Almost certainly, a modern housewife would rather give preference to vegetable oil than to its creamy counterpart or animal fats. As you know, demand creates supply. In accordance with this rule, store shelves are simply “crowded” with all kinds of species, which are divided into two main categories: unrefined oil and refined.
If desired, these groups can be divided into several subspecies: unrefined sunflower, olive and other varieties. But that's not the point. Now we are trying to understand the issue of choosing between purified and unrefined products.
Not so long ago, no one puzzled over such a problem, because the absolute majority gave their preference to the first option - refined oil. It was believed that unrefined oil was an unrefined product that did not smell very good. However, some people liked the smell, which determined their own choice.
But in Lately, due to the emerging fashion for healthy eating, many began to think about the advisability of using unrefined products. After all, unrefined oil has a fairly large amount of useful substances.
So, exactly this option should be used everywhere and everywhere? More likely no than yes. After all, refined oil also contains a certain amount of useful substances. In addition, there is another reason why in some cases the unrefined product turns out to be completely unsuitable for use.
For example, unrefined oil is absolutely unsuitable for frying. Not only does it stand out in this case bad smell, and when heated, this type of oil is saturated with carcinogens. Surely everyone knows that this is not the most beneficial substance for our body. Also, foam may form during frying, which is not the best in the best possible way affects the taste of food.
It can save us from all of the above problems. Yes, it also releases when heated, but this only happens at a temperature of 200 degrees, which does not involve cooking over an open fire.
But refined products also have their disadvantages. Everyone knows the fact that a natural product cannot be stored for very long. But refined oil can. This means that it contains some amount of preservatives, no matter what the manufacturers claim.
Therefore, when preparing salads, it is much more important to use unrefined oil. It has a sufficient amount of vitamins and a minimum amount of harmful substances (after all, in this case it doesn't heat up).
In general, it would be best to use unrefined oil. It is considered more useful than any type of sunflower oil.
It is worth noting one more important point. When choosing unrefined oil, you need to pay attention to the one that was produced by cold pressing (temperature up to 45 degrees). It must be stored exclusively in a sealed glass container and in a cool, dark place.
Today everyone knows about the benefits of vegetable oils, and we have plenty to choose from: the assortment is so rich that buyers of previous, “Soviet” times could not even imagine that there are so many types and varieties of vegetable oils in the world, and surprisingly tasty and healthy .
Vegetable oil is necessary for a person to have adequate nutrition, as it contains polyunsaturated fatty acid that protect our cells from negative impacts and destruction, as well as many vitamins and nutrients.
And how can you choose from all this abundance the right oil that will really bring benefits?
First of all, any oils are usually divided into refined and unrefined. And if earlier, several decades ago, unrefined oil was considered almost a product for the poor, today the situation has changed dramatically, and it is unrefined oils that are considered the best and most healing, and they say about refined oil that there is nothing useful left in it. Where is the truth?
The usefulness of vegetable oil depends mainly on its composition, the ratio of fats and acids, and these parameters remain practically unchanged even after refining. This means that the benefits of oil should not be judged from this point of view. However, the stages of refining are also different, and this is where you need to learn to understand.
Why is oil refined?
Why is oil refined if this does not affect its composition? First of all, this is done in order to make it neutral, almost tasteless. This may seem completely unnecessary, but you shouldn’t generalize too much - after all, oil in cooking is used to prepare many dishes, and completely different ones, both in composition and in method of preparation. It is better to season salads and some appetizers with unrefined oil, since these dishes are not subject to heat treatment, and the oil will add additional flavor to the salad.
If vegetable oil is used for preparing hot dishes, frying or baking foods, then unrefined oil can do more harm than good - due to the formation of smoke, burning, foam, unpleasant odor and taste. Unrefined oil, when overcooked, can also contribute to the formation of certain harmful substances in food, especially at high temperatures.
Oil refining methods
Vegetable oil in modern industry is refined in two ways: physical and chemical. The physical method usually involves the use of adsorbents, and the chemical method - alkalis. Most often used chemical method, because it is simpler, better developed, and the quality of the resulting product is also easier to control.
Manufacturers of oil refined in this way assure that consumers have nothing to fear, and no harmful impurities enter the composition of the final product, because the safest alkalis allowed for food processing are used in production. In addition, the oil is washed out well, and even traces chemical substances does not remain in it. I really want to believe that this is really so...
What is the difference between refined and unrefined oils?
Refined oil differs from unrefined oil not only in taste, or rather, lack thereof, but also in the fact that it does not smoke and does not form foam when preparing hot dishes.
