Many people choose refined oil without thinking at all about whether it can harm their health. This oil is often used for frying and is added to salads. However, this product is not safe. What harm does such oil bring to the human body?
Every housewife knows that one cannot do without oil in the kitchen. Today, in any store you can find an oil that meets any requirement. There are refined and unrefined oils, sunflower, olive, flaxseed, walnut, camelina and many other oils. Many believe that if the label says “no cholesterol, no preservatives or dyes, no GMOs, rich in vitamins,” then this is true. However, unfortunately, these words do not always contain the truth.
Previously, almost every home had unrefined sunflower oil, which was successfully added to salads, vinaigrettes, and was used for frying. But this oil has a rather strong smell, which not everyone likes. Modern industry offers odorless oil - refined, deodorized, which supposedly can be used to cook any food. And not every person imagines how this product is created.
How refined oil is obtained
The collected seeds are placed in huge containers, which are filled with hexane (an organic solvent). After that, the process of oil separation begins.
Hexane is a part of synthetic gasoline, the vapors of which have a pronounced narcotic effect. Unfortunately, after processing the resulting oil, it is impossible to completely get rid of the presence of hexane in it. Manufacturers use an alkaline solution and steam to remove the solvent. Then the oil undergoes a refining procedure, after which all useful substances and vitamins disappear from it. With the help of diatomaceous earth used as a sorbent, the oil is bleached. Then it is additionally filtered and deodorized to eliminate the odor.
Why is this oil dangerous?
During all operations performed, deformation of naturally occurring fatty acid molecules occurs. They turn into trans fats, which are not absorbed by the human body. Refined oil has a trans fat content of up to 25%. Gradually, they accumulate in the body and can lead to a number of diseases. In particular, the harm of refined oil is that excessive consumption of it in food can lead to the development of cancer, cause atherosclerosis, disrupt hormones and the correct functioning of the cardiovascular system, and negatively affect metabolic processes.
It is worth remembering that frying in refined oil is strictly contraindicated. Why? The fact is that under the influence of high temperatures, this substance turns into poisonous, which poisons any food.
