Cold Pressed Oils
Cold pressed oils refers to a technique of oil harvesting wherein the dry oils are pressed and crushed (no heat is used during the pressing process) to extract the oil. This technique has its origin in Africa and was used by the Black Indian communities. The process involved in this extraction is called ‘Kutchan’. Later, this technique was introduced in Britain and was known as jojoba oil. The whole procedure involves low pressure and therefore this oil is healthy than any other type of oil.
Some of the benefits of cold-pressed oils are: they contain less nutrient molecules compared to other types. The smaller size of the nutrient molecules in these oils helps in the quick absorption of the nutrients. Also, the nutrients are quickly released from the oil into the bloodstream.
Due to the absence of heat, most of the nutrients remain available in the body for a longer period of time. This can be used for detoxification of the body. When the body is detoxified, the waste materials are excreted in the urine. When the body is detoxified regularly, the energy levels in the organism improve and thus one is able to feel better. As detoxification takes place due to cold pressed oils, the body also undergoes cleansing process.
Digest Raw Seeds
It is difficult to digest raw seeds and hence these are usually included in cold pressed oils. However, some of the people are unable to tolerate seeds and hence they include other ingredients like vegetable and fruit extracts. It should be noted that not all edible seeds are suitable for inclusion. It is advisable to check with the cookery manuals before adding these seeds to the recipe.
Refined oils are extracted from the seeds and nuts. Some of the major types of cold-pressed oils are Coconut oil, Olive oil, Avocado oil, Sunflower oil etc. A typical recipe usually contains olive oil, sunflower oil, Coconut oil etc. whereas some others may include various other types of extracted oils. Some of the refined oils are high in saturated fats, cholesterol and calories.
These are the most popularly known versions of cold pressed oils. Many people prefer them because they are easy to use. They are easily available at all supermarkets. The popularity has increased with the passage of time. With the increasing awareness about health and fitness, more people are switching over to these hot-pressed oils.
Some of the chemicals that are extracted from these hot-pressed oils can be used for medicinal purposes. But most of these chemicals are derived from chemicals used in pharmaceuticals. There are various antioxidants present in these products. These antioxidants help in detoxifying and removing the harmful agents from your body. However some of the antioxidants present in them are not that effective as compared to vitamin C, Vitamin E etc.
There are some good natural antioxidants available like vitamin E and beta carotene in these products. There are several other antioxidants such as grape seed oil, sesame oil, flaxseed oil etc. These natural antioxidants are found to be more effective than the artificially produced antioxidants. Therefore cold pressed oils is a healthy option if you want to take supplements for better health.
Types of Antioxidant
The above two types of antioxidant are extracted from the edible seeds of plants. So it is quite possible that these antioxidants can cause an allergic reaction in some people. This can happen if the person has a sensitive digestive system or heart. But if the person uses cold pressed oils such as olive or canola oil in their cooking process then there is no scope of experiencing any side effects. Therefore this is one of the best methods to cook with cold pressed oils.
The above two types of antioxidants present in cold-pressed oils can be absorbed quickly into our bloodstreams. This helps in the quick burning of fat, thereby reducing the chances of heart diseases, stroke etc. Also when these fats are oxidized they provide short term relief to our digestive system. However, the longer we cook with these refined oils the more the chances of getting affected.
The above two types of antioxidants present in refined oils have long shelf lives. The vitamin E present in them acts as a very good sunscreen for the skin and also helps in skin maintenance. Vitamin E also helps in slowing down the aging process of our body. When we cook with these cold-pressed oils such as sunflower seeds, peanut butter, flax seed, safflower, etc. only the beneficial chemicals present in them are absorbed into our bodies whereas the bad chemicals are released into our digestive system which causes toxicity.
