Which oil is odorless, refined or unrefined. Refined and unrefined vegetable oil, which is healthier, why oil is refined

Various oils of vegetable origin are extremely popular and quite widely demanded by those who lead a healthy lifestyle. Today, olive oil, which is considered more useful, dietary and rich in nutrients, enjoys special love. However, many consumers are periodically perplexed: which of the olive oils is better to choose - refined or not?! Also, most people rarely clearly understand what exactly is the difference between them. So let's talk about this in this article “Refined and unrefined olive oil, which is better”.

Why carry out such a procedure as refining?

After squeezing the oil from the olives, it is not processed in any way. This oil is unrefined. In this form, it is bottled and sold. But on the shelves of the store, in addition to unrefined oil, you can also see refined oil ... How is it obtained? For what?

Under industrial conditions, the product refining procedure occurs in 2 ways:

Physical
Chemical

The first of them involves the use of adsorbents, and the second relies on the use of alkali. At the same time, it is also considered more in demand, because. characterized by simplicity and sophistication. The quality of the final product is much easier to control with this method.

Essentially, oil refining does not affect its composition in any way. At the same time, this procedure, thanks to the cleaning of the oil, makes it possible to make it almost neutral, depriving it of a pronounced taste. And this procedure is extremely necessary, because. in cooking, there are a huge number of dishes and cooking recipes in which the smell and taste of natural oil would be redundant. The task of such dishes is to reveal the taste of the product, and the task of the oil in such a dish is not to change this taste.

But not all meals are like this. So, for example, it is better to fill salads with unrefined oil, because. this will give the food a more interesting taste, which will perfectly set off the dish precisely due to the taste of the oil and its aroma. This is due to the fact that the salad does not undergo heat treatment.

If frying food is meant, then unrefined oil will be more harmful than useful, because. it will become a catalyst for smoke, burning, foam and, as a result, an unpleasant smell and taste of products. In addition, unrefined oil, when roasted, is quite capable of provoking the formation of a number of harmful substances, carcinogens (leading to the development of tumors).

Which is better, refined or unrefined olive oil?

Olive oil today is considered such a product that must be included in the list of daily consumed products. And this state of affairs did not appear by chance. After all, this oil actually has an extremely positive effect on human health. At the same time, its main positive property is that it is able to exert its healing effect even when using small doses of the product.

This oil has an amazing chemical composition. In fact, it is the most nutritious plant-based food available—it's high in monounsaturated fats. It is this substance that helps to reduce bad cholesterol. And that means that those who regularly use such a product are less likely to be overcome by major diseases of the cardiovascular system. And this product is often called a means of preventing Alzheimer's disease. At the same time, it additionally possesses a whole complex of other vitamins, acids, microelements valuable for the body.

The vitamins present in the oil, which include A; B; C; D; E; F; K which allow you to slow down the aging of the female body, as they cope with free radicals. And they are also responsible for bone strength and muscle strength, and also significantly correct the functioning of the digestive system and intestines.

Which one to choose - refined or not?

Since olive oil must be consumed regularly to obtain a lasting effect, the question becomes natural: which one to choose - refined or not. Traditionally, unrefined olive oil is considered more useful, because. in the process of refining, it goes through a certain processing, due to which it loses some of its properties. It is also worth understanding that in most cases, unrefined olive oil is used for cold dishes - salads, creating marinades for fish, etc. And from this it follows that for health it is better to choose unrefined olive oil (not chemically processed).

For frying, it is worth choosing refined oil, which has undergone special processing and does not foam, and also does not form carcinogens.

What to do if you need to fry, and at home only unrefined oil ??? You certainly should not be afraid that if necessary, frying on it will begin to smoke. This is not pleasant and the dish may not turn out as expected, but for frying it will do. What about carcinogens? Yes, so that they do not form, it is better to use refined oil. But! Be aware that with prolonged frying, refined oil can also start to foam, and carcinogens are also formed in it ...

When choosing an oil, you should not stop only at the “refined / unrefined” oil gradation, because this does not fully determine the quality of the product and does not fully determine its carcinogenicity.

