With a lot of buzz going on about “Healthy Fats”, let us understand which is a better choice!
The Indian Scenario of Butter or Oil
Oil and butter are widely used in kitchens across India to make a number of delicacies. They impart different tastes and flavors. Indian cooking uses many different types of oil ranging from sesame oil to peanut oil, and these days olive oil has become the most sort after option.
With growing attention towards health and nutrition, people are becoming more and more aware about the quantity and quality of fat to be used in daily cooking. Butter and oil, both have varying uses when it comes to cooking sweets or savoury dishes.
Well, the first major difference between butter and oil is that butter is solid and vegetable oil is in the liquid state. Butter is 20% water, which evaporates during cooking. Vegetable oil, however, is pure fat containing no water and moisture from the oil won't evaporate on cooking.
Which is a healthier option?
Oil generally comprises of unsaturated fats – Mono unsaturated fatty acids(MUFA) and poly unsaturated fatty acids(PUFA), whereas butter is a natural dairy product made from churning milk or cream, contains saturated fats, milk protein and also some amount of water in it.
Although butter contains saturated fats, but these fats are heart healthywhile the PUFA present in oils are unwanted fats which may cause health issues because of inflammation in the body and should generally be avoided.
There are a lot of arguments surrounding butter and its effect on the body’s health. Butter is any day a better option than Margarine, a butter substitute which is processed and loaded with trans fats and is incredibly unhealthy.
Some saturated fats like coconut oil and butter are essential fats for our health, as there are a number of fat soluble vitamins required for our body. Butter features Vitamin A, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, lecithin, Selenium, iodine and fatty acids.
Vegetable oils are extracted from a number of seeds – rapeseeds, soybean, corn, sunflower, peanut, etc. Vegetable oil may sound good, but don't be fooled by the "natural" ingredients. The problem with these oils is that they are high in omega-6 fatty acids and PUFA which maybe inflammatory in nature.
The Take away message
Butter, extra virgin olive oil or coconut oil can be a good option as compared to not so healthy fats like palm kernel oil, palm oil and corn oil. But moderation is very important as ultimately all of them add fats to your diet. It is important to maintain an appropriate omega 3 to omega 6 ratio in our diet, so that there is an anti-inflammatory environment in the body. It is also recommended to find a balance in eating fats with a lot of lean protein and whole grains. Fats cannot be neglected from our diets, especially the essential fatty acids.
Therefore, Cooking with all types of fats, requires appropriate moderationand a healthy balance needs to be maintained.
Tips
Even if you choose a healthy oil, make sure you do not use it in excess and avoid calories. Measure exact serving sizes of oils before adding them to recipes to control the amount you use. To maintain quality in your diet, consume oils that are rich in unsaturated fat instead of those high in saturated fat.
You should know what are you putting in your body and how will that affect your health.
So be aware and make informed choices!!