There are many vegetable or oleaginous oils on the market but not all of them are of very good quality. To choose a better quality of vegetable oil, it is important to look at the method of extraction of the liquid. In fact, it is the way the oil is extracted that defines whether an oleaginous oil is of good quality.
There are several extraction methods, but to obtain a very pure oil of the highest quality, the extraction must be done by cold pressing or maceration for oils from plants.
Les modes d’extraction des huiles
Cold pressing extraction: To keep all its nutrients, nuts, seeds and dried fruit are sorted to keep only the best pieces. They are then passed through mechanical presses that crush the oleaginous fruit until a pure, high-quality oil is obtained that does not contain any foreign substances. The oil thus obtained is labelled "first cold-pressed oil".
Extraction by maceration: this method is reserved for vegetable oils obtained from a plant. In this case, the fruits, flowers or roots are used and placed for several weeks in a neutral vegetable oil (e.g. olive or sunflower oil). The oil thus obtained is filtered to preserve only the oily macerate.
Important factors for choosing and consuming oil
The extraction method is not the only thing to look at before choosing an oil. There are several things to know:
An oil is only good when it contains more omega 3 than omega 6.
A "light" oil only means that its taste is less pronounced and not that it contains less fat. A vegetable oil is always 100% fat.
Oleaginous oils can oxidise and lose their antioxidant action. They are then no longer edible.
If an oil starts to smoke during cooking, this means that it has become harmful over time and should no longer be consumed. It should be discarded immediately.
Some oils should be kept in the fridge even if they harden. This is normal and they will return to their liquid state in the air.
The benefits of oilseeds for our body
Oleaginous oils are very important for our health because they are composed of several nutrients that our body is not able to produce on its own. We therefore have to look elsewhere to fill up with vitamins and fatty acids.
Indeed, oils are a source of :
minerals (potassium, calcium, iron magnesium)
fatty acids
fibres
proteins
carbohydrates
vitamins of groups A, B and E
Vegetable oils are not only rich in all these nutrients but some of them also have virtues for the body.
The detoxifying benefits of oils
Several oils are known to have a natural detoxifying action on the body. This is the case, for example, with olive oil, which is very rich in monounsaturated fatty acids. These molecules have the advantage of reducing the level of bad cholesterol while increasing the level of good cholesterol.
Olive oil is considered by many to be the best cooking oil and not without reason. Indeed, it is appreciated for its detoxifying virtues for the body and it also plays a role in the prevention of cardiovascular disease.
But the olive tree is not the only plant that produces an oil with detoxifying properties. Other oils, sometimes less well known, also play this detoxifying role. This is the case with grape seed oil, sesame oil, rapeseed oil and walnut oil.
Les huiles en cosmétique
From a beauty use, vegetable oils and oleaginous oils are also very much appreciated. For example, argan and sweet almond oil have moisturising, protective, repairing and revitalising properties for the skin and body.
Some oils can indeed have multiple roles in both food and cosmetics. Their range of benefits is therefore even wider.