In the case of olive oil, it is important to choose what is produced by cold pressing. This means that the process of obtaining it is quite lengthy: the olives are washed, then dried and pressed. The process ends with sedimentation and filtration. This technology is considered the best, because. tested over the years. Such oil is even often called Provence oil, which on a subconscious level is interpreted by many as high quality. As a rule, it has the name "Virgen" (from Spanish - a virgin). It is quite easy to distinguish it from other options - it has a somewhat greenish color and has a special bitter taste.

An oil that is labeled "Aceite de Oliva" or "Light olive oil" is usually made by blending Provence unrefined and processed oils. Pomace olive oil is often referred to as unrefined second pressing. But in fact it means that the product was obtained by pressing not whole olives, but their pomace. By the way, the Spanish Ministry of Health has banned such an oil product for sale in its own country, because. as a result of a number of studies, it was found that it contains substances that lead to cancer.

It is worth paying attention to the indication of the acidity of the oil, which is usually written on the packaging. It is worth choosing the option that has a lower index. If there is no mark about acidity, it is worth looking at the characteristics of such a plan as taste and smell. It is worth remembering that the milder the taste of olive oil, the lower its acidity.

As for the refined varieties of olive oil, as well as all its mixtures, they can also be used for dressing salads and consumed raw if necessary, although the healthier unrefined is generally recommended. But such a recommendation does not mean that the refined product is of poor quality or bad, not at all, but it is better to use it exclusively for frying. It just doesn't have that much flavor...

Everyone knows about the benefits of vegetable oils today, and we have plenty to choose from: the assortment is so rich that buyers of the former, “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 for good nutrition, as it contains polyunsaturated fatty acids that protect our cells from negative influences and destruction, as well as many vitamins and nutrients.

And how to choose from all this abundance the oil that will really benefit?

First of all, any oils are used to be 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 healing, and about refined oil they say 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. So, the benefits of oil should not be judged from this point of view. Nevertheless, the stages of refining are also different, and here you need to learn how to understand.

Why is oil refined?

Why refine the oil if it 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 should not generalize too much - after all, oil in cooking is used to prepare many dishes, and they are completely different, both in composition and in the method of preparation. Dressing salads and some snacks is better with unrefined oil, since these dishes are not cooked, besides, the oil will add extra flavor to the salad.

If vegetable oil is used for cooking hot dishes, for frying or baking food, 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 involves the use of alkalis. Most often, the chemical method is used, because it is simpler, better worked out, 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 well washed, and even traces of chemicals do not remain in it. I really want to believe that this is actually the case ...

What is the difference between refined and unrefined oils?

Refined oil differs from unrefined oil not only in taste, or rather, in its absence, but also in that it does not smoke and does not form foam when cooking hot dishes.

Oil frying

At the very least, in order for the refined oil to start smoking, the pan must be fairly hot. The temperature at which one or another oil begins to smoke is considered the smoke point, and it must be said that it is different for different oils.

In the process of frying, if the oil smokes and burns, carcinogens are formed, and everyone has heard about their harm. For example, acrolein, the simplest aldehyde, formed in fumes over a hot frying pan, has a toxic effect on the mucous membranes of the eyes and irritates the respiratory tract, which leads to the development of various inflammatory diseases.

If a cook constantly breathes acrolein fumes when preparing dishes, then in the end he will acquire a whole bunch of chronic diseases, besides, the quality of the prepared dishes will be far from the best. So for frying, you need to use only refined oil, and do not overheat the pan.

Other harmful substances, such as fatty acid polymers and free radicals, are also formed at the smoking point of oils, and they remain in the composition of cooked dishes. If you often eat such dishes, then this can lead to chronic health problems, including the development of oncology.

The brown skin on the fried potatoes we love so much contains acrylamide, a substance that also has carcinogenic properties and can even destroy DNA. Most of the 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 roast - polycyclic carcinogens with a large amount of carbon. Most often this happens if the oil is not used for the first time, and the pan is very hot.

The next carcinogens that are often formed during frying are peroxides, and most of them are formed when frying with sunflower oil, which is so common in Central Russia. Therefore, it is best to use olive oil for frying - it practically does not form carcinogens. No wonder the Mediterranean diet, in which the main vegetable oil is traditionally olive, is considered the most beneficial for health.

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?

And yet, you should know that it is unrefined vegetable oils that are most useful, obtained by cold pressing at low temperatures - not higher than 45 ° C. These oils have a rich color, a characteristic smell for each type and a real, natural taste.

