If you ask someone like me about the benefits of cottonseed oil, all you’ll get is a clumsy smile “I do not know”. Although many of us use cotton seed oil in our daily lives, we do not know much about its many health benefits. I just love lacing my salads with cottonseed oil – the flavor added to the salad is really exotic. Read about Amazing Health Benefits of Cotton Seed Oil
The nut flavor is hard to miss, and fried snacks in cotton oil have a longer shelf life. On a lazy Sunday afternoon, after blowing up some fish in cottonseed oil, I decided to spend the rest of the afternoon reading about cottonseed oil. Here I have gathered a few facts about this wonder oil used by many in cooking a few delicious ones.
Table of Contents
History of Cottonseed Oil:
Cotton has been around since ancient times and it has been found that people of 3500 BC woven cotton cloth. This was evident from pieces of tissue from the civilization of the Indus Valley that was found by archaeologists.
Over the centuries, more research has been done to find out how cotton can be used in other ways. It was found that the oil extracted from the cotton seeds could be used for cooking. More studies have found that cottonseed oil is one that has quite a few health benefits.
Top 10 Cottonseed Oil Uses:
Cottonseed oil falls into the category of vegetable oils and is considered one of the most popular cooking oils in kitchens around the world. It is used in a variety of ways such as vinaigrette for salads and frying many foods.
Here is an overview of the top 10 reasons why cottonseed oil is so popular:
1. It contains a large amount of antioxidants that are essential for good health.
2. It is also rich in vitamin E, which, like antioxidants, is important in the fight against free radicals.
3. Cottonseed oil is low in cholesterol making it an excellent choice for those who want to lower their cholesterol.
4. This oil is great for frying because it is known to improve the flavor of fresh foods instead of hiding them, unlike some other oils.
5. It is considered best for cooking as it is not as heavy as other oils.
6. It has a high oxidation resistance which makes it ideal for use in salad dressings.
7. Cottonseed oil is specially treated for a wide range of applications in the manufacture of food and is known to be a good substitute for cocoa butter in confectionery.
8. It can be used in rotation with other oils such as canola oil, peanut oil, etc., as part of a healthy diet.
9. The light texture of this oil makes it ideal for cosmetic use, making it a common ingredient in creams, lotions, etc.
10. It has a light and neutral taste that is loved by people who do not like oils with strong flavors.
Some little-known facts about cottonseed oil:
1. Did you know that cottonseed oil is used as a standard for measuring the flavor and olfactory qualities of other oils?
2. Unlike many other oils, this oil does not return quickly to flavor even when heated to very high temperatures.
3. Cotton oil is one of the main ingredients in most oriental dishes.
Composition and nutritive value of cottonseed oil:
A large percentage of the polyunsaturated fatty acids present in cottonseed oil is linoleic acid. When compared to other oils and fats that are commonly used, the saturated fat it contains is mid-level; This is what makes it more stable than other oils that are used in the kitchen.
Although it is very well saturated, it still does not match some of the hard fats that are available. To make them stable, a number of vegetable oils need to be hydrogenated and as they go through the process, trans fats develop. Due to its natural stability, the cottonseed oil does not contain trans fats.
The cotton oil contents are as follows:
- Linoleic acid: 49 percent to 58 percent.
- Oleic acid: 15 to 20 percent.
- Palmitic acid: 22% to 26%.
- Behenic acid and lignoceric acid / arachidic acid: 10 per cent.
Cottonseed oil is rich in tocopherols which are an excellent source of vitamin E and are natural antioxidants, which makes them beneficial to our health. As mentioned earlier, they help us in the fight against free radicals.
With three times the amount of saturated unsaturated fatty acids, many health experts around the world claim that this oil is good health. It suits the regimes we follow in this modern age.
There is still much debate about whether cotton seed oil is as healthy as many people claim. The use of chemicals in cotton plantations has raised many concerns about the safety of using cottonseed oil.
However, in today’s market, organic cotton seed is also available, making it easy for people who prefer over other oils to use in their kitchens. So what are you waiting for? Come on, grab a box of cotton seed oil and use it in your kitchen. You are sure to love the flavor that it communicates to your dishes!