Experts caution against cooking oil brands that freeze under refrigeration

Cardiologists and other experts have given reasons why some cooking oils freeze when refrigerated following recent buzz surrounding the “Freezing Oil Challenge” that has piqued several experts’ curiosity.

Doctor Egemba Chinonso Fidelis popularly known as Aproko Doctor in one of his video contents said: “Some oils have high levels of saturated fats, while others have high levels of unsaturated fats. Oils with high levels of saturated fats tend to freeze when kept in the fridge.

He further clarified that oils with high-unsaturated fats like Soya oil & Olive oil do not freeze in the fridge. He advised consumers to read product labels and check the nutritional information to make the right choice when selecting cooking oils.

” This information led him to more unanswered questions about Saturated fat, polyunsaturated fat, and trans-fats. To paint a comprehensive picture, Dr. Monisola Adanijo, a respected cardiologist whose expertise in cardiovascular health could offer invaluable perspectives, highlighted the importance of being cautious about trans-fat.

However, she also explained the harmful effects of oils rich in saturated fats, as these fats increase cholesterol levels in your body, leading to health issues like heart disease, stroke, etc.

Whereas, unsaturated fatty acids reduce cholesterol levels in your body hence they are good for your health.

She pointed out that many unhealthy cooking oils are rich in saturated fats available in the Nigerian market.

She suggested a simple test: if an oil turns solid when in the fridge, it most likely contains high levels of saturated fat. Whereas, oils rich in healthy unsaturated fat will not freeze.

She urged consumers to be mindful while selecting their vegetable oil.

Dr. Adanijo advised consumers to check the product level very well, in order to choose the right healthy oil. The oil with high polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) and low saturated fats is the best choice.

This is because polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) is good for heart health and lowers cholesterol, while ones with high saturated fats are bad for health.

Other experts said that oils such as Olive oil and Soya Oil are rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), which are good for your heart health and low in saturated fat. A good example is Golden Terra Soya Oil, which is available in our market.