What is the difference between unrefined oil and refined oil? Natural vegetable oils. Refined and unrefined oil: differences, benefits and harms

What good housewife does not have a bottle of vegetable oil? After all, not one delicious dish can do without this product. Although it is worth considering whether refined or unrefined oil is the most beneficial. Also, a caring hostess needs to know how refined oil differs from unrefined oil. In what cases can these 2 products of different composition be used.

What does refined oil and unrefined oil mean?

The question of what refined oil means, and whether it is harmful to eat refined oil, can be answered as follows. Refined means that which has undergone purification and as a result has remained without taste and smell. There is a light yellow or generally transparent color. Easier to store and has a wider range of uses. It can be used both in cooking and in production. The purified version is most used for the purposes of cosmetology and pharmacology.

It is not harmful to use refined oil, since most fried foods are indispensable without it. It is valued in the manufacture of semi-finished products, various canned food, as well as in all types of dough.

Unrefined oil is a freshly pressed version that smells very fragrant and has a dark amber color. But, there is also a negative side, it can only be stored in a dark place and its shelf life is not long, unlike refined oil. If stored incorrectly, its taste is lost and it becomes bitter.

Unrefined oil has benefits for the body. With its daily use, the body is completely cleansed, youth is prolonged, the condition of the skin and curls improves, the immune system is strengthened, the intestines, kidneys and liver perform their functions perfectly.

Refined oil composition

What key ingredient in composition is and how refined oil differs, we learn from the table.

How is refined oil made?

You can learn about how the oil is refined from the subsequent technology. So how is refined oil made? The methods for obtaining it are as follows:

1. Press cold. Oil is obtained from pressed seeds, then poured into containers. This oil is considered the most valuable, as it retains all the beneficial substances. The shelf life of this oil is minimal.
2. Hot pressing. With this method, the seeds are heated and pressed. In this case, the oil comes out more fragrant, but becomes less suitable, but its shelf life increases.
3. Extraction.

The refining of vegetable oil begins with purification, due to which unnecessary substances are eliminated by filtration. The second step is neutralization. Alkalis eliminate fatty acids. As a result, salts are formed, due to them phosphatides are destroyed, as well as pigments, which are so necessary for proper absorption. The third step is hydration. Boiling water purifies the oil. Eventually, a precipitate is formed in the form of phosphatides. The fourth stage is characterized by discoloration. Due to charcoal and bleaching clay, pigments are destroyed. That is, adsorption refining occurs. The last step is deodorization. Due to the vacuum with boiling steam through which the oil is exposed, the smell and taste that is so inherent in natural oil disappears.

In general, what do we get in the end after all these actions? Indeed, in order to purify the oil, hexane is added to it (a solvent found in the structure of gasoline). Can it be eaten? This substance is added to sunflower seeds. After the oil has been made, the hexane is removed by water vapor, and the alkali cleans up the residue.

Refined oil: benefits and harms

The benefits of refined oil are as follows:

• there is no allergy when using it;
• an essential ingredient in the nutrition of babies;
• use of the product in the care of children's skin against itching, rashes, irritations;
• use in adult medicine;
• with daily moderate use, cholesterol levels decrease;
• helps fight dry skin;
• thanks to the mild action, cough can be eliminated.

Refined oil is your faithful assistant in hair care. Thanks to oil-based masks, curls become strong, shiny and beautiful. Nails due to warm baths with the addition of oil will be stronger and will grow well. Rough heels and cracked lips can also be cured with refined oil.

The harm of refined oil lies in the fact that as a result of refining it loses all its beneficial properties. Also, during refining, hexane and gasoline are added to the oil, which then simply cannot be completely removed. As a result, these impurities remain in the contents and then accumulate in the human body over time. Refined oil is most subject to oxidation, and its composition is significantly different from the crude product.

Thanks to these factors, you can guess how harmful the purified product is to eat. Due to its use, dangerous substances accumulate in the body, which, as a result, can lead to serious diseases, malignant neoplasms.

Refined vs Unrefined Oil, What's the Difference?

Refined and unrefined oil, differences:

1. Consistency. The unrefined version has a rich composition. The refined version is softer in texture.
2. Color. The refined version has a light yellowish or transparent color. The unrefined color is amber and dark.
3. Smell. In the refined version, there is no smell, and in the unrefined version, there is its native aroma. If, for example, coconut oil, then it will smell like coconut, if sunflower, then seeds.
4. Shelf life. The refined version is stored more than the unrefined one.

