Greetings, friends. Few in our country know what rapeseed oil is, although in the West a huge number of people use it in everyday life.

Having a pleasant taste, both adults and children like it, and its benefits for the body can hardly be overestimated. Rapeseed oil useful properties and contraindications - this will be the topic of our today's article.

What it is

The oil pressed from a plant called rapeseed has the same name. This plant can be found in temperate climates, especially in places with high humidity.

The second name of this product is “northern olive”. It has a pleasant taste, transparent in appearance, does not taste bitter, and has a long period of use. In terms of benefits for the human body, it comes out on top compared to other vegetable oils.

The product is used not only in the food industry, but also in the fuel industry, as well as in cosmetology, soap making. Those wastes that remain after squeezing are added to animal feed. Rapeseed oil has many health benefits. But we should not forget about contraindications, which, if taken incorrectly, can cause quite significant harm to the body.

Benefits of rapeseed oil

The composition and properties of this product, as we mentioned earlier, are similar to oils made from olives. Rapeseed oil has a powerful anti-inflammatory effect, normalizes the acidity of the stomach, and is a mild natural laxative.

Composition and benefits

This product contains omega-3, 6, 9 acids, which the body cannot synthesize on its own, but at the same time experiences an incredible need for them.

What are the benefits of fatty acids:

• without these substances, the circulatory system cannot function normally;
• strengthen the walls of blood vessels, make them more elastic;
• proven prophylactic against thrombosis;
• significantly reduce the content of bad cholesterol;
• the deficiency of linoleic acid, the main cause of fatal heart disease, disappears.

Vitamins and other useful substances

• 15 ml of rapeseed product contains a third of the daily dose of vitamin E.
• Tocopherol is a powerful antioxidant that helps the body resist viruses and bacteria.
• The product contains retinol, vitamins B, F. This composition has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the nervous system, helps to accelerate fat metabolism.
• The presence of the hormone estradiol in the composition of this natural product makes it indispensable for maintaining normal women's health. With regular use, the risk of malignant tumors in the mammary glands is reduced, reproductive function is enhanced.

Contraindications

Please note: hepatitis, diarrhea, cholelithiasis - with these diseases, it is forbidden to use a rapeseed product.

How to apply

The product does not lose transparency for a long time, it has a delicate pleasant aroma, useful properties are preserved for at least five years.

cooking

In cooking, rapeseed oil is best used as a salad dressing. The product is not suitable for frying and baking. The fact is that under the influence of high temperatures, toxic compounds appear in it.

ethnoscience

The rapeseed product is quite often found in traditional medicine recipes. Warm compresses and baths from this product help eliminate joint diseases. It starts the regeneration process, it can be used to lubricate wounds and burns.

Canola oil helps eliminate hangovers. To do this, you need to dilute a few drops in a glass of water and drink on an empty stomach.

traditional medicine

Sterile rapeseed oil is used in pharmacology; oil formulations for injections are made on its basis.

Application in dietary nutrition

Rape seeds contain up to 50% fat, 6% fiber, up to 30% protein. The oil has a low calorie content, accelerates metabolic processes in the body, which allows you to effectively use it in the fight against extra pounds.

Almost all diets allow the intake of rapeseed oil, since the product is well absorbed by the body. This oil is a mandatory component of the diet against atherosclerosis, it is prescribed for problems with the heart and blood vessels.

Norm

In therapeutic and mono-diets, the daily dose of oil is 15 ml. With a protein and healthy diet, the amount of oil can be increased to 30 ml.

children

In some European countries, this product is used in the production of baby food. It contains healthy fatty acids, it is completely free of cholesterol.

Norm

Oil can be introduced into the diet of a child at 4-6 months, adding 1 drop to vegetable complementary foods. The dose can be gradually increased, for a week the daily amount of oil can be brought up to 2 ml.

This product should not be added to store-bought vegetable purees - most often it is already in the composition. In baby food, due to its mild taste, it is almost imperceptible, so the baby will be happy to eat the food offered, and parents can be calm about his health.

The daily dose of rapeseed oil for a child should not exceed 30 ml.

