The oil that contains monounsaturated fatty acids, or MUFA, needs to be the best oil. This category includes products like gingelly oil, mustard, and groundnut. Polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA)-based oils like safflower and sunflower come next in the hierarchy. However, Dr. V. Mohan, Chairman of Dr. Mohan’s Diabetes Speciality Centre, Chennai, advises against overheating or smoking them.
One of the frequent questions my patients ask me is which is the best cooking medium or oil for people with diabetes. Before I answer that, let me state a simple fact. One gram of fat/oil yields nine calories, which means that one spoon (or five gms) of oil can yield 45 calories. In other words, the most important factor is not the oil so much but the amount you use as a cooking medium. Whichever oil you use, use it sparingly because excess quantities are certainly not good for your health. An indiscriminate use may lead to obesity and insulin resistance. Our bodies need limited fat for the functioning of our nervous system and transporting fat-soluble nutrients, particularly vitamins, to all parts of the body.
Having said that, not all oils are equal and there is no one-size fits all as far as taste and preferences are concerned. Besides, there are huge regional differences with respect to the kind of oil used. The best oil for those with diabetes has got to be the one with monounsaturated fatty acids or MUFA. Groundnut, mustard and gingelly oil feature in this category. MUFA-based oils increase the good cholesterol or high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and lower the bad cholesterol or low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol. Next in the pecking order are polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA)-based oils. Here we have sunflower, safflower and so on. PUFA oils do not increase the LDL but some of them can lower the HDL. Our epidemiological studies show that MUFA oils are the best as far as health is concerned, followed by PUFA ones.
