Nutritional value of rapeseed oil

Rapeseed oil is what we commonly call rapeseed oil, also known as coriander oil. It is a transparent or translucent liquid obtained by squeezing the seeds of the cruciferous plant Brassica rapa (i.e. rapeseed). Rapeseed oil is golden or brown in color and has a certain pungent smell, which is commonly known as "green smell". This gas is caused by a certain amount of mustard glycosides in it, but the superior varieties of rapeseed do not contain this substance.

Nutritional value of rapeseed oil

From the nutritional value point of view, the digestion and absorption rate of rapeseed oil by the human body can be as high as 99%, and it has a bile-benefitting function. When the liver is in a pathological state, rapeseed oil can also be metabolized normally by the human body. However, rapeseed oil lacks essential fatty acids such as linoleic acid, and its fatty acid composition is unbalanced, so its nutritional value is lower than that of general vegetable oils. In addition, rapeseed oil contains a large amount of substances such as erucic acid and glucosinolates, which are generally considered to be detrimental to the growth and development of the human body. If it can be consumed with high-quality edible oils rich in linoleic acid, its nutritional value will be improved.

Rapeseed oil, as a traditional edible oil in China, has been declining. The main reason is that it contains high levels of harmful ingredients, erucic acid and glucosinolates. The international development trend is to update varieties from high to low. Because rapeseed oil has a low absorption rate of erucic acid and contains a small amount of glucosinolates, long-term consumption is not good for heart health. The glucosinolates in the oil and fat react with zinc (zinc supplement products, zinc supplement information) to affect the absorption of zinc, which in turn affects the growth and development of children (children's nutrition products, children's nutrition information). This can no longer meet people's higher requirements for edible oil.

Special precautions and attention should be paid to edible rapeseed oil:

Residents in Northwest and Central China generally like to eat rapeseed oil. Rapeseed oil has a bile-boosting function and the human body has a high digestion and absorption rate for rapeseed oil. However, a survey conducted by many cardiovascular experts at home and abroad on heart disease patients showed that after heart disease patients' blood is exposed to a small amount of erucic acid digested by enzymes every day, their abnormal cardiovascular function will be overloaded, which is more likely to induce "thickening of blood vessel walls" and "myocardial fat deposition."

At present, there are low-erucic acid rapeseed oil brands in the domestic market. The erucic acid content of existing low-erucic acid rapeseed oil products is ≤5%, which is still higher than the erucic acid content of foreign rapeseed oil ≤0.1%. Experts suggest that patients with various heart diseases, especially those with coronary heart disease and hypertensive heart disease, should try not to eat high-erucic acid rapeseed oil.

Cooking Instructions

1. Oils and fats have a certain shelf life. Do not consume oil that has been stored for too long.

2. Because it has some "green smell", it is not suitable for direct use in cold dishes.

3. Avoid repeated use of oil that has been heated at high temperatures.

4. Since rapeseed oil lacks essential fatty acids such as oleic acid and its composition is unbalanced, its nutritional value is slightly lower than that of general vegetable oils. Therefore, it is advisable to eat less rapeseed oil if conditions permit. If it is consumed with high-quality edible oil rich in linoleic acid, its nutritional value will be improved.

Precautions

Rapeseed oil contains erucic acid, which is mainly found in rapeseed oil. Animal experiments have shown that large amounts of rapeseed oil containing high levels of erucic acid can cause myocardial fibrosis and myocardial disease; cause animals to gain weight slowly and develop poorly; and reduce fertility. When the erucic acid content in the feed of male mice reaches 10%, the testicles become smaller and there are no mature sperms; and the platelet count decreases.