There is no limit to how many oils exist in the market today. Each has its benefits and downsides. Trying to navigate through the multitude of options may seem overwhelming, but it’s all right to step back and make an informed choice. Among the many known and unknown oils, there is one popular oil and great Corn Oil.
Corn Oil
Also known as maize oil, corn oil is a low-cost alternative for many kitchens. It has a naturally occurring neutral taste and high smoke point. It is majorly used in frying food items but can be used in different ways, such as baking and stir-fries.
Corn oil is a type of Vegetable oil. It comes under the umbrella term of vegetable oil and can be used interchangeably. However, the slight difference comes in their high smoke point, which is important to note because what is inside a vegetable oil bottle depends on the bottle to bottle.
Extracting Corn oil is not an easy process, since corn is not a naturally oily food. The process is lengthy and often strips the oil from the nutrients that can be found in corn. Nevertheless, Corn oil comes with its own set of benefits. With several fatty acids, phytosterols, and Vitamin E, healthy Corn Oil is healthy in comparison to Cottonseed Oil, Olive Oil, and Refined Soyabean oil.
Corn Oil has been used in insecticides to fight pests and to help prevention of corrosion on iron surfaces. From oil massage to aromatherapy, Corn oil has been used extensively.
Benefits of Corn Oil
Corn Oil has fatty acids and other vitamins which help in different parts of the body. Here are all the ways Corn Oil can benefit your health.
Lower Cholesterol
Corn Oil can help lower cholesterol levels in the body. The phytosterols amount in the oil is great. With the help of that and sterol compounds, Corn oil can help in lowering the amount of “bad” cholesterol or LDL cholesterol in the body. However, this information may be dependent on how refined the oil variety are you using.
Healthy Heart
The high content of linoleic acid and fatty acids helps maintain the health of the heart. Corn Oil has both. By including it in the regular diet, Corn oil can help regulate the health of the heart.
Maintains Blood pressure
Blood pressure can be reduced by about 10% with the help of polyunsaturated fatty acids. This is present in Corn Oil. thus, it can help reduce the pressure and risks of high blood pressure.
Skin and Hair Health
Corn Oil has been sued in oil massages. Its Vitamin E helps in moisturizing the skin. Thus, Corn oil has been an active ingredient in salves, lip balms, night oils as well as creams. Because of the high concentrations of linoleic acid in the oil, it can also help penetrate the skin.
As for hair, using corn oil via a hot oil treatment once or twice a week helps maintain good air health. It can treat undernourished and dry hair easily. Corn oil has been known to smoothen and condition the hair as and when required.
Vision problems
The antioxidants and flavonoids in corn oil can help prevent and protect the vision of a person. Specifically, using Corn oil may help the prevention of the development of cataracts in the body.
Chronic Diseases
The different kinds of fat and Vitamin E all have been known to help fight different types of chronic devices. When use in moderation, they are extremely helpful in reducing oxidative stress throughout the body. When used carefully, Corn Oil can help reduce and even prevent chronic diseases. This also makes the skin look younger.
In some cases, Corn Oil has been known to reduce allergic activity in the body. By keeping the symptoms of asthma and rhinitis at bay, COrn Oil helps regulate allergic reactions. It is most useful when applies directly to the body.
Battling pests
Corn oil is also greatly helpful in being used as skin care for animals. In dogs, massaging their hair using corn hair makes their coat healthier and shinier. In horses, Corn oil has been used for the treatment of dull coats. It also energizes said animals in times of need.
Harms of Corn oil
While corn oil has been proved to be such a helpful thing in day-to-day usage, it is important to note that it can also cause some harm. Regular intake of Corn oil can cause inflammation, which could lead to Acne or even arthritis. ‘
There has been research that shows that corn oil has a negative effect on the liver and can even cause Liver cancer in extreme cases. In postmenopausal women, Corn Oil is harmful and some cases have also shown that excess consumption can lead to breast cancer.
In some cases, Corn oil can also negatively affect the heart and if used in excessive amounts can cause immense issues. Corn Oil can also be rather toxic in its use, especially to the liver and kidneys. This can be ratified by knowing where your oil comes from.
Excessive oil can also cause obesity. Using corn oil, thus, when you are on a weight loss journey is perhaps not the best idea.
Therefore, with all the positive effects, some negative effects are waiting in effect.
Cooking with Corn oil
As mentioned before, Corn Oil can be used in some ways. However, its most popular usage remains deep frying.
Frying
From normal frying to deep frying, Corn oil works in both ways. Because of its high smoking point, it can fry anything as and when desired. The removal of smell or flavor from the oil also helps in the process.
Grilling
Any grilled food just needs a good griller and high heat. However, the food almost always gets stuck on the grills. Therefore, using Corn oil ensures that the food does not stick to the grill or even create cloudy smoke.
Baking
The neutral flavor ensures that corn oil remains a good part of the baked good, such as cakes or loaves of bread. Its lightweight consistency also helps in making anything. Corn oil can also be used in coating a non-stick pan. Since many recipes call for vegetable oil, making an active choice to use corn oil might be a good and informed choice.
Stir-frying
Be it noodles, vegetables, or rice, stir-frying anything that required an oil needs a high smoking point. Corn Oil especially si great at this. A few teaspoons can ensure that the wok fires up and stir-fries the desired food items.
In the end, Corn oil is perhaps not the healthiest oil choice out there. There are better options with much better health benefits. F use din moderation, Corn oil can be very useful, especially when substituted for any general vegetable oi. If you know where your oil is coming from and what are the process sit going through, using Corn Oil is not such a bad idea. When frying something akin to what requires a high smoking point, Corn oil is a good choice. However, in case you are looking for a truly healthy choice, corn oil is not what you are looking for.
