Features of the use of rapeseed oil and the beneficial properties that it has on the human body. When you can face its harm. Cooking use.
Useful properties of rapeseed oil
Few can call such a high-calorie product useful. And in vain. The composition of vitamins, micro- and macroelements, as well as acids makes it possible to have an extremely positive effect on the human body. With regular use of the oil in reasonable amounts, you will experience the benefits of canola for the following health benefits:
- Normalization of the neuropsychiatric state … Memory impairment, absent-mindedness, decreased concentration, severe fatigue, excessive irritability, lack of interest in life and many other alarming symptoms of a similar nature may indicate not real problems in your life that require corrective action from neuropsychiatric specialists, but a banal lack of nutrients. It turns out that it is not difficult life circumstances that can lead to depression much more often, but improper diet. The oil, which contains a huge amount of nutrients, will help to cope with apathy, insomnia, bad mood, headaches. Improves the body's resistance to stress, activates brain activity, improves memory.
- Improving the condition of blood vessels … This happens due to the slowing down of the mechanism of thinning of their walls, an increase in the lumen, as well as the prevention of the formation of cholesterol plaques. Interestingly, some components of the oil, on the contrary, contribute to the deposition of cholesterol, while others prevent it. Fortunately, there are more useful components that have a positive effect on blood vessels in the product, so we can safely say that recovery awaits you in this part. It will consist in normalizing blood pressure, preventing strokes and heart attacks, atherosclerosis and other dangerous diseases.
- Prevention of tumor formation … This applies to both benign and malignant neoplasms. And to a greater extent, rapeseed oil protects women - their reproductive system, mammary glands, as it contains estradiol - a hormone that wakes up the maternal instinct. This component also helps to safely conceive a fetus and bear a child with the least damage to the health of the woman in labor.
- Improving the digestive tract … This happens due to the improvement of metabolic processes, the acceleration of the production of enzymes, the improvement of the digestion of food, the assimilation of useful substances from it and the removal of harmful ones, as well as the removal of excess water and toxins, while blocking the leaching of useful salts from bones and organs.
- Preventing Bowel Problems … Like all oily foods, it has a laxative effect, which is especially appreciated among people prone to constipation. At the same time, the oil does not violate the intestinal microflora, carrying out bowel movements very gently, not irritating. But with parasites and helminths, the components of rapeseed act ruthlessly, forcing them to get out and not poison the body with the products of their vital activity. This effect is an excellent prevention of hemorrhoids, cysts and neoplasms in the intestine.
- Strengthening hair and nails, improving skin condition … Extracts from rapeseed oil are actively used in cosmetology, as they help to make the skin more elastic, less exposed to time and the harmful effects of the environment (wind, sun, bad ecology, poor-quality nutrition and the consumption of untreated water). The product also strengthens the hair, making it thicker, shinier and silky, and the nails less brittle. Strengthening the effect can be achieved if not only using cosmetics with rapeseed, but also saturating the body with useful components from the inside, nourishing the skin, hair and nails at the cellular level.
Contraindications and harm of rapeseed oil
However, this product possesses not only useful, but also harmful properties. The harm of rapeseed, as mentioned above, lies in the content of erucic acid in it.
This component can be extremely damaging to the liver. In addition, erucic acid, since it is not processed by the body, but is deposited in the tissues, can slow down the process of sexual development in adolescents, blocking the production of hormones necessary for this. As we have already noted, breeders managed to breed varieties containing the least amount of this component, but we do not recommend completely ignoring the danger.
Consider the categories of people at risk when using rapeseed and its derivatives:
- Children … May cause significant damage to the liver and entire baby's imperfect digestive system.
- Teenagers … Risk of hormonal imbalance and interference in the process of puberty.
- Having liver problems … This is especially true for those who suffer from chronic ailments of the liver and gallbladder. Harmful components can be toxicly deposited in the main filter of the body and provoke the formation of stones in the gallbladder.
