Vegetable oils vs. cholesterol

• April 29, 2024

The best oils for our health are those of vegetable origin: olive, sunflower, corn, walnut, wheat germ and soybeans. These are unsaturated oils that help to improve the health of our heart and arteries, because they decrease the levels of bad cholesterol (LDL) in the blood and increase the good cholesterol (HDL)

Unlike animal oils and fats, which when saturated increase the cholesterol and cardiovascular risk, vegetable oils can be described as "good fats", which allow to maintain healthy levels of cholesterol.

The importance of polyunsaturated fatty acids is that they contain two families of essential oils that the organism can not synthesize: omega 3 or linoleic acid and omega 6 or linolenic acid .

Vegetable oils also provide vitamin E, an antioxidant that reduces cellular deterioration, helps the formation of red blood cells and maintains a healthy circulatory system. Therefore, we tell you some of the most recommendable to control the levels of cholesterol , according to innatia.com:
 

1. Olive oil: The virgin and the pure are the richest in vitamin E (natural antioxidant) and phytosterols. They stand out for their high contribution of monounsaturated fat (mainly oleic acid), which prevents cardiovascular diseases. This fat increases the levels of good cholesterol (HDL) .
 

2. Sunflower oil: after safflower oil, it is the richest in linoleic acid and, after wheat germ, it is also richer in vitamin E.
 

3. Soybean oil: of neutral taste, it is rich in polyunsaturated fats , especially in linolenic acid.
 

4. Walnut oil: It is obtained by cold pressing and does not require refining. It is the richest in linolenic acid. It oxidizes and becomes very easily rancid.
 

5. Sesame or sesame oil : contains the same proportion of oleic acid (monounsaturated) and linoleic acid (polyunsaturated). It does not require refining, it contains a natural antioxidant, sesamol, which makes it very stable and resistant to oxidation, which is why it supports several years without becoming rancid.
 

6. Sacha inchi oil: made from a seed of American origin with the same name, its oil contains the lowest percentage of fatty acids of all oils of vegetable origin, in addition to a high content of polyunsaturated acids such as omega 3, omega 6 and omega 9.
 

7. Argan oil: It is highly appreciated in cuisine for its exquisite aroma and its mild flavor. Obtained from almonds, it is rich in vitamin E and linolenic acid.
 

8. Evening primrose oil It is good for the heart since it has vasodilator action, besides preventing the formation of clots and reducing hypertension. Many consider it useful for the natural treatment against cholesterol high.

An adequate balance in the use of vegetable oils has a lower risk of raising the levels of bad cholesterol , of cardiovascular diseases , allergies, inflammations and some types of cancer.