OUR gastronomic tastes are now so wide that most supermarkets stock delicious oils, as a matter of course – such as rapeseed, including locally grown; a vast array of olive oils; sesame oil, toasted or raw – delicious poured on top of any foods, post-cooking.
Occasionally I get a nice perk for writing these articles, and last month the lovely people in Natural Health Products, the wholesaler who supply all our health stores and pharmacies, gave me three delicious oils to sample, Pure Avocado, Coconut and Pumpkin Seed, all 100 per cent certified organic, non-GM, without trans fats, preservatives or artificial ingredients.
Avocado oil, I have only seen before when I trained as a massage therapist. It's a fabulous oil for massage and feels sublime on the skin. Now Nature's Aid, a company, better known for their nutritional supplements, has developed this range of high quality oils for food use.
Having tried it out, now that we are officially into salad season, I can say that avocado oil has a great flavour and does add lovely taste to the food it's served with. It is ideal for high-temperature cooking, salads and sauces. Avocado oil is high in antioxidants and omega-6 essential fatty acids (efa).
The second oil in the sample was coconut oil – but not as I know it. This one is liquid at room temperature and therefore useable in salad dressings. Extracted from premium, non-GM coconuts, it is non-hydrogenated and contains all the active ingredients, and therefore all the healthy benefits, of the solid variety. It tastes deliciously of coconut, but is quite light, and so is very acceptable in salads, or for high-heat cooking and is often considered a healthier alternative to traditional cooking oils.
You can use this coconut oil as an alternative to butter or vegetable oil, in all types of cooking including baking and frying. It's great for salad dressings, sauces, dips and smoothies too.
Obesity is currently one of the biggest health problems in the world. The medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) in coconut oil can increase energy expenditure compared to the same amount of calories from longer-chain fats.
One study found that 15-30 grammes of MCTs per day increased 24-hour energy expenditure by 5 per cent, totalling about 120 calories per day. Coconut oil has 93 per cent medium chain triglycerides and provides 13g of medium chain triglycerides per tablespoon. A tasty way to lose a little weight and of course help to protect your brain from Alzheimer's.
The third oil, Pumpkin Seed, produced from unrefined cold-pressed pumpkin seeds, is rich in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. It is again high in antioxidants and Omega-6 EFAs. Use cold in salad dressings, sauces and dips or add to hot food such as vegetables, pasta and soups at the end of cooking for extra flavour. I liked the taste of this oil best, nutty and flavourful, it's actually tasty on its own drizzled on to salad vegetables, and can easily be used in sweet dishes too.
It is more usual that I advocate increasing your omega 3 fatty acids, as normally it is considered that we have an imbalance of the ratio of omega 6 to 3, but omega-6 fatty acids are also essential fatty acids. They are necessary for human health, but the body cannot make them, so you have to get them through food.
There is one omega-6, called gamma linolenic acid (GLA) with an impressive set of disease-fighting powers. New research reveals this nutrient’s power to combat chronic inflammation, eczema, dermatitis, asthma, rheumatoid arthritis, atherosclerosis, even diabetes.
Supplemental GLA can supply vital biochemical precursors with powerful anti-inflammatory effects. All these oils are available in health food stores, and are priced between £5.99 to £7.95 for 250mls.
:: r.armstrong@irishnews.com