It is difficult to overestimate the benefits of using such oil, but some rules must be remembered.

You can not store "live" oil in heat, in the light and in the open air - so it will quickly lose all its beneficial properties, become cloudy, become bitter and tasteless, and only harm 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.

Refined oils are the most commonly found in our retailers and can last much longer. However, no matter how manufacturers assure us, many refined oils contain almost no vitamins, and few useful substances; this is especially true for hot processed oils up to 200°C. Perhaps that's why some refined oil manufacturers tell consumers that it can be stored in the light and it won't go bad—because there's almost nothing to go bad.

So, refined oil should be used only for frying and baking foods, and add unrefined oil to salads, vinaigrettes, snacks and seasonings - this way you get all the best that is in vegetable oil from nature.

Gataulina Galina
for women's magazine website

When using and reprinting the material, an active link to the women's online magazine is required

In recent years, more and more often from various culinary and other programs one can hear that it is recommended to use not sunflower oil, but olive oil.

About 20 years ago there was no olive oil, we went to the market and bought only sunflower oil. Moreover, it was dark brown in color and with a strong smell. Today, sunflower oil is crystal clear and light on store shelves. And there is practically no smell.

But no one doubts the benefits of olive oil.

Let's figure out what is useful and what is not and what we usually buy.

Useful properties of sunflower oil:

• 99.9% in sunflower oil are saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. The latter play an important role in creating a good cell membrane and sheaths of nerve endings.
• Sunflower oil is rich in vitamin E. It is 3 times more than in olive oil.
• PM contains vitamin A (retinol). This vitamin plays an important role in human development and growth. Needed for vision, and is an antioxidant in the fight against infections.
• Rich in vitamin D (calcitriol). It also plays an important role in the growth of children's bones, the development of muscles, intestines and kidneys. Improves immunity. Responsible for blood clotting and thyroid function. Regulates mineral metabolism in the body.
• Rich in vitamin E (tocopherol). It is responsible for the reproductive function and for the aging process. Helps strengthen the walls of capillaries, improve blood circulation, lower blood pressure. Protects against the action of free radicals, improves immunity.
• Rich in vitamin F - includes lenoleic and linolenic unsaturated fatty acids, which are very important for humans.

Participate directly in the creation of cell membranes. They are responsible for the metabolism of fats in the body, do not allow cholesterol to form on the walls of blood vessels. Promote good blood circulation, improve skin and hair.

Which oil to choose: refined or unrefined?

The oil that we buy at the food preparation store is either refined or unrefined.

Any oil, whether sunflower or olive, is obtained either by pressing (mechanically) or by extraction (with the addition of chemical solvents, which are then removed from the final product).

This is how unrefined oil is obtained. If it has not been heat treated, then it is saturated with all the useful substances that we talked about above. This oil is darker, with a more pronounced smell, and you can see the sediment at the bottom of the bottle.

This oil is great for salads and is best not used for frying, as dangerous compounds are formed when heated.

Unrefined oil is subjected to further refining. And then sunflower or any other oil becomes clean, transparent and light, without a pronounced smell, but not so useful. This oil is best suited for frying and has a longer shelf life.

And which oil is more useful sunflower or olive?

Which of these vegetable oils is more useful for dressing a salad, and which one for frying?

This will help us understand the composition of one and the other oil, moreover, in an unrefined state (since we already know that such an oil is more useful).

Amount of saturated fatty acids:

• olive oil - 12%
• sunflower oil - 13%.

Entry of polyunsaturated fatty acids:

• olive oil - 10%
• sunflower oil - 72%.

Amount of monounsaturated fatty acids in oils:

• olive - 77%
• sunflower - 16%.

Vitamin E per 100g of product:

• olive oil - 12 mg
• sunflower oil - 40-60 mg

By calorie content:

• olive oil - 899 kcal.
• sunflower oil - 900 kcal.

This factor certainly cannot be the key to preference for a low-calorie diet.

Neither oil has a clear advantage. In one oil there is more than one, in another there is more.

I would say that they rather do not conflict, but can complement each other. The decisive moment what to choose for you can be the price and taste preferences.

