Refined and unrefined oil. What is the difference between refined sunflower oil and unrefined sunflower oil?

Vegetable oil made from sunflower seeds, olive fruits, sesame seeds, corn, and rapeseed today occupies an important place in every person’s food set. Depending on our own preferences, we choose refined and unrefined oils for the table, the difference between which lies in the type of processing of the product. For every cook there are preferred varieties, brands and volumes of such ingredients added to certain dishes.

Vegetable oil is very beneficial for the body. But in order for there to be only benefit from using this product and not even minimal harm expected, you need to choose the right oil. And the first question that arises when choosing good option: Is it better to buy refined or unrefined oil? What are the differences and features of these two different products in terms of processing? Let's try to delve into this question and find a fair answer that will help you choose the right food option for your health.

What is the difference between refined oil and unrefined oil? Product Options

In order to understand how refined oil differs from unrefined oil, it is worth understanding what refining is. Essentially, this is a type of purification of a product from impurities and some elements. This process is carried out through a chemical or physical method. Purification technology involves evaporation, filtration, and neutralization of substances included in the product. In order to obtain refined oil, the liquid is subjected to multi-stage purification, deodorization, and clarification. The final processed product has a light transparent color, almost no odor, and does not foam during thermal exposure. It would seem that this is not an ingredient, but a godsend! But all these advantages are not so clear-cut.

Unrefined oil is an unrefined product. But what is it not cleared of? What impurities or elements of the composition of oil, for example sunflower, can we consider unnecessary? The refining process removes almost everything that could be considered valuable about the product from the structure. Only fats and a small part of the other composition remain.

It turns out that refined oil is a product that has been purified of everything! There is almost nothing useful in it, and nothing useful either. All that remains is the consistency and properties: lubricating effect, anti-adhesive effect, softening ability. All these qualities are often used to improve the taste and texture of dishes. But can we glean anything else beneficial from refined oil? It's worth thinking about!

Which oil is healthier and better: refined or unrefined?

Heading to the supermarket to fill your cart with tasty and healthy products, it’s worth thinking about what exactly you should choose for yourself and your family. Which oil is healthier and better: refined or unrefined? Let's take a closer look at both oil options.

Refined:

• almost colorless or has a subtle yellowish tint;
• does not have a pronounced taste or is completely devoid of any flavor nuance;
• does not foam during frying;
• has good lubricating and softening abilities;
• combines with a number of basic foods in the diet of a large number of people;
• almost does not change the taste of the products.

Unrefined:

• has a pleasant amber tint;
• It has pleasant taste depending on the base (seed, corn, olive);
• foams slightly during frying;
• lubricates and softens well;
• combined with big amount products;
• affects the taste of the dish.

To each list of product features, I would like to add a point about the content of useful substances: vitamins, microelements, bioactive components. In the case of the refined version, this point will be almost negative. Most of the useful components are removed during cleaning. That is, in fact, refined oil no longer contains the amount of vitamins that it originally had, while unrefined oil retains a high proportion of all substances important for the body.

Based on all this, let's try to answer the question: what is better and healthier - refined or unrefined oil? If we look at this issue from the point of view of choosing a product that fits ideally into a healthy diet, then we should definitely give preference to unrefined oil. Here you ask: “But what about possible harm from those substances that remain as a result of lack of purification? We will answer: “No harm in moderation, correct use plant product and it cannot be. But the benefits of a natural, unmodified product, which contains valuable fatty, semi-saturated acids, amino acids, vitamins, etc., are definitely there.”

As an example, let’s look at the composition of sunflower oil that has not undergone purification treatment. Contains: vitamins E and A, omega-3, -6 acids, oleic acid. Saturation of the body with these and other components contributes to:

• preservation of youth and elasticity of tissues (skin, hair, nail plate);
• building a strong immune system;
• stabilizing the balance of nutrients in the body;
• improving bowel function;
• normalization of hormonal levels.

Vegetable oil gently envelops the gastric mucosa, which creates natural protection against mechanical microtrauma and the introduction of pathogenic microflora. The antioxidant effect of vegetable oils has also been proven. The use of this product during a diet for weight loss has a very beneficial effect.

What does refined oil mean?

Let's look at what refined oil is. This is a purified product that does not stand out too much in taste and aroma. However, culinary experts note a very striking softening effect and separating ability. By adding this oil to any culinary product, you can achieve reliable mixing without gluing the components of the products. At the same time, the taste of the dish does not change. Refined oil for frying is beneficial - it does not burn and does not foam. When using this variation of grease for the bottom of dishes, you will not encounter soot and a burning smell in the kitchen.

