With a variety of cooking oil around, nutritionists say people still don’t know exactly which kind of oil has minimal health effects. One of the cooking oils one should opt for, they say, is rapeseed oil. Locally, rapeseeds are normally grown in the Northern part of the country mostly by family growers, and some of the retailers and supermarkets around have the oil from these seeds. Rapeseed oil is extracted from the seeds of the rape plant, a flowering plant that belongs to the Brassica family that includes produce favorites such as broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage. Other than oil production, rapeseed makes commercial fodder for animals David Rukerabigwi, also a dietician and nutritionist says opting for this oil is essential as studies have indicated that it’s loaded with omega oils which are typically sourced from in fish and fish products. In fact, it has been well publicized that omega-3 fatty acid is among the finest nutrients that can benefit brain health. He says that it does this by enhancing the permeability of brain cells, promoting their communication. Omega 3 is also a strong antioxidant, and is great for joint health as well. Meanwhile, he says essential fatty acid also includes omega-6 which benefits the respiratory system, circulatory system and the brain. Studies recommend that people should be taking omega-6 and omega-3 at a 2:1 ratio. Being plentiful with both is a great reason we should use rapeseed oil. Rukerabigwi says rapeseed oil is also abundant in vitamin E, and that vitamin E is present in a variety of foods such as peanut, kale, spinach, almonds, sweet potatoes and avocados. Rapeseed oil is loaded with Vitamin E which is good for the eyes, skin, hair, as well as the immune system. The good thing about rapeseed oil is that it is low in saturated fats. For instance, studies indicate that a single tablespoon of olive oil has approximately 1.6g of saturated fat, compared to rapeseed oil which has less than half of that quantity at 0.7g. Also, rapeseed oil easily has the least measured levels of saturated fat compared to any other oil. This qualifies it as a heart-friendly, weight beneficial choice. Rapeseed oil also has rich quantities of polyunsaturated fat, a fat that has been observed to lower levels of LDL cholesterol (bad cholesterol). Rukerabigwi says in line with the nutrient-devoid diet that has become common nowadays, more people are switching to all sorts of diets. However, rapeseed oil happens to be gluten-free, vegetarian thus making it a versatile cooking oil and healthy monounsaturated fat option for those who can access it. It’s also believed that rapseed oil has a high smoke point, and that by choosing to cook with an oil that has a high smoke point, such as rapeseed oil which has a smoke point, one not only guarantees great flavour but helps ensure that nutrients are not altered or lost in the cooking process. A high smoke point ensures that dangerous free-radicals are not released as a by-product of cooking, this means that it can withstand higher temperatures without becoming toxic.