Rapeseed oil in cosmetology

Rapeseed oil is used to improve the condition of the skin, eliminate dermatological problems. We bring to your attention several proven recipes.

Soothing bath:

• fresh milk - 220 ml;
• soda - 12 g;
• rapeseed oil - 30 ml;
• dried lavender flowers (chamomile, calendula) - 50 g;
• corn starch - 5 g.

Mix all components, add 100 g of sea salt. The duration of the water procedure is no more than 20 minutes.

Hair

Rapeseed oil improves, it makes curls strong and eliminates split ends. It should be added to shampoo or balm. For every 100 ml of base, 7 ml of oil is required.

Rapeseed, or "northern olive", as it is also called, oil is extracted from rapeseed seeds. This crop is widely used for the production of vegetable oil and margarine. The benefits and harms of rapeseed oil have long been studied, the benefits of this product have long made it popular among people around the world.

Today, rapeseed fields occupy about 2% of the total area of ​​plowed fields in the world. The plant has become so widespread for three reasons:

1. Cheap production.
2. Waste-free production: after squeezing, cake remains, which is used as animal feed.
3. Scientists are trying to use rapeseed oil as a fuel.

A bit of history

People cultivated rape 1500 years ago. Opinions are divided: some believe that the homeland of the plant is Northern India, and some - the Mediterranean.

Despite the fact that rapeseed is one of the first plants that people began to consciously grow for their needs, until the 70s of the last century, they tried not to eat products from it. They contained a large amount of erucic acid, which, in fact, is a poison for the body. We are not able to break down this acid, which leads to its accumulation in the body and causes some diseases.

In the 70s of the XX century, a plant variety containing no more than 2% of this poison was selected in Canada. This amount makes the food suitable for human consumption. Of course, a large part of the population used rapeseed oil in cooking before, but after a sharp increase in the quality of the product, the demand for it has become huge. The oil spread throughout America and Europe. The market has expanded to the Far and Middle East: in just 30 years, China has occupied 1/4 of the market for the production of this product. In Germany, 70-80% of citizens eat rapeseed oil, and in European countries this product has officially become considered a medicine.

Rapeseed oil: benefits and harms

Benefit

The general composition of the product is optimally balanced and, in terms of properties, resembles the well-known to everyone. A tablespoon of rapeseed oil contains a large amount of monounsaturated fats - as much as 8.2 grams - and 30% of the daily value of vitamin E. Also, the composition contains poly- and monounsaturated acids Omega 3, 6 and 9, which are important for the body. They are not synthesized by the body on its own. What are they needed for? These acids affect the functioning of the circulatory system:

1. slow down the thinning of the walls of blood vessels;
2. prevent the formation of blood clots;
3. which also prevent the total accumulation of cholesterol on the walls of blood vessels.

For example, a lack of Omega 6, or linoleic acid, in the body often leads to serious malfunctions in the heart: heart attacks and strokes. Eating rapeseed oil is able to maintain the amount of this substance at the required level.

Vitamin E, in turn, is a powerful antioxidant and immunomodulator. It supports the protective functions of the body.

Rapeseed oil also improves the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.

Rapeseed oil: properties especially beneficial for women

The use of the product brings especially many benefits to ladies.

1. The oil is used in cosmetology and dermatology: it can significantly improve the appearance of the skin, moisturizing and nourishing it.
2. The hormone estradiol contained in the product exactly corresponds to a special female hormone, which is also called the “health hormone”. It helps reduce the potential risk of breast cancer, and also enhances maternal functions of the body, such as a woman's ability to become a mother and bear a healthy child.

Harm

The only, but very serious, disadvantage of rapeseed oil is the presence of erucic acid in it. It has a destructive effect both on the body as a whole and on the work of individual organs and systems: the liver, heart and bone tissues. As we have already said, in the last century a new variety of rapeseed was bred, in which the presence of this poison is minimal, this oil can be eaten without fear. However, you need to choose the product in the store carefully enough.

How to choose a good rapeseed oil?