But if we talk about healthy eating, where eating fried foods, then this ability immediately loses its value.

So what does refined oil mean? This means that it is a purified product that has retained its physical (not all) qualities and mechanical abilities. But this food component brings almost no benefit to the human body. Refined oil has been stripped of everything beneficial! Is such a product necessary on the table of a person who has chosen the path of healthy eating? The answer is obvious! This is oil - from the point of view healthy nutrition- absolutely “empty”.

The benefits of unrefined oil

I want to deal with useful qualities unrefined oil. Many may think that an unrefined product is harmful to the body. This is wrong! Unrefined does not mean dirty. Oil that has not been refined undergoes minimal purification. This cleaning process removes suspended impurities and eliminates elements that affect clarity, color and softness of texture.

Vegetable oils that have not undergone deep purification retain a variety of beneficial qualities.

However, it is worth noting a number of features of such a product that can be considered disadvantages:

• the unrefined product is sensitive to light;
• has a shorter shelf life;
• may taste bitter;
• not suitable for heat treatment;
• has a bright flavor (this can be considered both a minus and a plus).

There should be a reverent attitude towards a natural product. It is important to take into account the specifics of application, storage, and selection. However for experienced chefs and it will not be difficult for housewives to remember some rules for using natural, unrefined vegetable oil.

What happens if you choose refined oil?

A reasonable question - is there any harm from consuming a refined product? Many people believe that great harm Purified oil does not harm the body. This is not true at all. After all, the refining process involves the use of substances and compounds such as phosphates, silicates, and poisons. Gasoline is often used for cleaning. Do you think the absorption of these chemical elements from food is harmful to the health of the body? The answer is clear and simple! Carries.

However, by choosing this option for a culinary component, in addition to the obvious harm, you cause damage to your health by depriving yourself of the benefits that a good natural food option provides.

And if your body regularly does not receive valuable microelements and biologically active substances contained in a particular product, you need to either find a replacement for this source (but it is not always available), or accustom yourself to healthy foods. What are some reasons for choosing a less healthy option?

1. The price of vegetable oils of any level of processing is almost in the same cost range. Plus/minus 20 rubles will not make a big difference to the family budget.
2. Today any product options are easy to find on the shelves of standard supermarkets, markets, and grocery stores. Therefore, the problem of accessibility is definitely unfamiliar to the modern consumer.
3. Some people find the special taste of natural oils not very familiar to them. In fact, the natural taste of a natural product is more natural and pleasant. Don't add too many oily additions to your dishes. Just a drop is needed valuable product to spice up a combination of vegetables or add zest to some other dishes.

Another feature of unrefined oil is that you need very little of it to provide your body with the necessary saturation of benefits and health!

Almost certainly, a modern housewife would rather give preference to vegetable oil than to its creamy counterpart or animal fats. As you know, demand creates supply. In accordance with this rule, store shelves are simply “crowded” with all sorts of types, which are divided into two main categories: unrefined oil and refined oil.

If desired, these groups can be divided into several subspecies: unrefined sunflower, olive and other varieties. But that's not the point. Now we are trying to understand the issue of choosing between purified and unrefined products.

Not so long ago, no one puzzled over such a problem, because the absolute majority gave their preference to the first option - refined oil. It was believed that unrefined oil was an unrefined product that did not smell very good. However, some people liked the smell, which determined their own choice.

But recently, due to the emerging fashion for healthy eating, many began to think about the advisability of using unrefined products. After all, unrefined oil has a fairly large amount of useful substances.

So, exactly this option should be used everywhere and everywhere? More likely no than yes. After all, refined oil also contains a certain amount of useful substances. In addition, there is another reason why in some cases the unrefined product turns out to be completely unsuitable for use.

For example, unrefined oil is absolutely unsuitable for frying. Not only does it stand out in this case bad smell, and when heated, this type of oil is saturated with carcinogens. Surely everyone knows that this is not the most beneficial substance for our body. Also, foam may form during frying, which does not have the best effect on taste qualities food.

It can save us from all of the above problems. Yes, it also releases when heated, but this only happens at a temperature of 200 degrees, which does not involve cooking over an open fire.

But refined products also have their disadvantages. Everyone knows the fact that natural product cannot be stored for very long. But refined oil can. This means that it contains some amount of preservatives, no matter what the manufacturers claim.

Therefore, when preparing salads, it is much more important to use unrefined oil. It contains a sufficient amount of vitamins and minimum quantity harmful substances (after all, in in this case it doesn't heat up).

