What's better for frying—lard or oil? Ukrainian dietitian settles debate
This product from your kitchen is better than any oil (photo: Pixabay)
An eternal kitchen dilemma: what's better to fry with—your usual cooking oil or perhaps lard? And which oil should you choose for healthy salads? Ukrainian honored doctor, professor, and gastroenterologist-nutritionist Halyna Anokhina dispelled myths and gave clear recommendations in an interview with RBC-Ukraine to help preserve your health and avoid harmful substances in your food.
Is frying with oil dangerous?
According to the expert, frying with common vegetable oils (like sunflower or corn oil) is not the best choice for your health. When heated to high temperatures, these oils can produce a dangerous carcinogen, benzo[a]pyrene.
Instead, the gastroenterologist recommends choosing lard or rendered pork fat (smalets) for frying. These products have an extremely high smoke point—up to 245–250°C—which allows cooking without the formation of harmful benzo[a]pyrene.
An alternative could also be clarified butter (ghee).
What if you don't eat animal fats?
For preparing vegetable dishes, the doctor recommends simmering: pour a little water into the pan, add the vegetables, and stew them in their juice. After cooking, you can dress the dish with a special mixture made of:
• a bit of water
• olive oil (even if adulterated)
• lemon juice, apple cider vinegar, or regular vinegar
• garlic, herbs, favorite spices, and a pinch of sugar for flavor balance
The expert explains that "adulteration" often means that canola oil has been added to the olive oil. However, canola oil is not inferior to olive oil in composition and even contains valuable omega-3 fatty acids, which olive oil lacks.
Real, undiluted olive oil is very expensive because it takes about five kilograms of olives to produce just one liter, and olive trees yield a small harvest. That's why most olive oils on store shelves are actually blends.
However, the doctor reassures that this shouldn't be a concern. Such a blend is still a healthier choice than the usual sunflower or corn oils.
This material is for informational purposes only and should not be used for medical diagnosis or self-treatment. Our goal is to provide readers with accurate information about symptoms, causes, and methods of detecting diseases. RBС-Ukraine is not responsible for any diagnoses that readers may make based on materials from the resource. We do not recommend self-treatment and advise consulting a doctor in case of any health concerns.
