Which cooking oil is good for health?

Sunflower Oil Vs Groundnut Oil - Which Cooking Oil You Must Use?

Dt. Swapan Banerjee

PGCDE, Nutrition Certification, M.Sc - Dietitics / Nutrition, MMM, CAFE, B.Sc. - Dietitics / Nutrition

Dietitian/Nutritionist • 141 People helped • 21 Year experience

Sunflower oil vs groundnut oil- which oil should you cook your daily meals in?

Both, sunflower and groundnut oil are preferred for cooking by chefs and homemakers alike due to their ability to enhance the flavour of the food. But which one of them is a healthier choice? Here’s a comparative analysis of the benefits offered by both oils to help you decide, which one you should be using for cooking.

1. Fat content
There’s no clear winner here. Sunflower oil is a rich source of polysaturated fats, which help keep your heart healthy and decrease the amount of bad cholesterol in your body. On the other hand, groundnut oil is rich in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, which protect you from heart diseases. Groundnut oil also contains omega-6 fatty acids, which help in the proper functioning of your nervous system.

2. Nutritional values
Sunflower oil contains different nutrients like Vitamin E, B1, magnesium, phosphorus, copper, zinc, iron, calcium, manganese and folate. The nutrient content of groundnut oil is also somewhat similar including iron, magnesium, potassium, copper, Vitamin E, B6, calcium and zinc. So, both are more or less tied at the same spot.

3. Health benefits
Both of them offer a host of health benefits. Sunflower oil can help in reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases, inflammation, asthma and high blood pressure, while improving digestion and preventing headaches. Comparatively, regular consumption of groundnut oil can keep you healthy by increasing fertility, enhancing your memory, lowering level of bad cholesterol, diminishing chances of cancer, obesity, heart diseases, depression and by keeping your blood sugar level balanced.

It’s considered to be a healthy practise to keep switching your cooking oils. This ensures that your body can get the benefits of different essential fatty acids as no single oil can satisfy the fatty acid requirement of the human body.

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