Last month saw a veritable oil slick from the Mediterranean region with new players flooding the olive oil market in India. Around the same time, the International Olive Council (IOC), an inter-governmental, non-profit organization set up under the auspices of the UN, organized a promotional event in New Delhi highlighting the benefits of olive oil.
A few months ago, the Mustard Research Promotion Consortium got doctors and nutritionists in the Capital to stress the heart-friendly aspects of this regional favourite. In Kerala, coconut oil is getting an image makeover with the launch of Nutri-ko, a virgin coconut oil manufactured by the Kerala State Rubber Co-operative and Marketing Ltd (Rubco). Virgin coconut oil is made from fresh coconut, not copra, and has been endorsed by the Central Food Research Laboratory, Mysore. And, of course, sunflower and soyabean oil are not too far behind though, by current reckoning, they are way down the list.
So, which is the healthiest oil? For New Delhi-based sports medicine specialist Dr Gaurav Sharma, who runs Optima Wellness, it is unquestionably olive oil, followed by sesame, mustard, ghee (clarified butter) from cow’s milk and flaxseed oil. Nutritionist Ishi Khosla, of the New Delhi-based Centre for Dietary Counselling, bats for mustard, sesame and ghee or butter in moderate quantities, apart from olive oil. Mumbai-based obesity, health and food consultant Naini Setalvad endorses the use of olive, coconut, palm, sesame and groundnut oil. And cardiologists now endorse rice bran—a relatively new edible oil which is making inroads into the Indian market.
Finally, the takeaway seems to be this—there is no ‘healthiest oil’. The rule to follow is the same as for vegetables—the more variety, the better, since each has unique benefits. Ideally, you should keep a combination of 3-4 healthy cooking oils in the kitchen. As executive chef Ramit Wason of The Metropolitan Hotel, New Delhi, says: “Cooking methods, cost, composition of fats and the smoking point help us decide which oil to use.”
