- 2 months ago
With an average Indian using approximately 13.6 kg of oil annually and 80% of households reusing frying oil, the risks of heart disease, diabetes, and obesity are significant.
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00:00On to our health focus here on 5 Live.
00:03Now we covered sugar for you, we covered salt as well.
00:06So now let's turn our attention to perhaps the most important ingredient in your kitchen.
00:13It's your cooking oil.
00:15High edible consumption or high edible oil consumption actually
00:18in not just your culinary habit in India,
00:21it's a serious public health concern as well.
00:23Research shows that an average Indian uses approximately 13.6 kgs of oil per year.
00:29That's around 80% of households routinely reuse leftover frying oil as well.
00:35Practices that significantly increase exposure to harmful components linked to your heart disease,
00:41diabetes, obesity and other lifestyle illnesses in here.
00:44The good news is, however, that awareness is growing.
00:48In India's top health agencies, including ICMR and IN,
00:52they're now issuing guidelines to cap oil intake at just 30 grams per day.
00:58Now you'll ask me, how do we calculate that? I'll tell you.
01:01Emphasize on moderation and also encourage safer choices in cooking oils
01:06to curb the rising tide of non-communicable diseases.
01:10So between sunflower oil, olive oil, there is extra virgin and light.
01:15Then there is mustard oil, there's coconut, there's ghee, there's nut oil.
01:19There are so many of them.
01:20Which one is the healthiest?
01:23Let's tell you that.
01:24So take out your pen and paper and get ready to take some notes.
01:27This is your oil handbook.
01:30Now what each oil has in common is the fact that they have certain levels of burning temperature
01:37and then the combination of food it's used with.
01:39So we'll take you through all of those details.
01:41Let's pick up first up sunflower oil.
01:44High in omega 6 fats.
01:45Now omega 6 is essential but remember excess can drive inflammation as well.
01:50Now this oil is good for frying but best used sparingly.
01:54Especially when refined is also for stability as well.
01:59Now remember this is the kind of oil which is very popular, most used in our houses as well.
02:05So you should continue to use it but in proportion.
02:09Olive oil.
02:10This is also a member of two types.
02:12There is extra virgin, there is light.
02:14Olive oil is rich in heart healthy MUFAs.
02:17What are MUFs?
02:18Well, think of them as your friend of the heart.
02:22MUFAs can help lower the bad cholesterol, the LDL.
02:26The kind that sort of clogs your heart and keeps the good cholesterol that's HDL in check.
02:31So extra virgin olive oil is an ideal to be used in raw form or in lightly warm.
02:37If you're using anything at high temperature, switch to the olive which is processed,
02:43which is also light, which is called your olive oil light.
02:46Next, let's move to mustard oil.
02:49It's traditional, it's pungent, it's rich in MUFAs and omega 3.
02:54It's got a high smoke point, that means it doesn't break out at lower temperature.
02:58So it's good for especially Indian kind of cooking.
03:01You get health and heat resilience both in this oil.
03:05But remember, the cold pressed is the better version.
03:08But when you're using cold pressed, the key is to use it at medium to medium heat only.
03:14Okay, then let's move on to the next one, which is Ghee.
03:17Earlier demonized, now celebrated.
03:21It's saturated, yet nutrient rich with fat soluble vitamins and deep flavour.
03:26A lot of people are having spoonfuls of ghee right in the morning, late at night as well.
03:31It is a good oil, but remember, use thoughtfully, not liberally.
03:37Let's move on to the next set of oils.
03:39These are all nut oils.
03:40Now, peanut, walnut, almond.
03:42Even, you know, a lot of avocado level oils as well that come to your household.
03:48Very fancy ones these days.
03:49They are great in flavour.
03:50They are healthy fats as well.
03:52But remember, peanut oil stays stable under heat.
03:55Walnut, almond oil, they shine raw as finishing touches.
03:59So add them to your salad, maybe.
04:01Not so much for cooking.
04:02But then there is coconut oil.
04:04All your South Indians watching right now.
04:06Don't hate us when you give you the details.
04:07It's predominantly saturated.
04:10Used occasionally in the best capacity in traditional or aromatic dishes.
04:16It's not your daily go-to for health art.
04:20It is not.
04:21So be careful about it.
04:23The bottom line here is when it comes to oil, that there is no one oil
04:28that will fix your health.
04:29You need to focus less on which kind of oil you're using.
04:33And focus more on how much of oil you're using.
04:37Remember, smart oil habits will result in better health outcomes.
04:42Choose oils based on your cooking style.
04:45Depending on if it's high heat, low heat, just salads.
04:48It's nutritional needs as well.
04:50Cold pressed are for flavour and great for health as well.
04:53Refined when you need to heat endurance.
04:56If you're deep frying something which you shouldn't idly.
04:59But if you do have to use something which is more refined.
