What do you think when vegetable oil is mentioned? Are you thinking of a substance used to taste salads or cook? Are you also aware of its role in the production of medicines, perfumes, dyes, margarines and soaps? How about the past? Did you know that the use of oil has a very ancient history dating back thousands of years?
We can take a closer look at the slippery problem. Oil is lighter than water, and instead of joining the heavier liquid, it floats on top. The old adage "Oil and water do not mix" describes one of the most important properties of this liquid.
The most common vegetable oil from antiquity was extracted from the fruit of the olive tree. Up to 30% of ripe olives can be olive oil and, in terms of mass, about half. During a good year, a healthy olive tree can provide up to 38-57 liters of this liquid. That amount would be enough to provide the fat content needed for the diet of a family of five or six.
In ancient times, as stated in the Bible, olive oil had several uses. In addition to being used for cooking and baking, it is usually rubbed on the body after bathing. This protected the exposed parts of the skin from the intense rays of the sun and also helped maintain the elasticity of the skin.Along with wine, olive oil can be applied to bruises and wounds to soften and soothe them. (Luke 10:34) And it was the oil that burned in the old lamps and lit when needed.
How was the oil obtained? The best oil was obtained by beating the olives in mortar until they were well marked in blue. The olives marked in blue were then transferred to silk baskets, from where they released the oil. To obtain a standard quality oil, the olives were crushed in a mortar or grinder. The worst quality oil was extracted from the pulp that remained after the pressing of the olives in an oil factory. The powder mass was placed in baskets and stacked between the two vertical pillars of the press. In the baskets, the dough was subjected to the pressure of a weight lever.
Oil in modern times
As in ancient times, vegetable oils have many uses today. They still serve valuable purposes in ointments and medicines. Oils extracted from safflower seeds, soybeans and flax seeds were used as dyes. Linseed oil, called linseed oil, is also used to make printing ink, linoleum and varnish. Cotton seed oil and sesame oil can be used to make soap. And some lubricants, resins, chemicals and fragrances are related to vegetable oils. As in antiquity, olive oil and other vegetable oils serve as food.
There are three main methods used today to extract oils from fruits, nuts and seeds. There is the "hydraulic cold press" method, the "ejection pressure" method, where oil-containing materials are exposed to high temperatures and pressures, and the "solvent method". During solvent extraction, oil-containing products are crushed, heated with steam and then mixed with a solvent. After releasing the oil from the pulp, the solvent is removed from the oil. Some people oppose this method and claim that a residue of the solvent may remain and possibly contribute to the development of cancer in people who use the oil for nutrition. However, large commercial oil processors use solvent extraction because it is the most efficient and economical method.
Once extracted, the oil usually undergoes a refining process. This removes chlorophyll, vitamins A and E and phosphorus compounds and makes the oil light and clear. Because refining removes valuable substances from the oil, people who are against refined white sugar and white flour may prefer crude or unrefined oils.
Many people prefer vegetable oils over animal fats, such as cream, butter, lard and sandwiches (beef and lamb). This is because animal fats contain cholesterol, a fat-like substance that can help harden the arteries. In addition, animal fats are "saturated" with hydrogen atoms, while vegetable oils are largely "unsaturated", which means that they are more easily digested and absorbed by the body than animal fats.
Among the vegetable oils used in food are those obtained from seeds of safflower, cotton and olives. Safflower oil is classified as containing the highest amount of linoleic acid believed to help lower blood cholesterol levels. Most of the cottonseed oil made in the United States is on the table. It can be prepared for margarine, cooking oil, fat, dressing or mayonnaise. Olive oil is preferred by many salad lovers and chefs because of its mild, easily digestible taste.
People interested in lowering cholesterol can use corn oil in place of cream or ice cream to make creamy smoothies. You can also mix butter with safflower oil in a blender, which will reduce the absorption of cholesterol.
However, it can be seen that a vegetable oil product is not necessarily better than an animal fat product. In his book “Food Is Your Best Medicine,” Dr. HG Bieler: “In some cases, the commercialization has come back instead of leaving the edible unsaturated oils and margarine in their natural state and changing their melting point. so that they look like butter or other natural substances. Abbreviations, "enriched" with synthetic "vitamins", addition of monosodium glutamate or glutamic acid, aniline pigments, salt and traces of butter or cream for a particular taste. All of these additives actually tend to saturate the hydrocarbons, so the end product that is appetizing and satisfying to the consumer is little more than glorified fat! "- page 117, 118.
He concludes that it does not matter whether natural fats, unadulterated animals or vegetables are eaten as long as the liver is in good condition.
Another factor that is often overlooked is that vegetable fats become saturated when heated. The more they are reused, as in the preparation of fried foods, the more saturated they become.
Of course, when it comes to food, opinions differ considerably as to whether something is good or not. Moderation is the best policy there is. The Bible urges: "Do not be among those who drink a lot of wine, among those who eat meat."Moderate amounts of animal fat are much better than excessive amounts of vegetable oils. For those who want to go against the wind, an ancient Egyptian papyrus proverb may add a disturbing thought: “We live on a quarter of everything we eat. Doctors live in the other three quarters. "
Great one