Frying in oil
At the very least, in order for refined oil to start smoking, the frying pan must be quite hot. The temperature at which a particular oil begins to smoke is considered the smoke point, and it must be said that it is different for different oils.
During the frying process, if the oil smokes and burns, carcinogens are formed, and everyone has heard about their dangers. For example, acrolein, the simplest aldehyde formed in the fumes over a hot frying pan, has toxic effect on the mucous membranes of the eyes and irritates Airways, which leads to the development of various inflammatory diseases.
If a cook constantly breathes in acrolein fumes while preparing dishes, he will eventually acquire a whole bunch of chronic diseases, and the quality of the prepared dishes will not be the best. So for frying you need to use only refined oil, and do not overheat the pan.
At the smoke point of oils, other harmful substances, for example, fatty acid polymers and free radicals, and they remain in cooked dishes. If you often eat such dishes, this can lead to chronic health problems, including the development of oncology.
The brown crust on the crispy potatoes we love so much contains acrylamide, a substance that is also carcinogenic and can even destroy DNA. Most acrylamide is formed if you deep-fry potatoes for a long time - for example, as they do at McDonald's.
What is not contained in overcooked meat or fish: heterocyclic amines are formed inside the piece, which can cause heart disease, and in burnt roasts, polycyclic carcinogens with a large amount of carbon are formed. Most often this happens if the oil is not used for the first time, and the frying pan is very hot.
The next carcinogens that are often formed during frying are peroxides, and most of them are formed when frying in sunflower oil, which is so common in Central Russia. Therefore it is best used for frying olive oil– it practically does not form carcinogens. It’s not for nothing that the Mediterranean diet, in which olive oil is traditionally the main vegetable oil, is considered the healthiest.
Based on the above, it is not difficult to understand that oil, both refined and unrefined, must be used correctly - and then problems with nutrition and health will not arise.
Which oil is healthier: refined or unrefined?
Still, you should know that the healthiest thing is unrefined vegetable oils obtained by cold pressing at low temperatures - no higher than 45°C. These oils have a rich color, a characteristic smell for each type and a real, natural taste.
The benefits of using such oil can hardly be overestimated, but you need to remember some rules.
You cannot store “live” oil in heat, light and open air - this way it will quickly lose all its properties. beneficial features, will become cloudy, become bitter and tasteless, and will only bring harm to the body.
Unrefined oil generally has a short shelf life - and, perhaps, this is its main drawback, so it is better to store it in the refrigerator, in a glass bottle, and not use it after the expiration date.
In our retail sales Refined oil is most commonly found and can last much longer. However, no matter how the manufacturers assure us, many refined oils contain almost no vitamins and few useful substances; This especially applies to oils processed hot, at temperatures up to 200°C. This may be why some refined oil manufacturers tell consumers that they can keep it in the light and it won't spoil - because there's almost nothing there to spoil.
So refined oil should be used only for frying and baking foods, and add unrefined oil to salads, vinaigrettes, appetizers and seasonings - this way you will get all the best that nature has in vegetable oil.
Shea butter (karite) is extracted from the fruit of the shea tree, called the African miracle. It is widely used in cooking, but in Russia it is better known as cosmetic product for hair, face and body care.
When purchasing a product, many are faced with the problem of choosing between purified and unrefined shea butter. The difference in price between the two types is considerable, so let's figure out whether it's worth overpaying.
Refined and unrefined shea butter: the difference between them
Classification of shea butter classes
- A – unrefined shea butter. Natural product obtained with water. The color is from light beige to bright yellow, the smell is faint nutty.
- B – refined, deodorized. White(may have a yellowish tint), odorless.
- C is a product obtained using a solvent. White, odorless.
- D – product containing impurities in small quantities.
- C – product containing large quantity impurities. It is used extremely rarely in cosmetology.
The first three classes of shea butter are commercial, i.e. approved for use in cosmetology and pharmacology. Most often, class A and B shea butter is found on the shelves of our stores and pharmacies.
What is the difference between the two main types of product?
Upon receipt, unrefined shea butter is not subjected to any heat treatment, which allows it to retain all the useful components of the original raw material. The lion's share (about 80%) of its composition comes from triglycerides formed by fatty acids (palmitic, linoleic, stearic, etc.). Slightly less than 20% are unsaponifiable fats, represented mainly by caristerols. It is their joint work with triglycerides that determines the benefits of the product.
In addition, unrefined shea butter contains only 1% vitamin E (for example, it contains many times more). Color natural product may vary from light beige to deep yellow, odor quality product- buttery and nutty, not rancid in any way.