05:03Rotating your oil.
05:04That's also a good option actually.
05:06And it ensures that healthy fat balance is maintained in your gut,
05:10in your body as well.
05:11And sort of favour unsaturated fats.
05:14Never ever use oil which reuse the oil for deep frying.
05:20Just one reuse can elevate toxic compounds like which are linked to heart disease, inflammation, cancer,
05:28even brain health decline.
05:30Some basic do's and don'ts that you should remember with oil is that don't overhear your oil.
05:35If it starts smoking early, throw it.
05:37It's probably bad quality or perhaps has gone bad.
05:39Always keep your oil in a dark, airtight, cool, opaque container.
05:44That's the best way.
05:45If you spot signs, cloudiness, foam, strong smell or a dark colour.
05:50You should know that this is not to be used.
05:52It's past its peak.
05:53And most importantly, and this is going to be tricky.
05:57Stick to 2-4 tablespoons a day.
06:02That's it to avoid weight gain and also your cholesterol imbalance.
06:08Can we do that?
06:09Well, that's the challenge really.
06:11Oil isn't just flavour.
06:12Remember, it's fuel, health and risk all at once.
06:16The oils you cook can either nourish or harm.
06:19Let the signs guide your daily choices.
06:22Use less, use better and always keep your kitchen safe.
06:27So that's a lot of information coming in on your oil.
06:30But how to actually incorporate this in our day-to-day life.
06:33I couldn't have thought of two better people to actually bring on the programme today.
06:36We have it.
06:37That's Dr. Ashok Seth, chairman of Fortis Scott's Health Institute.
06:40Thank you so much, Doc, for being with us.
06:42We also have Dr. Anandita Aiyar.
06:44She's a health coach, health educator.
06:46And Dr. Seth, I want to come to you first.
06:49A lot of people who say that we are eating so much from childhood.
06:53This is the way we were brought up.
06:55This is what our body is used to.
06:59So suddenly when they see a programme like this, and they see an explainer like this,
07:03and they say only two to four spoons in a day?
07:06Like what's going on?
07:07What do you tell them?
07:09What happens when you over consume oil to our body, to our hearts and other organs?
07:14Sola, that was extremely informative.
07:17And I tell you, I was enjoying it myself, because you really explained everything very well.
07:23And I think this is great information to every audience of yours.
07:27We have to understand that oils are fats.
07:30And we understand that fats are needed by the body.
07:33Fats are what absorb certain vitamins, which are fat soluble vitamins.
07:38Fats is responsible for our cell membranes, for our brain, for our skin health, and numerous other parts of the body.
07:45So we rely on fats and oil is one of the sources of fats in our body.
07:50But we also realise that fat is also a source of raising cholesterol, of getting the bad cholesterol down, and also harming ourselves if we eat excessive fats.
08:02And that leads to stroke, that leads to heart attacks.
08:05So when you said this around four to six tablespoonful or 30 ml or 30 grams of oil per day, you're actually correct in understanding that when we say that fat proteins and carbohydrates form part of a diet,
08:19what we're essentially saying is that fat should form only 25% part of your diet, and that's enough for good health.
08:27Beyond that, it is bad for your heart.
08:30Now, it's also very important, the way we analyse and tell our patients is, it's not just the oil which is bad, it's the type of oil which is bad.
08:40So you would replace good oils with bad oils.
08:43For example, we've been inundated in the past with vanaspati.
08:47We've also talked about, you talked about coconut oil.
08:50There are such a lot of misconceptions which happen in people saying,
08:54but hum toh zindagi bhar se bahot khee khaate te.
08:58Well, also understand that nobody said ghee was bad.
09:01It is the amount of ghee you eat.
09:03But what is our lifestyle now?
09:05We used to also exercise at the same time in the past.
09:09If we ate more oils, we were cycling, we were actually walking to work.
09:14We had habits which were all outdoors, and therefore we looked ourselves in many ways.
09:20Our food habits were also healthy.
09:22What did that mean?
09:23Lots of fruits, lots of vegetables.
09:25Now, what we eat is trans fats.
09:28We don't eat the oil, we eat poison.
09:33For example, you didn't mention the trans fats.
09:36You talked about the good oils.
09:38But look at the trans fats.
09:40It's the type of fats that we eat which is bad.
09:43The food which is cooked in oil, recooked outside.
09:47It's recooked oil which is huge in trans fats.
09:55The biscuits, the chips, the cakes that are all stored are hydrogenated oils.
10:00It's the hidden oil.
10:01It's the hidden fat, the hidden saturated fat that's causing all the problems.
10:07So they're the exact opposite of the good oils that you told.
10:11And we don't see it because it's all hidden there.
10:14And the chips, and the kachauris, and the salt chips that we eat all are full of trans fats.
10:21So we have a huge problem in our lives to differentiate it.