- Suffering from food allergies … Any oil is a strong allergen, so it should be introduced into the diet gradually. This applies to all consumers, and especially allergy sufferers.
How canola oil is used
To minimize the harm of erucic acid, you need to learn how to choose the right rapeseed oil. The label must contain information about the amount of acid in the product. The norm is considered to be an indicator from 0.3% to 0.6%. If it is higher, we do not recommend using such oil in food.
Pay attention to the expiration dates of the product. With a border date, you should not take oil, no matter what discounts the sellers tempt you.
Also, pass by a product that has a sediment and a cloudy structure. The color of the oil should be amber-yellow, transparent, and the smell should slightly resemble peanuts. Hydrogenation of the product is undesirable, as this makes the molecular structure unstable. The oil is most beneficial when consumed raw. However, it can also be used for cooking food subject to heat treatment. Only on condition that the cooking temperature is not higher than 160 ° C. When the temperature exceeds this mark, toxic substances begin to synthesize in the oil. For salad dressing, use the same amount as if using olive or sunflower oil. But when baking this product, you need a little less because of its tighter structure. It is better to store it in a glass container. Therefore, having bought in plastic, do not be too lazy to pour and seal it. Then put it in a cool place out of direct sunlight. These are also the basic rules for storing rape seeds and all derivatives of this plant.
Rapeseed Oil Recipes
The vegetable oil, which we are talking about today, adds spice to dishes, making them more tender and aromatic. We bring to your attention great recipes that will be appreciated even by the most sophisticated gourmet:
- Winter soup … A great first course option for a cold winter evening. Pour 2 tablespoons of sunflower oil into a deep saucepan, fry a finely chopped large onion and 2 carrots grated on a coarse grater on them. When the vegetables are golden, throw in a small head of cauliflower, disassembled into small inflorescences, and 5-6 medium potatoes, cut into cubes. Cook for a couple of minutes, cover with 2 liters of vegetable broth and cook until vegetables are tender. Drain the liquid, interrupt everything with a blender, return the broth back, whisk again, add 2 tablespoons of rapeseed oil, mix well. Serve with croutons, sprinkle with finely chopped parsley and a pinch of sesame seeds.
- Goulash with beef … Thanks to rapeseed oil, traditional Bulgarian goulash will acquire a very delicate taste and aroma. Take 500 g of beef goulash, fry over medium heat with onions until golden brown on the onion. Pour in vegetable broth so that it barely covers the meat. Simmer for an hour over low heat. When the meat is ready, add to it diced 8-10 potatoes, 2-3 carrots in half rings. Add the broth again so that it covers all the ingredients, let it boil and simmer for 15-20 minutes. 5 minutes before the end of cooking, season with salt, pepper and add 2 tablespoons of tomato paste or 100 ml of tomato juice. After cooking, add 2 tablespoons of rapeseed oil, stir, let it brew for 5-10 minutes with the lid closed, serve.
- Chicken breast on a vegetable cushion … This dish is not only tasty, but also very healthy. Rinse the chicken fillet, pat dry with paper towels, salt and pepper, rub with paprika and fry over high heat using olive oil. Take a small bunch of basil and parsley, separate the stems, grind in a blender with 1 clove of garlic, 1 tablespoon of capers and 4 tablespoons of canola oil, salt and pepper the sauce. Finely add 200 g of salad mix, cut 200 g cherry tomatoes into quarters, season them with the following dressing: whisk together 3 tablespoons of rapeseed oil, 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, 1 teaspoon of Dijon mustard, a pinch of salt and sugar. Place the sliced chicken fillet over the seasoned cherry leaves mix. Serve with green sauce.
