vegetable oil

vegetable oil, any of various fatty oils derived from vegetables, nuts, seeds, fruits, and cereal grains. Examples include (but are not limited to) almond oil, argan oil, avocado oil, canola oil, coconut oil, cocoa butter, corn oil, cottonseed oil, grape-seed oil, lemon oil, linseed oil, orange oil, olive oil, palm oil, peanut oil, safflower oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil, walnut oil, and wheat germ oil. Some vegetable oils are edible, though not all are considered healthy; many have a wide range of uses, including as cattle feed, engine fuel, drying agents in paint, and more. They are also used in medicine and in beauty products.

Depending on their intended use, vegetable oils can be processed by cracking or breaking the source material, pressing it, and sometimes applying heat. In some cases refining, bleaching, and additional processing are used to remove odours and flavours associated with the source material. See also fat and oil processing.

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Composition and nutrition

Vegetable oils are primarily composed of triglycerides and are typically liquid at room temperature. They contain a greater variety of fatty acids than animal fats. Olive oil, for example, contains the monounsaturated fatty acid oleic acid, which contributes to healthy cholesterol (HDL, or high-density lipoprotein) levels and may reduce the risk of heart disease. Polyunsaturated fatty acids, specifically alpha-linolenic acid (omega-3) and linoleic acid (omega-6), are found in a number of vegetable oils and contribute to the maintenance of cell membranes, which help to metabolize cholesterol and absorb the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K. These are considered essential fatty acids because they cannot be synthesized by the human body and must thus be obtained from dietary sources. Linseed oil has the highest level of alpha-linolenic acid of any vegetable oil.

Some vegetable oils are high in saturated fat, including coconut oil, cottonseed oil, palm oil, and palm kernel oil. These are often more viscous or even semisolid at room temperature. Coconut oil, for example, contains a number of saturated fatty acids, including caprylic acid, capric acid, lauric acid, and myristic acid. Saturated fats raise the levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol in the bloodstream and thus are associated with increased risk of heart disease.

Trans fats (also known as trans fatty acids or partially hydrogenated fats) occur when vegetable oils are processed with hydrogen to solidify them. Trans fats are primarily used in fried foods and can be found in baked goods such as doughnuts, cookies, pies, crackers, and muffins. Because trans fats increase LDL cholesterol and the risk of heart disease, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has required listing of trans fat content on food ingredient panels since 2006.

Uses

Vegetable oils are widely used in food and food preparation. Olive oil, for example, has been produced for approximately 8,000 years. Vegetable oils are commonly used to sauté or fry vegetables and meats and are a key ingredient in a wide variety of sauces and baked goods. Vegetable oils have been used in margarine, which may also include animal fats, and in vegan margarine-like spreads.

When used in cooking, fats and oils are measured by the “smoke point,” the temperature at which heated oil begins to smoke and to break down, compromising its flavour and nutritional value and releasing free radicals that can be harmful to health. Depending on a number of variables (such as the number of samples tested, the processing method and age of the oil, and the pan used to heat the oil), an oil’s estimated smoke point can range widely. Unprocessed oils have a lower smoke point than processed oils and are more suitable for non-heat uses, such as in salad dressings. Cold-pressed oils, also known as virgin oils, are processed at temperatures below 49 °C (120 °F) and are said to retain more nutritional value.

Vegetable oil can be used as a source of biodiesel fuel for internal-combustion engines. Biodiesel is made primarily from soybean or palm oil and can even include waste vegetable oil generated by restaurants in deep-frying food. In the late 1800s, Rudolf Diesel used vegetable oil as fuel and ran his diesel engine on peanut oil when he exhibited it at the Paris Exposition in 1900.

A number of vegetable oils, including argan oil, jojoba oil, and shea butter, are used in hair and skin preparations as a moisturizing agent. Almond and coconut oil are used as a base in massage oils and as carrier oils for the essential oils used in aromatherapy. Some vegetable oils are known as drying oils because they thicken and harden on exposure to air. Linseed oil, for example, is a drying oil that is useful in the production of paints, printing inks, linoleum, wood varnish and stains, and oilcloth. Poppy-seed oil is also used as a drying agent in artists’ paints.