Oils, oils, oils

I was wondering about the benefits of various oils and thought i would post what I found…

Walnut Oil-

Have you ever tried walnut oil? If not, you are missing a real treat. It’s a beautiful oil to drizzle over salad or on to steamed vegetables, and it’s good for you.

Here’s the science: it contains high levels of monounsaturated oils (omega 9) which help to keep your arteries supple, and also high levels of polyunsaturated oils (omega 3 and omega 6) which help to reduce inflammation, stabilise hormones and improve the skin.

Coconut Oil-

The health benefits of coconut oil include hair care, skin care, stress relief, maintaining cholesterol levels, weight loss, increased immunity, proper digestion and metabolism, relief from kidney problems, heart diseases, high blood pressure, diabetes, HIV and cancer, dental care, and bone strength. These benefits of coconut oil can be attributed to the presence of lauric acid, capric acid and caprylic acid, and its properties such as antimicrobial, antioxidant, antifungal, antibacterial, soothing, etc.

The human body converts lauric acid into monolaurin which is claimed to help in dealing with viruses and bacteria causing diseases such as herpes, influenza, cytomegalovirus, and even HIV. It helps in fighting harmful bacteria such as listeria monocytogenes and heliobacter pylori, and harmful protozoa such as giardia lamblia. As a result of these various health benefits of coconut oil, though its exact mechanism of action was unknown, it has been extensively used in Ayurveda, the traditional Indian medicinal system.

Coconut oil is often preferred by athletes and body builders and by those who are dieting. The reason behind this being that coconut oil contains lesser calories than other oils, its fat content is easily converted into energy and it does not lead to accumulation of fat in the heart and arteries. Coconut oil helps in boosting energy and endurance, and enhances the performance of athletes.

Grape Seed oil –

Grape seed oil is a by-product of grapes in the winemaking stage. The versatility of the product however is one of the things that make it so beneficial to our life styles. There are many used for grape seed oil such as for hair products, sunburn repair, massage oil, flavored oils, baking, frying and salad dressings, as well as being used cosmetically.

There are great benefits of grape seed oil in culinary use. One of the most important facts is that the grape seed oil has a very high smoke point allowing it to be cooked at high temperatures. In addition it has a neutral taste and so works well with other spices and herbs (www.wikipedia.com).