Only few of us are cognizant of the difference between different oils as most foods and cosmetic ingredients. In this short article, let us have a quick look at what RBD coconut oil is and why it is considered as one of the best oils for food and cooking?
RBD coconut oil is refined, deodorized and bleached. Refined is nothing but more processed whereby coconuts are left to dry under the sun for a suitable period or put in ovens for the coconuts to dry completely, then transported to a refinery for oil extraction using chemicals or with heat.
The Bleaching process involves thick white rice, white pasta and white sugar. The process of deodorizing gives out tasteless oil highly suitable for dishes where the flavour of less processed, pure coconut oils may be less preferable over others.
Benefits of RBD coconut oil
While RBD coconut oil falls short of many antioxidants and other heat benefits of virgin coconut oil, it still holds sway over other cooking oils: Rapeseed, Canola, Olive, Sesame, Cotton Seed, Corn, and sunflower oil belong to the category of long-chain poly-unsaturated oils containing double bonds that make these oil break down easily and turn out rancid. As in the case of stability, RBD coconut oil requires partial hydrogenation and more chemical processing.
Partial hydrogenation is a physical and chemical process leading to in as much as 40% of more of the coconut oil conversion into Trans fat. The biggest disadvantage of Trans fat is that your body cannot process it and is often attributed to several health issues such as raising our ‘bad cholesterol’ levels and reducing our “good cholesterol” levels, obesity, heart problems, immunologic conditions, diabetes and asthma. As the body cannot process Trans fats, they can build up in the brain; they can even pass on from nursing mothers to babies and the effects can last for several years.
As coconut oil is naturally highly stable, it does not require hydrogenation. Even when exposed to light during storage or to extreme heat during frying, the saturated coconut oil’s stable singe bonds prevent chemical breakdown reactions. As coconut oil is more stable and highly saturated, it does not have to go undergo the process of partial hydrogenation and is totally Trans fat free.