What happens when refining shea butter? During the refining process, any vegetable oil loses most their vitamins and minerals. Shea butter after purification is deprived of such richness as 1% tocopherol, but triglycerides and caristerols remain almost untouched in the composition of the product. There is no aroma, like the one.
Uses of unrefined shea butter
Unrefined shea butter is used for burns, bruises, participates in the process of skin regeneration, moisturizes and nourishes. It is applied as in pure form, and in combination with other care products. Representatives of the fair sex use the product to moisturize dry facial skin.
Shea butter is very good to use in winter. It will perfectly moisturize and nourish lips and hands that are chapped in the cold.
Shea butter will also help to cope with rough skin on the heels and elbows. Daily use will significantly improve the condition of these problem areas.
In addition, the oil is part of various anti-inflammatory ointments and lotions necessary for the treatment of skin diseases, for example, acne, eczema, age spots, scars, rosacea, etc. It perfectly heals and disinfects the skin.
Shea butter is no less useful for hair. Application will help solve problems such as hair loss, dullness and split ends. It is enough to apply the product several times a week to the hair roots and along the entire length so that your curls thank you with incredible shine and strength.
Using Refined Shea Butter
Refined shea butter lasts longer than unrefined shea butter, which makes it more practical to use. In addition, despite the cleaning process, it does not lose properties such as hydration and nutrition. Therefore, many women use refined shea butter as part of homemade masks for the face and body, as well as hair.
Which shea butter is better: refined or unrefined?
So what is the difference between refined and unrefined shea butter, other than color and lack of aroma? That's right, it doesn't contain that one percent of vitamin E. Does this make it worse? Possibly, but not critical. In the end, it can be enriched with vitamin E, purchased at the nearest pharmacy for pennies. So is it worth overpaying?
Refined vegetable oil is the product obtained as a result different operations purification from pressed plant materials. Moreover, any oil can be used: obtained from seeds, as well as from leaves, roots and nuts. The very word “refinement” came to us from French, in which “raffine” means “refined, processed.”
Refined oil is in simple language, processed and refined vegetable oil. The refining process involves removing a wide variety of impurities and substances from unrefined raw materials. Refining is actually quite complex operation. It consists of several stages, each of which can be either the only refining method or used in conjunction with the others.
How is it refined?
Vegetable oil is refined in the following ways:
Beneficial features
Despite the fact that opponents of refined oil use to argue their position that refining completely deprives the oil of beneficial substances and vitamins, this opinion is still somewhat erroneous, since it is worth paying attention to the heat treatment that you will carry out with this type of product. The fact is that when heated, unrefined food produces very harmful carcinogens. That is why for frying and other types of culinary operations directly related to high temperatures, only refined oil should be used. In addition, refined oil is not capable of acting as an allergen, which means that it will be safe for people suffering from various types of allergies.
And, of course, one should not say so categorically about the “emptiness” regarding the presence of useful substances in the composition of refined vegetable oil. The fact is that, indeed, various stages of refining remove some types of vitamins from the oil. But fatty acids remain available, such as Omega-3 and Omega-6, which are necessary cardiovascular system our body, they save us from the development of atherosclerosis and prevent thrombus formation. The absence of these acids in daily diet may slow down the growth and development of the body, impair blood clotting and suppress the reproductive system.
Use in cooking
The use of refined vegetable oil in cooking is very widespread. Most often, of course, our compatriots use refined sunflower oil for culinary purposes. But one should not discount many other types of oils, each of which has its own unique taste qualities and the presence of a variety of useful components:
In almost every recipe we can find such an ingredient as vegetable oil. You should pay attention to the method of processing the products included in its composition. Remember that unrefined vegetable oil is permissible only in recipes where there is no heat treatment at all, for example, in salads and dressings for ready-made dishes, because when heated and reaching the smoke point, it forms a huge amount of harmful substances.
One more positive quality a refined product is that it does not have the specific taste and smell inherent in unrefined oil. After all, if you prepare a salad, then the rich aroma of olive, sunflower or sesame oil will be appropriate, but when frying a juicy steak, it will not be suitable at all. In addition, unrefined oil will foam during frying and will not give golden brown crust, which we would like to receive.
Benefits of refined vegetable oil and treatment
The benefit of refined oil is the absence of allergic reaction while using it. That is why it is recommended for small children. After all, vegetable oil is an essential component of a child’s diet literally from the first year of his life. Besides, When caring for your baby’s delicate skin, you should also use refined versions of various oils that are not capable of causing allergic itching, rashes and irritations on the baby’s delicate skin.
In addition, it is also preferable for adults to use refined oil for medical purposes.
