Many people heard about rapeseed oil, but they did not dare buy it, preferring already familiar sunflower, olive or corn oil. Let's see what positive and negative properties have rapeseed oil.
Composition of rapeseed oil
- This vegetable oil contains unsaturated fatty acids - oleic, linoleic and alpha-linolenic. They are important structural elements of cell membranes and normalize the level of cholesterol in the blood.
- Rape oil is a source of vitamin E, which protects our cells from destruction by free radicals. In addition, this vitamin is necessary for the normal operation of the female reproductive system.
- In the rapeseed oil, B vitamins are also found that regulate the metabolism of proteins, fats and carbohydrates, and are responsible for the normal functioning of the nervous and circulatory systems of the body.
- In addition, the benefit of rapeseed oil lies in the minerals that it contains.
The use of rapeseed oil can improve the condition of the skin, hair and nails, reduce the risk of atherosclerosis, support the work of the immune and nervous systems. However, this oil still loses by the number of unsaturated fatty acids, vitamins and other useful biologically active compounds, olive, soybean and corn oil.
Harm and benefit of rapeseed oil
More recently, scientists have discovered what else is useful for rapeseed oil. It contains a natural analogue of estradiol. This female hormone not only regulates the reproductive system, but also affects many other processes in the body. Therefore, it is possible that the use of rapeseed oil contributes to the fight against infertility.
Rapeseed oil is as caloric as other oils - 100 g contains 900 calories. Nevertheless, it is well suited for dietary nutrition, since the vitamins it contains help improve metabolism.
In the composition, one more substance is found, which causes possible harm of rapeseed oil - it is erucic acid. The processing of this fatty acid in our body is several times slower than the utilization of other fatty acids. In this regard, erucic acid can accumulate in tissues, with the following negative effects:
- violation in the work of the heart due to deposition in the myocardium;
- slowing growth and deteriorating development of the reproductive system;
- deterioration of the liver (up to the development of cirrhosis).
Of course, such negative consequences can appear only with the uncontrolled use of rapeseed oil. It is best to alternate it in a menu with other oils, use it for dressing salads or second courses. On the basis of oil from rapeseed, spreads and margarine are made. From this they become more useful than before, when in them
Today, a special kind of rapeseed is grown, which contains a minimum amount of erucic acid, so it is completely safe to use rapeseed oil in moderate amounts. In order not to leave any doubts, when buying choose oil made according to GOST, some manufacturers also indicate on the label the amount of erucic acid, it should be no more than 5%. It is worth to give up buying if there is a residue in the bottle.
For the use of this oil there are contraindications: hepatitis and cholelithiasis in the stage of exacerbation. With caution, add oil to the diet is necessary with a tendency to diarrhea, and also if you are trying it for the first time, since it is possible to develop an allergic reaction.