For frying, use refined olive oil, which forms the least amount of harmful compounds when heated.

Food is the best medicine! Be healthy!

Almost certainly, a modern housewife would rather give her 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 "bursting" with all sorts of types, which are divided into two main categories: unrefined oil and refined.

If desired, these groups can also 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 refined and unrefined products.

Not so long ago, no one puzzled over such a problem, because the vast majority preferred the first option - refined oil. It was believed that unrefined oil is an unrefined product that does not smell very tasty. However, some people liked this smell, which determined their own choice.

But recently, in connection with the emerging fashion for a healthy diet, many began to think about the advisability of using unrefined products. After all, unrefined oil has a fairly large amount of useful substances.

So, this option should be used everywhere and everywhere? Rather no than yes. After all, refined oil has a certain amount of useful substances. In addition, there is another reason why in some cases the crude product is completely unusable.

For example, unrefined oil is absolutely unsuitable for frying. Not only does an unpleasant odor stand out in this case, but when heated, this type of oil is saturated with carcinogens. Surely everyone knows that this is not the most useful substance for our body. Also, when frying, foam can form, which does not have the best effect on the taste of food.

Able to save us from all of the above problems. Yes, it also emits 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 drawbacks. Everyone and everyone knows the fact that a natural product cannot be stored for a very long time. And refined oil - can. This means that it contains a certain proportion of preservatives, no matter what the manufacturers claim.

Therefore, when preparing salads, it is much more preferable to use unrefined oil. It has a sufficient amount of vitamins and a minimum amount of harmful substances (because in this case it does not heat up).

In general, it is best to use unrefined It is considered more useful than any of the types of sunflower oils.

It is worth noting another 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 is required to store it exclusively in a glass sealed container and in a cool dark place.

In cooking, the use of refined oil for cooking is quite popular: this is justified by the absence of smell and color in such oil. Is this product really an oil?

Simply put, refined vegetable oil is a product that has undergone deep purification and processing from various impurities and substances. Refining is a rather laborious process and is carried out in several stages. In addition, each of the stages can be used both independently and in combination with others.

Some experts argue that as a result of all treatments, the oil loses its beneficial properties and is harmful to humans, while others refute these statements.

And yet, what is refined oil: is it good or bad for the body?

Refined oil: what kind of product

The oil is refined if it contains undesirable impurities, as well as in order to improve the commercial properties, for example: lack of sediment, transparency, longer shelf life.

But in addition to cleaning from impurities, refined sunflower oil also loses useful elements: phosphatides, vitamins A, E, D. Such oil does not have the color characteristic of the oil, since natural dye is removed from it, as well as substances that are responsible for the smell and taste of the product . Given the minimum content of nutrients, refined oil is significantly inferior in terms of characteristics and benefits to unrefined oil.

Today, the production of refined oil is a whole business industry in which producers strive to make as much profit as possible with a minimum of investment. The time required to obtain the final product has been significantly reduced: naturally, to the detriment of its nutritional qualities and taste characteristics. After all the oil processing procedures, not only is the product not useful, it is also quite harmful.

It is unlikely that anyone seeks to worsen their health; therefore, it is better to exclude a product such as refined oil from your diet: after all, it contains trans fats up to 25%. They are absent in nature, and it remains a big mystery for the body how to deal with these substances, as a result of which they accumulate in the body, and over time, an excess of these substances leads to negative consequences and the development of diseases, for example, atherosclerosis, cancer, and disruption of the hormonal system. and others.

Frying in such oil is contraindicated: after all, under the influence of high temperatures - and a hot frying pan has a temperature of at least 200 degrees - the composition of such oil changes completely, carcinogenic substances are formed in it, which are absorbed into the food during cooking and enter the body with them.

Refined sunflower oil: benefits and harms

Unrefined oils have proven to be the most beneficial. During refining, both undesirable impurities and useful substances necessary for the body for normal functioning and assimilation of the product are removed from the oil. This oil is easy to distinguish from others due to its external characteristics: it is a light, almost transparent oil; when frying, it does not smoke or smell.

Refined sunflower oil, the benefits and harms of which are unequal, is obtained through the use of various purification technologies. Some technologies are less harmful, others more, but each of them does not bring much benefit.

