Let’s go back in time to ancient India… more than 5000 years ago. Back then, our Ayurvedic ‘doctors’ (known as Vaids) knew all about the vast array of health benefits offered by mustard oil – benefits so mind-boggling and so diverse that they seem almost unbelievable! And now, several millenniums later, Western Science and Medicine is slowly catching up with our ancient Vaids.
One breakthrough finding came from research conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health – researchers discovered that the regular use of mustard oil reduces the risk of Coronary Artery Disease by more than 70 percent. That really got health-conscious people to sit up and take notice. Not 30, 40 or 50 percent… but a whopping 70 percent risk reduction. That’s huge!
The next set of benefits are derived from the fact that mustard oil is one of the largest sources of Omega 3. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that regular intake of Omega 3 reduces the risks of colon cancer (polyps, growths and tumours) by 33 percent. The British Journal of Cancer states that Omega 3 is highly effective in preventing ovarian cancer. And joining this chorus is the University of Manchester which conducted a study that found Omega 3 to be highly effective in preventing skin cancer. All these research findings underline the status of mustard oil as an ideal cooking oil.
Think about it. Ancient India didn’t just give the world Yoga, Ayurveda and Surgery (the Sushruta Samhita) – it also offered one of the healthiest edible oils ever: Mustard Oil!