10:25In fact, policies need to come in to define the bad oils and the trans fats more.
10:31So that our heart, we stay healthy, our heart stays healthy with the right oil rather than the wrong oils.
10:38Right.
10:39Very good points there, sir.
10:40Let me also bring in Dr. Nandita here on this one.
10:43Now, you know, Nandita and I were chatting earlier and she said something so powerful that I have to quote you.
10:50She said the biggest problem with oil is that even if we want to eat healthy, it's not us.
10:56The cook is cooking your body.
10:59Right.
11:00So if they are doing the cooking, they have to be taught and regulating that is the biggest problem.
11:06So I want to get down to understanding what are tangible solutions here, Dr. Nandita.
11:11Because everybody doesn't want to eat so much oil, but a lot of us perhaps don't have the time to cook on our own.
11:20We are dependent on others.
11:21And then sort of educating that entire ecosystem is a very different ballgame.
11:26I'm just wondering when I go back home and I say, if 4 chabmach tel to be used in the whole day, my cook is going to be very confused.
11:35I guess confused or may want to quit.
11:37Because we got to understand their scenario also.
11:41They are ready to cook in one hour in a house and then possibly prepare three meals and then move on to the next house.
11:48Right.
11:49So it's always that they're going to cook on a very high flame using a lot of oil, adding a lot of masalas.
11:55So that, of course, it has to taste good for the family that they're cooking for.
12:00But I think it also requires that, you know, we as the people who are eating the food have an eye on what's being done or even train them, you know,
12:11or give them feedback on a daily basis and set your expectations that, hey, I want my food in this kind of way.
12:18I have these kind of health reasons why I want to choose this kind of food.
12:22So, you know, I have this common analogy that I also tell the clients that I coach for their health that, you know, when you're trying to invest your money,
12:31you take so much interest in that and you make sure that it's being put in the right mutual funds in the right, you know, you're constantly keeping track of that.
12:40But when it comes to eating your food, which is single.
12:47Yeah.
12:48What sort of a health investment is that?
12:50Good point.
12:51When it comes to your health.
12:53So we tend to completely out.
12:56So you handle it and because like spending time in the kitchen.
13:04But that also means that we lose agency over what we and our own family is eating.
13:10And I think we have to train them on a daily basis.
13:15And the regarding the oil, I think the best way to go about it is that giving them a certain quantity, you weigh it out,
13:24you measure it out and give it to them and teach them the techniques like you either brush or you spray spray or you use the air fryer or you use like an oven.
13:36So they need to be trained in these little, little things because if they stick to their original ways of cooking like kadai, a lot of oil and then, you know, how not to reuse the oil or how to reuse it in the right way.
13:48So everything has to be taught.
13:50And I think they will also learn and they will start implementing that.
13:54I think that's how.
13:55So everybody who is in a double income household is struggling to cook.
13:59Please take a take this video, show it to your cooks as well and let them understand what the pros and cons are.
14:06Right.
14:07Dr. Ashok said it's an age old saying that you are what you eat.
14:12Where is it that we have forgotten these basics?
14:16And actually, today is not a very bad day to discuss this because just today and this is a story that we brought up earlier as well.
14:24In the US, the health secretary has brought up a proposal.
14:28He's saying that all doctors now should be trained mandatory in nutrition.
14:35And he's saying he'll not give funding to the medical colleges if that does not happen.
14:40Because he's saying doctors need to understand and move beyond just not treating the ailment, but preventing the ailment.
14:50And when statements like these are made, all of us get very excited and we say, finally, you know, we're moving in the right direction.
14:57What do you think the Indian fraternity is looking at it as?
15:01I think it's the need of the hour.
15:03India is the world capital of lifestyle diseases which cause hypertension, diabetes, stroke, heart attacks.
15:10And that's the world capital.
15:12And this is all related to what we do every day.
15:17We ourselves are responsible exactly for causing the disease process ourselves and we have to be responsible for prevention.
15:24In fact, it's interesting that only doctors should not be nutritionist.
15:29You have a right program to say every household should understand prevention of heart disease, prevention of diabetes and high blood pressure.
15:37And I'm glad you talked about salt intake yesterday, which is a national should become a national policy for prevention of hypertension.
15:44And that finally goes down to eating sugar and sweet food stuff.
15:48Again, a policy of prevention for diabetes itself.
15:51So we have really it's not just doctors who need to be nutritious.
15:56Yes, we need to emphasize prevention in every aspect of which one of the aspects of nutrition.
16:02And we certainly need to make patients, make public empowered to understand exactly like we're doing now.
16:09To understand that every household's responsibility, every person's responsibility is to understand the common disease processes.
16:19And heart attack, by the way, is the biggest killer in our country and it could affect any of us at any time.
16:27We need to know how to be able to prevent it ourselves.
16:30We want government policies around many aspects which we could prevent ourselves and decrease the extent of disease processes which are dooming this country.
