Diabetic? Maybe it’s Time to Change Your Cooking Oil

Leonardo Olive Oil March 29, 2016 Cooking with Olive Oil 4216 Views

If you are a diabetic or have a loved one battling the disease, then you should know how important is eat righting and counting those calories. Checking blood sugar levels, dealing with accompanying problems such as frequent urination, excessive thirst and hunger are uphill tasks. Add to these, is keeping track of the nutritional value of every bite you take.

You are not alone. On its way to becoming a global epidemic, considering it affects nearly 382 million people around the world¹, diabetes, which is more a lifestyle disorder than a disease, demands careful management and care. With World Health Day, which falls on 7^th April each year, focusing on diabetes care and its prevention, it is time to combat the problem on a war footing.

Apart from an active lifestyle and low intake of refined carbohydrates, the type of dietary fat consumed is one of the key components which need attention when planning a diet for a diabetic. According to the American Diabetic Association, the type of dietary fat consumed is more important than the total fat consumed².

Types of dietary fats

Dietary fats are essentially of two types: saturated and unsaturated. Saturated fats raise the level of LDL (bad cholesterol) in the body, which in turn raises blood glucose levels. Examples of saturated fats are ghee, butter, cream and lard. Unsaturated fats, on the other hand, which include Poly Unsaturated Fats (PUFA) and Mono Unsaturated Fats (MUFA), help lower LDL and raising HDL (good cholesterol) in the blood. Vegetable oils, nuts, pulses, sea food, oil seeds and whole grains are rich sources of PUFA and MUFA.

MUFA: The anti-diabetes fat

Several scientific studies have demonstrated the protective effects of high MUFA diets in the lives of diabetics. According to these studies, replacing a high carbohydrate diet with high-MUFA diet improves glycemic control and dyslipidemia in diabetic patients³. Olive oil which contains 75 percent MUFA is an excellent choice to help prevent diabetes. Replacing your regular cooking oil with olive oil ensures better blood sugar control. In fact, Mediterranean diets which are largely olive oil-based have been strongly associated with reduced risk of contracting diabetes and consequent improved heart health⁴. According to research, the anti-oxidant properties of olive oil lead to improved insulin sensitivity and post prandial glycemic response⁵.

Olive Pomace oil: The right choice for Indian cooking

Olive Pomace Oil when used as a cooking medium can significantly lower disease risks. Compared to common cooking oils, only 1/3rd of Olive Pomace Oil is absorbed by the cooked food, thus reducing total oil consumption. This is attributable to its high spreadability and high MUFA content. The MUFA present in Olive Pomace Oil forms a thin crust over the food item which inhibits penetration of the oil into the food during cooking and deep frying.

Clearly, with such healthy options available at hand, make a switch to olive pomace oil and keep diabetes – the silent killer, at bay.

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