Mustard oil is fav oil to stay fit

As health consciousness grows among Indians, a large number of people are now reinventing the time-tested goodness of mustard oil in helping people stay fit.

While our nana-nanis and dada-dadis always seemed to know about the healing properties of kachchi ghani mustard oil, new research by scientists has helped shed light on the exact nature of these properties.

A landmark study conducted by the Harvard School of Medicine with All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi, and St John Hospital, Bengaluru, revealed that consuming mustard oil as one's primary cooking and deep-frying oil could reduce the risks associated with coronary heart disease by more than 70 per cent.

Today, many eminent cardiologists like Dr SC Manchanda unequivocally recommend cold-pressed (also known as Kachchi Ghani) mustard oil for a healthy heart and vascular system - and nutritionists and dieticians too are unanimous in their belief that mustard oil is among the healthiest cooking oils you can find in the market.

Kavita Devgan, a leading nutritionist, dietician and weight management consultant feels that among the plethora of cooking oils available today, it is better to choose natural cold-pressed oils like mustard oil that are rich in Monounsaturated Fatty Acids (MUFA) and Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (PUFA) but low in Saturated Fatty Acids (SFA).

Umesh Verma, General Manager (Marcom) at Puri Oil Mills Limited (the makers of P Mark Mustard Oil) says: "Speaking at a webinar organized by our company, Ms Devgan had pointed out that cold-pressed mustard oil is, in many ways, a perfect cooking medium in its composition. It has all the right fatty acids in the ideal ratio and is packed with natural vitamins and antioxidants.