Lindy Valdez
Corn oil is one of the lesser-known cooking oils. It can be used for various purposes. The most important question here is: Is corn oil healthy?
Compared to olive or sunflower, corn oil is rather unknown. When you come across it in the supermarket, the question inevitably arises as to whether corn oil is healthy and how you can use it. Because the oil is not just something for the kitchen
The manufacture of corn oil
Corn is one of the sweet grasses. The plant originally comes from Mexico and takes first place in the world grain harvest, ahead of wheat and rice. 100 kilograms of corn are needed to produce one liter of corn oil. The germs of the corn kernel are used for this and separated from the corn starch. Thus, corn oil is a by-product. It is obtained by either cold or hot pressing.
After pressing, it is further processed. Among other things, beta-carotene is added to the colorless and odorless oil at the end of the process – this is how the oil gets its golden hue.
Corn oil in the kitchen: is it suitable for frying?
Corn oil has a smoke point of 200 degrees Celsius. This makes it ideal for hot roasting. Particularly refined oil is used in the kitchen because it is free of harmful substances.
As with all oils, the same applies to corn oil: The cold-pressed, i.e. native oil has much more taste and, above all, all the important ingredients that are lost during hot pressing – and incidentally also when heating in a pan. Cold-pressed corn oil is therefore primarily suitable for salads and other cold dishes.
Both cold-pressed and hot-pressed corn oil count as dietary products. They are therefore suitable for people who are overweight and have high blood pressure and arteriosclerosis.
Ingredients in Corn Oil: Healthy or Unhealthy?
Corn oil consists mostly of water. It also contains a lot of vitamin E. 100 grams of the oil contain up to 25690 μg. Also included are vitamins A, B, and C and various minerals such as potassium, calcium, iron sodium, phosphorus, and zinc.
In addition to valuable proteins and carbohydrates, corn oil scores with essential fatty acids. The calorific value of corn oil is 879 kilocalories or 3,680 kilojoules per 100 grams.
The high proportion of omega-6 fatty acids is also good for your health. However, corn oil contains only a small amount of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), an omega-3 fatty acid, and is therefore less suitable for a balanced diet, at least in larger quantities.
Corn oil as a cosmetic and care product
Besides its use as edible oil, corn oil can also be used for personal care. The face in particular benefits from care products that contain corn oil. It is often used on oily skin as it absorbs oil and dirt, cleansing the skin.
The oil should always be applied to damp skin so that it can be optimally absorbed. A peeling with corn oil is also possible and very healthy for the skin – mix the oil with brown sugar or sea salt, apply to the skin and then wash it off thoroughly.
