Rapeseed oil – useful properties and contraindications. What is rapeseed oil used for and how is it used?

The content of the article

• What is rapeseed oil?
• What rapeseed oil is made of
• Rapeseed oil – properties
• Rapeseed oil – harm
• Rapeseed oil – good
• Rapeseed Oil – Application
• The price of rapeseed oil
• How to choose rapeseed oil

A useful herbal product began to be used more often. Find out what rapeseed oil is squeezed from, what its valuable properties are, and when such food even harms the body. Price information and how to choose the right product will help you make a successful purchase..

What is rapeseed oil?

To understand how beneficial the use of this product in food, you need to know what it contains. The composition of rapeseed oil is often equated with the content of nutrients to olive. Due to the similarity, the rapeseed product is even called “northern olive”. The main beneficial substances that it is rich in are fatty acids: polyunsaturated omega-3 linolenic and linoleic omega-6 acids, omega-9 monounsaturated oleic acid. It also contains in high concentration:

• vitamins – E, A, B, D;
• trace elements – calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, etc..

What rapeseed oil is made of

This healthy plant product is made from rape seed. Although this culture has been grown by people for more than one thousand years, the initially oily composition from the squeezed seed was not used for food. The product was used as a lubricant, and soap, drying oil were also made. The composition was not suitable for food, not only because of an unpleasant bitter taste, but also because of the content of components hazardous to health. Now there are also many technical varieties of rapeseed that are grown, for example, for processing to biofuels.

Thanks to constant selection since the 80s of the last century, it has become possible to produce rapeseed oil, which can and even is useful to eat. For these purposes, the canola variety is used predominantly. To obtain a more useful unrefined oil, the seeds are processed by cold pressing. A refined product that is less significant in nutritional value is made on a production scale using hydration, freezing and other technologies..

Rapeseed oil – properties

It is a product with high calorie content, good color density and consistency, which is a yellow or brownish oily liquid. It has a pleasant taste reminiscent of olive oil and a light nutty aroma. Consumers need to know about the following properties of rapeseed oil..

The main advantages:

• contains a plant analogue of the hormone estradiol, which has a beneficial effect on the female body, helps him prepare for conception;
• the composition includes monounsaturated fats that help lower cholesterol;
• valuable components of the product are omega-3 fatty acid, indispensable for the health of the brain and the cardiovascular system, and vitamin E, which strengthens cell walls;
• according to research, the composition is able to inhibit the development of malignant tumors.

Minuses:

• the product often contains erucic acid – a substance in large quantities toxic to the human body, causing growth retardation and sexual development disorders in children;
• there are many contraindications to the use of butter for food – cholelithiasis, any disease of the liver and digestive tract.

Rapeseed oil – harm

The negative impact that the product may have is due to the presence of erucic acid and toxic organic compounds, thioglycosides, in the rapeseed. These substances accumulate in the tissues of the body, adversely affecting the thyroid gland, liver, muscles and blood vessels. Due to the potential harm of rapeseed oil to various organs, such a product that has not been cleaned is banned for sale in many European countries. For these reasons, it is necessary to eat only squeezed seeds from the seeds of breeding plant varieties with an erucic acid content of not more than 0.3-0.6%.

Rapeseed oil – good

The beneficial effects on the body of this product were determined by the valuable fatty acids, vitamins and phospholipids contained in it. The benefits of rapeseed oil for the body are manifested in the acceleration of healing and metabolism, this ingredient is often used in the preparation of wellness diets. A high-quality product is useful even to small ones as a valuable component of baby food, and women should especially look at it. The healing mixture will saturate the cells with the necessary substances from the inside, works well in home beauty recipes, face masks and hair.

Rapeseed Oil – Application

Due to the beneficial nutritional composition, this product is widely used by housewives. The most common use of rapeseed oil is directly to food. It is recommended to use refined for frying, stewing foods, and natural for refueling vegetable salads, which will immediately enrich the taste of the dish.

This product is often used from rapeseed in cosmetology – for example, it is included in the composition of care products to get a good skin moisturizing effect. Apply compositions with it for hair – masks with this component help strengthen the strands from the very roots, eliminate dandruff. Thanks to valuable regenerative properties, this oily substance will be effective for children and adults even with more serious lesions – they can lubricate cuts, burns, peeling with dermatitis, so that the skin heals faster.

The price of rapeseed oil

Although this product is extremely useful, it is not always sold close to home. To find a bottle with a valuable composition on the shelf of a large supermarket or to buy in the online store will not be a particular problem. What is the average price of rapeseed oil? The product is inexpensive – in the range of 45-60 rubles per 1 kg. Due to the affordable cost, rapeseed oil may well compete with the usual sunflower or more expensive olive oil in households..

How to choose rapeseed oil

You need to know what nuances when using have different varieties. How to choose rapeseed oil to provide only benefits for the body? Here are some important guidelines:

• Look at the color of the product – the liquid should be amber yellow and transparent.
• There should be no sediment at the bottom of the container with natural crude oil. The presence of such an impurity indicates that the composition has oxidized and will be bitter in dishes.
• The content of erucic acid should be minimal – not more than 0.6%.
• Read the label carefully. If it is indicated that the oil is hydrogenated, it is better to refuse such a purchase: the molecular structure of this liquid is unstable, because the product will not bring any benefit to the body.
• The quality of the purchased oil should confirm the inherent light nut flavor.
• For storage, better pour the product into a glass container with a tight-fitting lid and place in a cool dark place..