In general, it would be best to use unrefined oil. It is considered more useful than any type of sunflower oil.

It is worth noting one more important point. When choosing unrefined oil, you need to pay attention to the one that was produced by cold pressing (temperature up to 45 degrees). It must be stored exclusively in a sealed glass container and in a cool, dark place.

Today everyone knows about the benefits of vegetable oils, and we have plenty to choose from: the assortment is so rich that buyers of previous, “Soviet” times could not even imagine that there are so many types and varieties of vegetable oils in the world, and surprisingly tasty and healthy .

Vegetable oil is necessary for a person to have adequate nutrition, as it contains polyunsaturated fatty acids that protect our cells from negative influences and destruction, as well as many vitamins and nutrients.

And how can you choose from all this abundance the right oil that will really bring benefits?

First of all, any oils are usually divided into refined and unrefined. And if earlier, several decades ago, unrefined oil was considered almost a product for the poor, today the situation has changed dramatically, and it is unrefined oils that are considered the best and most healing, and refined oil they say that there is nothing useful left in it. Where is the truth?

The usefulness of vegetable oil depends mainly on its composition, the ratio of fats and acids, and these parameters remain practically unchanged even after refining. This means that the benefits of oil should not be judged from this point of view. However, the stages of refining are also different, and this is where you need to learn to understand.

Why is oil refined?

Why is oil refined if this does not affect its composition? First of all, this is done in order to make it neutral, almost tasteless. This may seem completely unnecessary, but you shouldn’t generalize too much - after all, oil in cooking is used to prepare many dishes, and completely different ones, both in composition and in method of preparation. It is better to season salads and some appetizers with unrefined oil, since these dishes are not subject to heat treatment, and the oil will add additional flavor to the salad.

If vegetable oil is used for preparing hot dishes, frying or baking foods, then unrefined oil can do more harm than good - due to the formation of smoke, burning, foam, unpleasant odor and taste. Unrefined oil, when overcooked, can also contribute to the formation of certain harmful substances in food, especially at high temperatures.

Oil refining methods

Vegetable oil in modern industry is refined in two ways: physical and chemical. The physical method usually involves the use of adsorbents, and the chemical method - alkalis. The chemical method is most often used because it is simpler, better developed, and the quality of the resulting product is also easier to control.

Manufacturers of oil refined in this way assure that consumers have nothing to fear, and no harmful impurities enter the composition of the final product, because the safest alkalis allowed for food processing are used in production. In addition, the oil is washed well, and even traces of chemicals do not remain in it. I really want to believe that this is really so...

What is the difference between refined and unrefined oils?

Refined oil differs from unrefined oil not only in taste, or rather, lack thereof, but also in the fact that it does not smoke and does not form foam when preparing hot dishes.

Frying in oil

At the very least, in order for refined oil to start smoking, the frying pan must be quite hot. The temperature at which a particular oil begins to smoke is considered the smoke point, and it must be said that it is different for different oils.

During the frying process, if the oil smokes and burns, carcinogens are formed, and everyone has heard about their dangers. For example, acrolein, a simple aldehyde formed in fumes over a hot frying pan, has a toxic effect on the mucous membranes of the eyes and irritates Airways, which leads to the development of various inflammatory diseases.

If a cook constantly breathes in acrolein fumes while preparing dishes, he will eventually acquire a whole bunch of chronic diseases, and the quality of the prepared dishes will not be the best. So for frying you need to use only refined oil, and do not overheat the pan.

At the smoke point of oils, other harmful substances are also formed, for example, polymers fatty acids and free radicals, and they remain in cooked dishes. If you often eat such dishes, this can lead to chronic health problems, including the development of oncology.

The brown crust on the crispy potatoes we love so much contains acrylamide, a substance that is also carcinogenic and can even destroy DNA. Most acrylamide is formed if you deep-fry potatoes for a long time - for example, as they do at McDonald's.

What is not contained in overcooked meat or fish: heterocyclic amines are formed inside the piece, which can cause heart disease, and in burnt roasts, polycyclic carcinogens with a large amount of carbon are formed. Most often this happens if the oil is not used for the first time, and the frying pan is very hot.

The next carcinogens that are often formed during frying are peroxides, and most of them are formed when frying in sunflower oil, which is so common in Central Russia. Therefore it is best used for frying olive oil– it practically does not form carcinogens. It’s not for nothing that the Mediterranean diet, in which olive oil is traditionally the main vegetable oil, is considered the healthiest.