Distinguish between a chemical method of refining and a physical one. The first method involves the use of alkalis through which oil is passed, and for the second method adsorbents are used. Today, the most commonly used chemical method.

Is refined sunflower oil useful, and what harm lies in its use?

If we talk about the advantages of this product, we can highlight the fact that it does not smoke when frying, does not foam and is almost tasteless. These are just some of the disadvantages as well. After all, after the purification procedure, no useful elements remain in the oil.

Refined oil is often used for frying, but you should not do this, because when heated, it releases substances that are harmful and dangerous to the body. If you follow your health and are a supporter of proper nutrition and a healthy lifestyle, then try to completely exclude frying: it can be replaced by stewing, steaming, baking. If you can’t do without frying, then use natural fats for this that have not been subjected to additional processing, for example, ghee. It is impossible to completely exclude oil from the diet, it is necessary for the full functioning of the body, but it must be used in small quantities.

Refined oil: harm

Oil that has gone through several stages of purification - refining - loses all its beneficial properties and becomes harmful for several reasons.

• First: the product, which is obtained as a result of refining, is exposed to chemicals and hot steam. Thus, the probability of preserving useful substances is close to zero; the same applies to the preservation of phosphatides, carotene, proteins and vitamins.
• The second refined vegetable oil cannot be thoroughly purified from the chemicals used for refining - hexane and gasoline. As part of such an “oil”, impurities of these harmful substances remain, which subsequently accumulate in the body.
• Third: oil after refining is much more prone to oxidation.
• Fourth: the composition of refined oil is fundamentally different from the natural composition of the unrefined product.

These factors indicate that refined oil is harmful to the body! By consuming such a product, a person accumulates harmful substances in the body that are not excreted and are one of the reasons for the development of malignant tumors and a number of other serious diseases.

How to cook with this oil? No way! It is better to completely avoid the consumption of such refined oil, devoid of all useful. Products can be stewed or cooked in non-stick cookware. This will be much more helpful.

For dressing salads, a small amount of unrefined sunflower or olive oil is perfect. The vegetable oil that can be used for frying is unrefined oil from high-oleic sunflower varieties: it does not form hazardous substances when heated. Refined oil is also harmful because of the changes that occur in it when exposed to high temperatures.

How oil is refined

What does the refining procedure include, what stages does the oil go through and what is the result? Let us consider in detail the purification technology and find out how refined oil is made.

Oil refining is the process of cleaning oil from possible impurities, but this procedure completely deprives the product of its nutritional value. The output is a useless liquid, actively used by housewives to prepare various culinary masterpieces, the use of which becomes hazardous to health.

The refining process itself consists in dividing the processed product into components, some of which are filtered out (often along with useful and nutritious substances), and the other part is sent for sale under the code name "refined sunflower oil", but only one name remains from the oil in it .

Nature provides for everything - both useful elements and auxiliary ones - for their assimilation, substances are harmoniously combined in food. All cleansing processes violate this harmony and prevent the saturation of the body with the necessary elements, and the products themselves, consumed for food, are already defective, since they are deprived of most of the necessary elements.

How is oil refined?

1. Initially, it is subjected to mechanical cleaning, which involves the removal of so-called unnecessary substances from the composition by filtration.
2. The next step is to neutralize the oil. At this stage, alkalis are used to eliminate fatty acids. As a result of such exposure, the formation of salts occurs, which remove pigments and phosphatides from the product, which are necessary for high-quality assimilation.
3. Purification of oil using boiling water - hydration. As a result of this action, phosphatides precipitate.
4. To achieve maximum colorlessness of the oil, pigments are removed from it using charcoal and bleaching clay - adsorption refining.
5. Deodorization. To do this, the oil passes through a vacuum with boiling steam. As a result, even a small fraction of the smell or taste inherent in natural oil does not remain in the product.

So how is oil refined? For purification, a substance such as hexane is used. This solvent, which is present in gasoline, is not very suitable for human consumption. This substance is added to sunflower seeds. After obtaining the oil, hexane is removed with water vapor, and the residues are purified with alkali.

In order for the oil to become marketable, it undergoes a bleaching and deodorization procedure. After all these events, the finished "oil" is packaged and sent for sale. Can this product be called an oil? Hardly. Yes, and it is definitely not worth eating it.