Every year WHO celebrates 7th April as ‘WORLD HEALTH DAY’; this is seen as an opportunity to draw worldwide attention to Global Health each year. On World Health Day, Dr. Anjali Mukerjee, Celebrity Dietitian and Celebrity Chef Pranav Joshi share some health tips to maintain and observe a healthier life.
For most people a healthy diet involves consuming primarily fruits, vegetables, and whole grains to provide the body with essential nutrients, fibre, and adequate water intake. However the role of oil has been limited to a healthy heart or foreign oil options that are not entirely suitable for the Indian market.
Cooking oil plays a very important role in an Indian kitchen. Choosing the right oil is of vital importance as this choice directly affects your health. The role of cooking oil beyond ‘less or more’ usage has to be highlighted to the masses. Rice Bran oil has recently caught the attention of nutritionists, chefs and the Government of India too. The government presented a paper at the Codex Committee on Fats and Oils on ‘The Need to Include Rice Bran Oil in the Standards for Named Vegetable Oils’
“In the last decade there have been many studies that document that Indians are particularly susceptible to heart disease. This is because we are genetically prone to hyperlipidemia which is a major risk factor for heart disease. Due to this, considerable attention should be given to the quality as well as quantity of oil in the diet. The American Heart association (AHA) recommends using oils having an almost equal proportion of saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats in it. The NIN( National Institute of Nutrition) and the ICMR( Indian Council of Medical Research) also recommend a near equal ratio of SFA( 27-33%): MUFA( 33-40%): PUFA(27-33%) in a healthy oil. Rice Bran oil is closest to this recommendation. It has a balanced fatty acid profile, has some amount of omega 3 fats, and contains good amount of natural antioxidants namely oryzanol, tocotrienol, tocopherol and squalene. It is therefore reassuring to know that finally there is an oil which can deal with heart disease effectively. It offers health benefits for every member in the family” says , Dr Anjali Mukerjee.
Benefits of Rice Bran Oil according to Dr Anjali Mukherjee:
Good For Heart: Studies have shown that Rice Bran Oil contributes to preventing and reducing the risk of heart diseases
Good for Skin: Rice bran oil has been known as the beauty secret of East Asian women, and of Japanese, Korean women in particular.
Good for Immune System: antioxidants in rice bran oil slow down the oxidation process in the body and control presence of free radicals thus strengthening the immune system
Good For Cooking: Rice bran oil is light and has a high smoke point which makes it ideal for cooking (even at high temperatures). It is common knowledge that food cooked at high temperatures absorbs less oil, which makes it lower in calories and therefore beneficial for your waist line and health in general.
Celebrity Chef Pranav Joshi says cooking with Rice Bran Oil is good as:
Food Cooked with Rice Bran Oil Tastes GOOD!
It is compatible with both, low heat as well as high heat cooking.
Rice Bran oil is extremely versatile and delicious and can be used se it to fry, sauté, in salad dressings, baking, dipping oils.
