Frying with these three fats could raise your cholesterol and increase heart disease risk
Firstly, we should avoid margarine. Its use for frying dishes is not recommended, primarily due to the presence of industrial trans fatty acids. These isomers occur during the process of hardening vegetable oils and negatively impact our health.
4:36 PM EST, January 13, 2024
Margarine poses significant health risks because it noticeably increases the level of harmful LDL cholesterol and triglycerides in the blood while reducing the concentration of beneficial HDL cholesterol. Regularly frying food in margarine can lead to serious health problems, such as atherosclerosis, heart attack, or stroke.
Is olive oil safe for frying? It's safer to avoid
Next fat to avoid during frying is olive oil. Though it perfectly complements salads, sandwich spreads, or boiled vegetables, its use for frying is not recommended. Olive oil has a low smoke point, meaning that fried meat burns quickly.
When olive oil is overheated, it may produce carcinogenic substances, which could harm our health.
Why flaxseed oil should not be used for frying
The last type of fat to avoid when frying is flaxseed oil. Despite being a rich source of beneficial polyunsaturated omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids, it is unsuitable for frying.
Flaxseed oil results from the cold pressing of common flax seeds and has various health benefits, such as supporting the proper functioning of the immune, nervous, and cardiovascular systems, aiding digestion, and helping treat chronic intestinal inflammation.
However, it has a low smoke point and quickly breaks down when heated. When subjected to heat, the unsaturated acids in flaxseed oil transform into harmful, carcinogenic substances. Alpha-linolenic acid oxidizes very quickly and produces peroxides that are dangerous to our body. To avoid atherosclerosis and other cardiovascular diseases, adding flaxseed oil to salads is better.