Which oil is better to fry: refined or unrefined

Dr. Dadali (connected with chemical sciences) to the question of which oil is more useful: refined or unrefined and what is better to fry on, comments like this. “Frying any foods on vegetable products is generally not recommended. It also does not matter what product it is, purified or unrefined. Under the influence of strong temperatures, any product loses useful substances.

It is best to cook dishes with olive oil. In its composition, it has oleic acid up to 80%, which is not affected by hot temperatures. Although oleic acid is present in sunflower oil, somewhere up to 40%. But, nevertheless, if you really want to use sunflower oil when cooking, then you can use quite a bit so that the food does not burn. The rest can be added to taste, when the dish is ready.

According to the doctor, there are more valuable substances in the natural unrefined product, as well as unrefined oil - excellent and phytosterol, due to which cholesterol is reduced. And the most important thing is that cholesterol in the purified product does not exist at all. It is not found in vegetable oils at all.

Sunflower oil is a product that is extracted from vegetable raw materials and consists of fats. It is obtained by pressing or by extraction. Vegetable oil can be refined or unrefined.

What is the difference between refined sunflower oil and unrefined?

Refined oil implies multi-level purification from various impurities, and unrefined oil also undergoes some mechanical purification, but in a much smaller volume. In the modern world, oil is made refined in order to deprive it of taste - this is required by cooking for the preparation of various dishes. Unrefined oil has a specific smell and taste, originally characteristic of sunflower seeds. Used fresh in salad dressings. It is better not to use unrefined oil for frying, as it smokes heavily, tastes unpleasant, and also releases a certain amount of carcinogenic substances that can harm the body.

Unrefined sunflower oil is obtained, as a rule, by cold or hot pressing. Cold pressing is carried out manually at home. Unrefined oil, obtained by cold pressing at a low temperature, has a light yellow tint and the aroma of fresh seeds. It is considered the most useful, as it retains the maximum of useful substances. It has a short shelf life and should be stored in a glass container in the refrigerator. In industry, a hot mechanical manufacturing method is used. This oil is brighter in color and has a roasted seed flavor and has a longer shelf life. We buy this oil in stores. Many are interested in the question of which sunflower oil is more useful - refined or unrefined. It has been scientifically proven that even with refining, the ratio of vitamins, fats and natural amino acids in the composition of the oil does not change, so both types of oil bring the same benefit.

The benefits and harms of unrefined sunflower oil

Unrefined sunflower oil contains fatty acids and minerals that a person needs. Its use reduces the risk of skin diseases, helps prevent rickets in children. In addition, with the help of it you can remove excess cholesterol from the body, cleanse blood vessels, and normalize blood circulation in the brain.

Harm can bring the use of unrefined oil above the norm, the recommended daily dose is no more than 2-3 tablespoons per day. In addition, the high calorie content of this product is not suitable for people on a diet. Repeated frying in sunflower oil contributes to the evaporation of harmful substances.

Composition of unrefined sunflower oil

Unrefined sunflower oil is a fatty product and consists of 99.9% fats, it does not contain proteins and carbohydrates. It contains no harmful components and various food additives. The nutritional value of vegetable oil lies in the presence of fatty acids that the body needs to heal and strengthen cells. The composition of unrefined vegetable oil contains magnesium, calcium, iodine and zinc, but the amount of these minerals is small.

Of course, it is best to eat those foods that nature gives us. These products include sunflower oil. The healing properties of this natural product help to properly establish the digestive system, restore the functioning of internal organs, strengthen hair and nails, and improve the immune system.

Refined vegetable oil is a product obtained as a result of various purification operations from pressed plant materials. Moreover, any oil can be used: obtained both from seeds and from leaves, roots and nuts. The very word "refining" came to us from the French language, in which "raffine" means "refined, processed."

Refined oil is, in simple terms, processed and refined vegetable oil. The refining process consists in removing a wide variety of impurities and substances from unrefined raw materials. Refining is actually a rather complicated operation. It consists of several stages, each of which can be either the only refining method or used in combination with the others.

How are they refined?

Vegetable oil is refined in the following ways:

Beneficial features

Despite the fact that opponents of refined oil use the fact that refining completely deprives the oil of useful substances and vitamins as an argument for their position, this opinion is still somewhat erroneous, since it is worth paying attention to the heat treatment that you will carry out with this type of product. The fact is that unrefined little, when heated, forms the most harmful carcinogens. That is why for frying and other types of culinary operations directly related to high temperatures, only refined oil should be used. In addition, refined oil is unable to act as an allergen, which means that it will be safe for people suffering from various types of allergies.