Regular consumption of refined corn or sunflower oil in moderation will help lower blood cholesterol levels, and their mild enveloping effect will help relieve coughs and cope with dry skin.
For cosmetic purposes, refined oil will be yours faithful assistant. After all oil masks will return strength, shine and beauty to your hair. Thanks to warm oil baths, your nails will become stronger and grow better. The oil will also help treat rough heels and chapped lips.
Harm of refined vegetable oil and contraindications
The harm of refined oil lies mainly in its calorie content, because it is quite high and amounts to 899 kcal per 100 g. That is why you should carefully monitor the amount of product consumed.
Nutritionists have been talking about the benefits of vegetable oils for a long time. Therefore, many people who care about their health prefer to use them rather than animal fat or butter. More recently, several decades ago, one could see 2-3 different types vegetable oil. Nowadays, the variety of names and brands of various vegetable oils simply dazzles the eyes.
However, all products on sale are presented in two main groups: refined vegetable oil and unrefined oil, the differences of which few people fully know. In addition, both products are tasty and healthy, so it doesn’t make you think too much about why they are divided into two types. However, they have significant differences that you need to be able to understand. So which oil should you choose? Let's figure it out together:
Refined and unrefined - which one to choose?
The point is that both types are needed. They are simply designed for different purposes. Let's talk about this in more detail:
Both one and the other type of product are made from the same plant material. The only difference between them is the degree of purification. For example, refined oil is the most thoroughly refined. During its industrial production, it goes through several stages of technological purification. In addition, it is refined. After which the oil becomes suitable for heat treatment. You can fry a variety of foods on it, and it does not foam or smoke when heated.
Unrefined oil is purified through very limited mechanical filtration. Therefore, it retains most of the beneficial substances, but is not used in cooking for frying. It is used for dressing salads and snacks.
Most housewives are sure that unrefined is healthier, so it is more preferable. Is it so? Let's talk more about nutritional value of both types of product.
Properties of unrefined oil
The most useful product with a healing effect is considered to be one made by cold pressing at a temperature not exceeding 40 - 45° C. This oil has more dark color, it is odorous, and sediment forms at the bottom of the bottle. At the same time, it is tasty and very healthy.
However, you need to remember the significant drawback of this particular product. For example, since unrefined is “live” and biologically active, it has the property of quickly deteriorating. It becomes cloudy, bitter, and subject to rapid oxidation. Therefore, it cannot be stored for a long time and quickly loses its healing qualities.
Therefore, when using unrefined vegetable oils, remember a few rules:
Store the product bottle at room temperature, in a dark place, tightly closed to prevent air from entering. Air and sunlight destroy useful material, cause cloudiness, worsen the taste.
Do not store it for a long time, since unrefined oil is not intended for this. Be sure to keep this in a glass bottle. This way it lasts longer.
Never use it for frying. When oil boils, a huge amount of carcinogens is formed, which has a detrimental effect on health. In addition, when heated, the oil hisses, splashes and smokes. This product is intended for oral administration medicinal purposes and for dressing salads, but not for frying.
Properties of refined oil
Basically, you can find on sale different kinds namely refined (purified) oils. During their production, they undergo careful processing and refining. In this case, taste and smell are almost completely lost. Also, the product loses almost all the beneficial properties of the “live” oil.
Since refined oil is biologically deprived active substances, vitamins, has no natural sediment, it practically does not spoil. The product is not afraid of air, sun rays, so it can be stored perfectly for a long time in light transparent plastic bottles.
Refined vegetable oil is ideal for frying. It does not splash, does not smoke. But for seasoning ready-made dishes, it is still better to use unrefined, which is rich in vitamins.
Although, of course, if refined food is kept in a hot frying pan longer, it will also begin to burn and smoke. In this process, harmful carcinogens are formed. Therefore, it is better to consume as little as possible fried foods.
All nutritionists recommend using refined oils for frying and stewing foods. It is preferable to cook with olive or rapeseed. These types are the least susceptible to oxidation, and their structure is not destroyed when heated. In order not to harm your health, it is recommended to heat the oil no higher than 180° C. When the temperature exceeds this figure, a slight smoke is observed above the surface of the frying pan. This indicates the beginning of the formation of toxic substances.
Well, to season ready-made dishes, use fragrant, unrefined oil. However, many people do not like this product. In this case, the essential fatty acids and vitamins contained in it can be obtained from nuts or sunflower seeds. For example, 1 tsp. oils will completely replace 2 tsp. seeds, 1-2 walnuts, 6 almonds or 2 tbsp. l. peanuts Be healthy!