Based on the above, it is not difficult to understand that oil, both refined and unrefined, must be used correctly - and then problems with nutrition and health will not arise.

Which oil is healthier: refined or unrefined?

Still, you should know that the healthiest thing is unrefined vegetable oils obtained by cold pressing at low temperatures - no higher than 45°C. These oils have a rich color, a characteristic smell for each type and a real, natural taste.

The benefits of using such oil can hardly be overestimated, but you need to remember some rules.

You cannot store “live” oil in heat, light and open air - this way it will quickly lose all its properties. beneficial features, will become cloudy, become bitter and tasteless, and will only bring harm to the body.

Unrefined oil generally has a short shelf life - and, perhaps, this is its main drawback, so it is better to store it in the refrigerator, in a glass bottle, and not use it after the expiration date.

In our retail sales you can most often find refined oil, and it can be stored much longer. However, no matter how the manufacturers assure us, many refined oils contain almost no vitamins and few useful substances; This especially applies to oils processed hot, at temperatures up to 200°C. This may be why some refined oil manufacturers tell consumers that they can keep it in the light and it won't spoil - because there's almost nothing there to spoil.

So refined oil should be used only for frying and baking foods, and add unrefined oil to salads, vinaigrettes, appetizers and seasonings - this way you will get all the best that nature has in vegetable oil.

Gataulina Galina
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1. Types of natural oils

Everyone knows about the benefits of natural vegetable oils and their magical cosmetic effect. But not everyone knows that the same natural oil can be of several types.

Firstly, there are base oils (they are also called fatty oils), and essential (they are also called esters or oil extracts).

1) Refined - went through several additional technological stages of purification.

2) Unrefined - has undergone only primary mechanical filtration. They are also called cold-pressed oils or virgin oil.

2. The benefits of different types of oils

Does the degree of purification affect natural oil on its usefulness and how many nutrients and microelements remain in it? - As it turns out, it has virtually no effect. The usefulness of the oil is determined composition of components which it contains. So, during the refining process (additional stages of purification and filtration), the composition and quantity useful vitamins, fats and acids in it change very little. Therefore, both types of oil are beneficial regardless of the degree of purification.

Certainly in unrefined oil quantity there will be a little more nutrients. But unrefined oil is not suitable in all cases and not for all people. Why and what are the main differences, see below.

3. What are the differences between oils

So what is the difference between oils, if both types are equally useful for their use for cosmetic and health purposes?

Firstly, - consistency. Unrefined oils are often more saturated and fatty in composition. Refined oils are softer and lighter in nature.

Secondly, - smell. Thanks to additional filtration and purification, refined oil is generally odorless. Unrefined - has a natural smell, each oil has its own. For example, unrefined coconut oil bright aroma coconut, while refined coconut has virtually no odor.

Third, - color. Refined oils usually lack color and usually have a transparent yellowish tint. Refined oils often have their own characteristic color. For example, unrefined avocado oil - green tint avocado fruit, refined has a transparent yellowish tint.

Thirdly, - shelf life. Refined oils, due to their higher degree of purification, have a longer shelf life. Unrefined oil has the closest appearance to the original source, and therefore its shelf life is shorter.

4. Which oil to choose

As noted above, unrefined oils are more saturated useful substances, vitamins and microelements. Therefore, in for cosmetic purposes usually It is better to use unrefined oil. But they are not always suitable for everyone.

Let's consider In what cases is it better to use refined oils?.

1) For children under 2, 3 years old. For the delicate skin of a child, unrefined oils can be more than saturated, there may be oversaturation. Refined oils are more neutral and are well suited for caring for baby's sensitive skin.

2) For pregnant and lactating women. During pregnancy, a woman’s body is more susceptible and needs psychological and physical calm. Therefore, it is better not to use unrefined oils during this period. For the sensitive and receptive body of a woman during this period there can be many of them. Therefore, pregnant and lactating women are recommended to use refined oils.

3) For sensitive, delicate, thin skin. If you have this type of skin, you need to see if unrefined oils will be enough for you and how your skin will react to them. In most such cases, the use of refined oils is recommended.

4) Sensitivity to odors. Almost all unrefined oils have a scent. Each oil has its own. If you are sensitive to odors, refined oils are suitable for you. They have no smell.

5) In some cases, for massage and cosmetic mixtures. Possibly creating a mixture of fatty base and essential oils You will want a certain flavor. In this case, you need to determine whether the aroma of unrefined oil will suit the overall composition of the aroma. If not, you can use refined oil.