And, of course, one should not be so categorical about the “emptiness” regarding the presence of useful substances in the composition of refined vegetable oil. The fact is that, indeed, various stages of refining remove some types of vitamins from the oil. But fatty acids remain available, such as Omega-3 and Omega-6, which are necessary for the cardiovascular system of our body, they save us from the development of atherosclerosis and prevent thrombosis. The absence of these acids in the daily diet can slow down the growth and development of the body, worsen blood clotting and suppress the reproductive system.

Application in cooking

The use of refined vegetable oil in cooking is very widespread. Most often, of course, our compatriots use refined sunflower oil for culinary purposes. But do not discount many other types of oils, each of which has its own inherent taste and the presence of a variety of useful components:

In almost every recipe, we can find such an ingredient as vegetable oil. Attention should be paid to the method of processing the products included in its composition. Remember that unrefined vegetable oil is only acceptable in recipes where there is no heat treatment at all, for example, in salads and dressings for ready-made dishes, because when heated and reaches the smoke point, it forms a huge amount of harmful substances.

Another positive quality of the refined product is that it does not have a specific taste and smell inherent in unrefined oil. After all, if you are preparing a salad, then the rich aroma of olive, sunflower or sesame oil will be appropriate, but when frying a juicy steak, it will not work at all. In addition, unrefined butter will foam when frying and will not give that ruddy crust that we would like to get.

The benefits of refined vegetable oil and treatment

The benefit of refined oil is the absence of an allergic reaction during its use. That is why it is recommended for small children. After all, vegetable oil is an indispensable component of a child’s nutrition literally from the first year of his life. Besides, while caring for the baby's delicate skin, you should also use refined versions of various oils that are unable to cause allergic itching, rashes and irritation on the baby's delicate skin.

In addition, it is also preferable for adults to use refined oil for medical purposes.

Regular consumption of refined corn oil or sunflower oil in moderation will help lower blood cholesterol levels, and their gentle enveloping effect will help relieve coughs and cope with dry skin.

For cosmetic purposes, refined oil will become your faithful assistant. After all, oil masks will return your hair strength, shine and beauty. Your nails, thanks to warm oil baths, will get stronger and grow better. The oil will also help with rough heels and chapped lips.

Harm of refined vegetable oil and contraindications

The harm of refined oil lies mainly only in its calorie content, because it is quite high and amounts to 899 kcal per 100 g. That is why you should carefully monitor the amount of product consumed.

An amber oily liquid, without which it is difficult to imagine eating and preparing many dishes, there is in every kitchen. The richest composition and the huge benefits of vegetable oils explain its widespread use in nutrition, medicine, and cosmetology. There is only one drawback to this ideal product - when boiled, some substances in the composition are converted into harmful elements that provoke malignant neoplasms. To prevent the release of carcinogens during frying and increase the shelf life, the oil is refined.

Refined oil - what is it

Refined vegetable oil is a product obtained by refining from pressed vegetable raw materials and consisting of triglycerides of fatty acids. Sunflower seeds, fruits of oil-bearing plants or an oil base obtained from them are used as starting material. The term refining was adopted from French and means "processed". Refined vegetable fats are oil extracts, purified from unwanted lipid groups, impurities, and along the way from the characteristic color, smell and taste.

How is it different from unrefined

Both types of vegetable oil (both natural and refined) are beneficial to human health. The basis of the oil extract is 99.9% fat, and the calorie content of 100 g of the product is 900 kcal. The removal of certain categories of fat-like substances from the oil base during processing makes it less caloric. Because of this feature, it is used by people who are on a diet. There are other differences between raw vegetable fats and those that have undergone a refining process:

How oil is refined

Refining is a complex operation consisting of many successive stages. The purpose of the treatment and purification process is to remove various substances and impurities from the unrefined raw material. Modern methods of refining vegetable fats: physical method using absorbents, chemical technology using alkali.

In modern production, the second method of refining oil extracts from plant materials is more often practiced. The reason for this is a simplified process, better processing, ease of quality control of the finished product. Manufacturers assure buyers of the absolute safety for the health of vegetable oil obtained by chemical refining. Manufacturers guarantee consumers the complete absence of harmful impurities and claim that only harmless alkalis are used in refining.