16:47It's in our hands and we all need to be responsible for it.
16:50It's in our hands. I loved what you've said, Dr. Seed.
16:53And I think that's the message that we must be taking from here as well.
16:56I want to give a last comment to Dr. Nandita as well.
16:58Dr. Nandita, when we look at oils, like we said, a lot of us have habits.
17:04When I did that piece on coconut oil, I'm sure a lot of South Indians are not going to be very happy with how we've got the truth out of coconut oil as well.
17:12So, in your opinion, what is the best way to switch out of these habits?
17:18See, I think anybody to drastically change their entire style of eating or way of cooking, it's going to be hard, right?
17:30I think one should start with some very basic things, like completely cut down on ordering food from outside, because that is one major chunk where the calories from fat and both hidden and visible are more than 3x of what you could cook at home.
17:47So, even a simple dal chaval that if you're in a hurry and you make that, that is still way healthier than what you could be ordering from outside.
17:54So, that's one big step and I think just deleting the apps for some time, you know, taking a break from ordering from outside is a huge step towards better health.
18:05Secondly, measuring out the oil instead of just pouring like you were showing in that video that was just stressing me out where the bottle is just being, you know, moved around the pan.
18:16But we also showed the picture of the spray. Can I please request producers to play that more often now that you're saying it?
18:21So, that was good.
18:22To use the spray.
18:23Yeah.
18:24So, we see a lot of cooking shows, MasterChef, where they feel more is more like, you just add, it looks glamorous on camera, but that's literally like 1000 calories,
18:341000 calories that's added to the pan, of course, divided between the family who's going to eat.
18:39But I think these are the steps where measuring instead of pouring, cutting down on outside food, then slowly starting to make the changes with respect to the type of oils, like knowing what oil to use where, like just because it's cold pressed or extra virgin olive oil.
18:55If you lose a large quantity, that's still calories from fat.
19:00So, I think being aware of how much and not sweating the very small stuff like, hey, that's seed oil, hey, that's palm oil, this is nonstick pan.
19:08I think people are missing the forest for the trees and they're just like looking at these tiny, tiny things which come up on social media and saying that is poisoning you, nonstick is dangerous.
19:20But look at the one thing that is reducing the quantity of oil used is going to be a big step towards health as against all the little things that we keep worrying about.
19:31Yeah, I think those are basics that we must all keep in mind.
19:34Dr. Saeed, can I come to you with a slightly tricky question?
19:37I have held this against doctors for a very long time, that whenever we go to a doctor, the first thing that they do is write a medicine.
19:46The first thing that they do is not ask you to change your dietary habits.
19:50The first thing that they do is not to make sure that your lifestyle changes come into place.
19:54With so many years of experience that you have behind you now, do you sense a change?
19:59Do you sense when parents or, you know, when patients come now, younger patients also come in now since you're seeing heart attacks and so many young adults as well, that they're more aware.
20:11They're saying before we get on to that medication for life, let's fix this.
20:16You know, it's very interesting that you ask that.
20:19In fact, there's still so much a lack of understanding that if I was just to sum up today and just tell people three good oils,
20:28three good oils that they should take and in small quantities and just have balanced diet and understand healthy diet.
20:35But you know what happens?
20:37Majority don't.
20:38And when a patient has a heart attack and he has a treatment, the relatives do ask.
20:43What do they ask?
20:45What kind of food do they make?
20:47What kind of food do they make?
20:49What kind of food do they make?
20:50Yeah.
20:51And when they come back, you'll suddenly realize that he's the only person in the house who's actually getting the good oils.
20:58The rest are all having fun time and eating a different food, which is bad.
21:02And the poor person who's had a heart attack suddenly feels an outcast in the house because he has special food.
21:08That's true.
21:09That's true.
21:10Yeah.
21:11And with a little oil.
21:12And he actually says he's eating healthy.
21:14The rest are eating unhealthy until the time comes when you have to say,
21:17that they don't eat their food.
21:19You all need to eat their food.
21:22Yeah.
21:23Patient's food.
21:24Yeah, yeah.
21:25So they think it's a patient's food to actually have a balance and less boiled food is a patient's food.
21:32I think we're going to change this whole concept.
21:35Yes, we do get involved in treating patients because they come to us for treatment.
21:41And finally, emphasis is a national emphasis on lifestyle management and prevention.
21:47Because if we see what's happened and we say,
21:52ah, but heart disease has increased in the young 200-300% times over the last 15 years.
21:57But you've got to take an overall look at what's happening with the lifestyle as well.
22:00Exactly.
22:01It's exactly what you say.
22:02Eating outside food and all that which is happening to us.
22:05Yeah.
22:06It's been a great conversation.
22:08Thank you both to Dr. Ashok Seth and Dr. Anthony Ayer for joining us.
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