To choose an oil that will only benefit the body, you need to follow a few simple principles. Before the purchase:

1. Look at the bottom of the bottle: if there is sediment in it, then the product is of poor quality.
2. The content of erucic acid should be minimal: from 0.3 to 0.6%. This data is printed on the label. Usually, any product that has been refined has normal indicators, so you need to choose refined oil.
3. If the label says that the oil is hydrogenated, then it is better not to take it: such a product has an unstable molecular structure and will not bring any benefits.
4. The color should be a clear amber yellow.

After buying, be sure to check the oil for smell: a good product has a pleasant nutty flavor.

Storage

The wonderful qualities of the oil are best preserved in glass containers. Even if you bought the liquid in a plastic bottle, it is better to pour it into a glass jar at home and seal it tightly.

It is better to store the oil in a dark, cool place, protecting it from sunlight. Of course, nothing bad will happen to the product, but the liquid may become cloudy and lose its delicate aroma. In addition, vitamin E is best preserved in a place inaccessible to light.

Application in food

Rapeseed oil, like olive oil, is best for salad dressings. It is not recommended to fry and bake on it, as toxic substances are formed in it at temperatures above 160 degrees.

Rapeseed oil in all its qualities is not inferior to olive oil, has a pleasant smell and taste, and is much cheaper. It is worth thinking about using it for your culinary delights!

Rapeseed oil appeared on the shelves of Russian stores relatively recently and has already gained many fans. However, there are those who doubt the benefits of this product and treat it with caution. And yet, is rapeseed oil beneficial or harmful? Let's figure it out.

A product is produced from an oil-bearing herbaceous plant called "rapeseed", a representative of the Cruciferous or Cabbage family. This is a tall plant with elongated-lanceolate blue-green leaves and bright yellow racemose inflorescences. It bears fruit in narrow long pods, inside of which there are seeds, in terms of fat and protein content, they are not inferior to mustard and sunflower and superior to soybeans.

The origin of rapeseed is very vague, since it is practically not found in the wild. According to scientists, the plant is a natural hybrid of garden cabbage and colza weed. It began to be cultivated several thousand years before our era, so rapeseed can be called one of the oldest agricultural crops.

Initially, rapeseed oil was used exclusively as a lubricant, for indoor lighting and in the production of drying oil and soap. It was not suitable for food, because the composition of the product included harmful components and it did not taste very pleasant.

In 1978, Canadian breeders introduced the world to a new variety of rapeseed called "canola", with a minimum amount of harmful substances, which gave the plant, one might say, a "second life". The new variety made it possible to safely eat rapeseed and obtain edible vegetable oil from it. The product is especially popular in European countries, where it was nicknamed the "Northern Olive" - ​​in terms of valuable properties, rapeseed oil is similar to olive oil.

Rapeseed oil is one of the few foods with an almost perfect balance of fatty acids. Most of the composition of the product is occupied by linoleic and linolenic acids, which the human body cannot synthesize. Deficiency of these components can lead to serious circulatory disorders. These important acids maintain the walls of blood vessels in an elastic state, improve heart function, and prevent thrombosis. In addition, another fatty acid, arachidonic acid, is synthesized from linoleic acid in the body. One of its important functions is participation in the development of the musculoskeletal system in children. Without arachidonic acid, the normal physical development of the baby is impossible.


Rapeseed oil contains a large amount of such a powerful antioxidant as vitamin E. It also contains vitamins A, D, F and B, carotenoids, tocopherols, zinc, magnesium, phosphorus, calcium and other trace elements.

By appearance It is an oily liquid with a nutty odor and a taste reminiscent of olive oil. Its color varies from yellow to brownish. The calorie content of rapeseed oil, like that of olive oil, is about 900 kcal per 100 g. The density indicators of the product are excellent - from 908 to 915 kg / m3.

Edible oil is made from rapeseed using cold pressing.. Plant seeds are pre-cleaned and subjected to magnetic separation. Next, screw pressing is carried out, and then the product is filtered. It turns out unrefined oil, which retained most of the nutrients, as well as a nutty aroma and pleasant taste.

On sale found edible refined oil from rape seeds. During processing, it undergoes hydration, neutralization, refining and freezing. As a result of these actions, the product loses biologically active components and smell. But the benefit in it still remains, because. fatty acids are preserved, although it is incomparable with the benefits that unrefined oil brings to the body.