In production, oil refining is carried out using a chemical called Hexane. Saturated hydrocarbon belongs to the class of Alkanes, is an integral part of synthetic gasoline. A colorless organic element does not dissolve in water, and the boiling point for it is 67.7 degrees. The process of refining vegetable fat involves the following steps:

1. When sunflower seeds are mixed with Hexane, an oily liquid is released from the plant material.
2. Removal of saturated hydrocarbon is carried out with water vapor.
3. Neutralization consists in treating the remaining oil mixture with alkali.
4. Hydration of vegetable fat is aimed at removing phospholipids from the oil base. In an unrefined product, fat-like substances in a short period of time are able to form insoluble hydrated substances that precipitate, which leads to cloudiness of the oil base.
5. Freezing promotes the elimination of waxy substances that affect the transparency of the oily liquid.
6. Adsorption refining (bleaching) is achieved by removing pigments from the composition of sunflower oil using charcoal and bleaching clays.
7. Deodorization leaves the final product without the aroma and taste characteristic of natural vegetable oil. The process consists in passing the oily liquid through a vacuum with hot steam.
8. Bottling of finished vegetable oil into bottles, gluing labels and sending to retail outlets.

Why refine vegetable fats, if this does not affect its useful composition, as the manufacturers assure? This is done in order to obtain an odorless and tasteless oil, that is, neutral. In cooking, it is used to prepare all kinds of cold and hot dishes. If natural vegetable fats are more suitable for salads, which give appetizers a rich taste and aroma, then it is better to use refined ones for frying.

Natural herbal oil extract for cooking hot meals at high temperatures can do more harm than good. This happens due to the transformation of certain substances into carcinogens, which are the cause of cancer. In addition, the process of frying on unrefined is always accompanied by the formation of foam, smoke, burning.

Benefit and harm

The benefits and harms of refined oil are the cause of ongoing controversy among lovers of this product. Some like refined and clarified oil, others prefer natural, rich in aroma and taste of fruits or seeds of oil plants. Each type of oil extract has its own advantages and disadvantages.

Which oil is healthier - refined or unrefined

Natural oil extract from sunflower seeds contains polyunsaturated fatty acids, which have a beneficial effect on the human body. These substances are valuable in that they take an important part in metabolism, and also build cell defenses to resist negative effects and protect them from destruction. Sunflower oil contains three main fatty acids: linoleic (omega 6 content from 45 to 60%), linolenic (omega 3 - 23%), oleic (omega 9 content from 25 to 40%).

This natural product has the highest content of alpha-tocopherol, which is about 60 milligrams per 100 g of the product. Vitamin E is known for its ability to restore reproductive function, positively affect vision, improve joint mobility, make blood vessels elastic, and rejuvenate the skin. Just two tablespoons a day will provide the body with many beneficial substances that activate hemoglobin synthesis, improving blood composition.

Regular use of natural sunflower oil in the diet will help normalize the activity of the gallbladder, immune and digestive systems, and suppress inflammation in the body. Its use reduces the risk of cardiovascular diseases, prevents the development of atherosclerosis. Phosphorus contained in the oil extract in the amount of 2 mg per 100 g of the product improves the condition of all bone tissues, plays an important role in the metabolism of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. Phosphorus deficiency depresses the central nervous system, adversely affects the brain, provoking mental retardation.

Refined vegetable oil subjected to multi-stage processing is not as healthy as natural. The main advantage over the crude oil extract is the absolute harmlessness when used for cooking hot dishes. Purification of impurities allows the use of fat from oil plants for those who suffer from food allergies.

Which olive oil is better - refined or unrefined

Due to its rich composition, natural olive oil is a real pantry of useful substances (vitamins, minerals, fatty acids and other microelements), which contribute to the healing and rejuvenation of the whole organism. Ideally, you should use only cold-pressed olive oil extract marked on the Extra Virgin label, it contains a lot of useful substances:

• phenols and polyphenols contribute to the prolongation of youth;
• tocopherols, terpene alcohols normalize blood sugar levels;
• oleic acid accelerates metabolism, strengthens the walls of blood vessels;
• fatty acid omega 9 has a preventive effect against diabetes, atherosclerosis, obesity;
• linoleic acid accelerates the process of regeneration of damaged tissues, increases visual acuity;
• squalene prevents the development of neoplasms;
• vitamin E (natural antioxidant) stops the process of premature aging, fights radicals, prevents intoxication of the body;
• vitamin A promotes the formation of new cells, restores firmness and elasticity of the skin;
• vitamin D acts as a prevention of rickets, is involved in the full formation of bone tissue.

Refined olive oil in terms of benefits for the body is much inferior to the natural product, because during cleaning it loses many useful trace elements. The most valued "drip" extra virgin olive oil. The advantages of the processed oil extract from the fruits of olive trees include an increase in its shelf life, the absence of sediment.

