Product Review- Saffola Gold Blended Oil

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Saffola Gold Oil is a blend of 80% refined rice bran oil and 20% refined safflower oil.
This oil is high in PUFA and this PUFA is mostly omega 6 fats. As omega 6 PUFAs are susceptible to oxidation when heated, irrespective of the smoking point of Saffola Gold, we do not recommend this oil for high heat cooking. Specifically, this oil must not be used for deep frying, tadka or heating in the pan with dry masalas. There is evidence that Oxidised PUFA is a source of toxicity in food and can cause a wide range of lifestyle diseases. Saffola Gold may however, be used as a safe cooking oil for low heat cooking.
Using such oils as  as the primary cooking medium may damage the Omega3 and Omega6 balance. Ideally, Omega 6 to Omega 3 ratio in our diets should not be higher than 3:1. We recommend that people exclusively using Saffola Gold for cooking must supplement with Omega 3 to rebalance these fats in their diets. Lack of omega 6 and omega 3 balance can be harmful.
foodnetindia rating for this product :-Foodnetindia safety rating : 3 -(On a scale of 1 to 10 from very unsafe to very safe)
As this oil is likely to be used in Indian kitchens for high heat cooking practices like tadka, heating oil with dry spices at the start of cooking or deep frying, we are unable to give this a high safety rating. PUFA rich oils are unsuitable for such cooking practices.High heat cooking will create toxicity concerns from oxidised PUFA.
In low heat cooking situations, we will increase this to 7 but not higher. This is because of issues related to Omega 6 and Omega 3 imbalance in the diets of people who use high PUFA oils as the cooking medium with very low Omega 3 in their diets.
Foodnetindia wholesomeness rating : 3 – (On a scale of 1 to 10 from very unbalanced nutrition profile to excellent nutrition profile)
Ricebran oil and Safflower oil are both rich in Omega 6 fats and deficient in Omega 3 fats. Consumption of Saffola must be supplemented with good sources of Omega 3 fats. As this is rarely the case for most users, we do not consider this a wholesome choice.
Ingredients of concern in Saffola Gold Oil –

• Rice Bran Oil
• Safflower Oil

Ricebran Oil
80 percent of Saffola Gold is comprised of rice bran oil and rice bran oil is the oil extracted from the germ and inner husk of rice, majority of rice bran oil on the market is chemically extracted using solvents, in particular petroleum-derived hexane and high heat which may destroy the antioxidants in it and oxidise the PUFA.
We do not have a clarification from the brand on the methods used for extraction.
One of the main features of Rice bran oil is that it contains Oryzanol, a powerful antioxidant only found in rice bran oil. Oryzanol may reduce liver cholesterol synthesis and may be useful for treating menopausal disorders.
Rice bran oil has a high omega-6 content, which is rendered toxic if oxidised by high heat cooking. In addition, a high consumption of omega-6 PUFA, may increase risk of several diseases if not balanced with adequate consumption of Omega 3 fats.
Safflower Oil
20 percent of Saffola Gold is comprised of Safflower oil, it is an edible vegetable oil extracted from the Safflower plant. The flower and oil from the seeds are used as medicine.
Safflower oil has a high omega-6 content, which can be detrimental to health if oxidized by high heat cooking. In addition, high consumption of omega-6 PUFA, may increase risk of several diseases if not balanced with adequate consumption of Omega 3 fats.
 
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