- Turkey pie … Any poultry meat is suitable for a share - turkey, chicken, goose, etc. If you have meat left after the holidays - feel free to use it, but if you start from scratch, then you need to take 700 meat and bake it in the oven or fry it in a pan. Then cool and cut into cubes. Add 150 g of chopped ham to it. In a frying pan, fry 300 g of leek rings in olive oil, add 2 tablespoons of wheat flour, brown it, stirring constantly, pour in 400 ml of milk, stir well and let the ingredients combine for 1-2 minutes. Transfer the meat with ham to a baking dish, fill it with onion and milk pouring, cover with a bunch of finely chopped parsley, add 2 tablespoons of rapeseed oil and 1 tablespoon of mustard, mix well. Cover the pie with several sheets of filo dough with folds, brush it with rapeseed oil, scatter 1 tablespoon of cranberries and bake in the oven at a temperature not exceeding 160 ° C for 25-30 minutes, until the dough turns golden. Serve with 150 g Parmesan cheese on top.
- Mackerel with oranges … It is the perfect grill fish. However, even in the oven, it will turn out to be very tasty and unusual. To prepare this dish, we need 2 large mackerels. It is better to use fresh fish, but thawed fish will work as well. Gut the fish, if you plan to bake it with your head, remove the gills. Take two ripe oranges, peel off the peel and white membranes, leave only the pulp. Lightly salt the fish inside and outside, rub with ground ginger, stuff tightly with oranges. Brush the grill with sunflower oil, simmer for 10-15 minutes on each side. If you cook in the oven, put the fish in foil, wrap it well and send it to the form, bake for 20-30 minutes at 180 ° C. Put on a dish, brush the still hot fish with rapeseed oil, this will give it an incredible flavor. Garnish with half rings of orange, serve with a fresh salad.
- Onion bread … With this addition, even the simplest soup or light salad will sparkle with new colors. To make your bread taste rich, choose only fresh butter and sweet onions. Take a large onion, finely chop and dry for half an hour in the oven at 150 ° C, stirring several times. Sift 250 g of premium wheat flour, add dried onions, 25 ml of rapeseed oil, a pinch of salt to it, mix well. Stir 10 g of fresh yeast in 125 ml water, add to the flour and mix well again. Grease a container with rapeseed oil and transfer the dough into it. Leave it on for an hour, until it increases 2-3 times. When it rises, knead the dough and put it in a greased form, bake for about an hour at a temperature of 150 ° C. If you want a golden brown crust, brush the dough with egg yolk before putting it into the oven. If you want a soft crust, brush with water after baking and cover with a towel until it cools. It is more delicious not to cut such bread, but to break it into pieces.
Interesting facts about rapeseed oil
Rapeseed oil is called "Russian olive" due to the similarity of its components, but in many respects our oil is superior to the Mediterranean.
After Canadian breeders a few years ago bred a variety in which harmful components are completely absent, rape was called the plant of the future. So far, products from it can only be bought abroad. Due to its fairly easy reproduction, the resulting oil is much less expensive than olive or even sunflower, and the composition of vitamins, microelements and macronutrients in it is much higher than in other vegetable oils. Rapeseed fields during flowering are blankets of incredible beauty, repeatedly sung by poets, writers and artists. At the same time, they are also the habitat of many bees, which generously share delicious rapeseed honey with people. In color, it does not differ at all from high-quality rapeseed oil.
Few people know what rapeseed looks like. This is not surprising, because most often we use derivatives of this product in food, and not the fruits themselves. They are very small, slightly larger than match heads, and the range of colors is from yellow to black. But the most useful are those that, like honey, have the color of oil - mustard yellow.
In their natural form, rapeseeds are used mainly for feeding livestock.
In recent years, the production of biofuels from rapeseed has been developed, as well as the preparation of technical - lubricating and hydraulic oil.
Watch a video about rapeseed oil:
What you prefer - seeds, oil or honey - is up to you, but if you are not yet familiar with rapeseed, you should definitely get to know it. Excellent taste will amaze you at the very beginning of your acquaintance, and the health effect will be a great addition to a gastronomic delicacy.
