Sunflower Oils

Their smoke point, essential fats and health value

It’s about their smoke point, essential fats and health value

With a wide variety to choose from, we often find ourselves wondering which cooking oil is best for us. The more we read on the subject, the more information – and categories of cooking oil – we find ourselves having to deal with. Rice bran? Groundnut? Or should it be sunflower? What about canola? Isn’t it the newest toast of the health brigade? Since each holds a different set of pros and cons, it really is hard to pick one. What parameters define ‘healthy’ for us – the smoking point (a high smoking point means the oil holds on to its nutritional content at higher temperatures), the good monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats (as against bad saturated fats), or HDL (good) cholesterol? Is the oil good for heart health? And for lung health? With so many varieties and brands vying for their share, the market is becoming a highly competitive one. So, are all sunflower oils suitable for your consumption? Are all brands made equal – in other words, are they all as good as another and do they meet the basic requirements? Are all manufacturers keeping the promises that they make? Are you actually getting the quality and the quantity that you are paying for? This report is a first-hand study of 13 brands available with various retailers in India and the good news is that in the overall score a mere seven points separate the brands at the top and the bottom.