How to choose

Buying good natural vegetable oil is easier, because the quality is always evidenced by the characteristic amber color and smell of the feedstock, rich oily taste without bitterness, and the absence of a pronounced sediment at the bottom of the bottle. To choose a quality refined product, pay attention to the information indicated by the manufacturer on the label:

• the shelf life is from 3 months to 2 years (the maximum storage time for a nitrided oil extract);
• a mark on compliance with all standards in accordance with GOST (oils manufactured according to technical specifications undergo less stringent control);
• category of vegetable fat from oilseeds, on which the purpose of the product depends ("Premium", "Top Grade", "First Grade", etc.);
• production and bottling dates must match.

The bottle, label or packaging must be free of damage and smudges. The most expensive and high-quality varieties of vegetable fats are bottled in dark-colored glass bottles with a metal or cork cap. But this does not mean that the oil extract in plastic containers is necessarily of poor quality. When buying, you should always read the consumer information on the label.

Price

The cost of refined vegetable fats depends on the raw materials, the category and degree of processing of the product, the remoteness of the manufacturer from the place of sale, and the popularity of the brand. During the days of holiday promotions, at large points of sale, you can buy such products at competitive prices. It is always more profitable to purchase vegetable fats from sunflower of domestic production, because their cost includes minimal transportation costs. The price of olive oil depends on the country of origin, mainly Spain, Italy, Greece.

Video

Shea butter (karite) is extracted from the fruits of the shea tree, called the African miracle. It is widely used in cooking, but in Russia it is better known as a cosmetic product for hair, face and body skin care.

When buying a product, many face the problem of choosing between refined and unrefined shea butter. The difference in price between the two types is rather big, so let's figure out if it's worth overpaying.

Shea butter refined and unrefined: the difference between them

Shea Butter Grade Classification

• A is unrefined shea butter. Natural product obtained with water. The color is from light beige to bright yellow, the smell is slightly nutty.
• B - refined, deodorized. White (may be yellowish), odorless.
• C is the product obtained with the help of a solvent. White, odorless.
• D - a product containing impurities in a small amount.
• C - a product with a high content of impurities. It is rarely used in cosmetics.

The first three classes of shea are commercial, i.e. approved for use in cosmetology and pharmacology. Most often, on the shelves of our stores and in pharmacies, shea butter of class A and B is found.

What is the difference between the two main types of product?

Unrefined shea butter is not subjected to any heat treatment upon receipt, which allows it to retain all the useful components of the raw material. The lion's share (about 80%) of its composition falls on triglycerides formed by fatty acids (palmitic, linoleic, stearic, etc.). Slightly less than 20% are unsaponifiable fats, represented mainly by caristerols. It is their joint work with triglycerides that determines the benefits of the product.

In addition, unrefined shea butter (shea butter) contains only 1% vitamin E (for example, it contains many times more). The color of a natural product can vary from light beige to deep yellow, the smell of a quality product is oily-nutty, in no case rancid.

What happens when shea butter is refined? During the refining process, any vegetable oil loses most of its vitamins and minerals. Shea butter after cleaning loses such richness as 1% tocopherol, but triglycerides and caristerols remain almost intact in the composition of the product. Aroma, like that, is absent.

The use of unrefined shea butter

Unrefined shea butter is used for burns, bruises, participates in the process of skin regeneration, moisturizes and nourishes. It is used both in pure form and in combination with other care products. The fair sex use the product to moisturize dry skin.

Shea butter is very good to use in winter. It perfectly moisturizes and nourishes chapped lips in the cold, the skin of the hands.

Shea butter will also help to cope with the rough skin of the heels and elbows. Daily use will significantly improve the condition of these problem areas.

In addition, the oil is part of various anti-inflammatory ointments and lotions needed to treat skin diseases, such as acne, eczema, age spots, scars, rosacea, etc. It perfectly heals and disinfects the skin.

No less useful is shea butter for hair. Application will help solve problems such as hair loss, dullness and split ends. It is enough to apply the product several times a week to the roots of the hair and along the entire length so that your curls will thank you with incredible shine and strength.

Using Refined Shea Butter

Refined shea butter has a longer shelf life than unrefined, making it more practical to use. In addition, despite the cleaning process, it does not lose such properties as moisturizing and nourishing. Therefore, many women use refined shea butter as part of homemade face and body masks, as well as hair.

Which Shea Butter is Better: Refined or Unrefined?

So how does refined shea butter differ from unrefined, other than color and lack of flavor? That's right, it doesn't contain that 1% vitamin E. Does that make it worse? Perhaps, but not critical. In the end, it can be enriched with vitamin E, bought at the nearest pharmacy for a penny. So is it worth paying more?