitely be Mustard Oil. It has the lowest levels of saturated fats among all edible oils, and is rich in essential fatty acids like Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids, Monounsaturated Fatty Acids and Omega-3 Fatty Acids.
It is also important to balance the ratio of Omega-6 and Omega-3 fatty acids. Our ancestors started out with diets that delivered an Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratio of 1:1 and as we all know, they didn’t suffer from heart disease, hypertension or stroke! Today’s Western diets and eating habits have pushed the ratio to 20:1 or more – and we all know what havoc that’s creating on the health front.
The World Health Organisation recommends an Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratio of 5:4 which comes quite close to the ancient 1:1 ratio. And the edible oil with the ratio closest to the WHO recommendation is Mustard Oil.
No surprises! We have known it all along – Mustard Oil is a winner all the way!
