Mustard oil – Yay or Nay?

By: Tehzeeb Lalani

Founder, Scale Beyond Scale, BS in Nutrition and Food Studies, New York University

Heart, skin, waistline – answer my call!
When it comes to cooking oil – which one is the healthiest of them all?

There are several different cooking oils you could use for cooking several different food items. While we could spend hours ruminating (nutrition pun intended) the nutrient breakdown and benefits of each oil, in this article – we will talk about the oil we love to hate – mustard!

Poor mustard has had it’s share of bad reputation over the years. Humans for a long time thought it was toxic and harmful to health. We are here to help mustard oil gain some redemption but also to warn you about its ill effects.

To start with, below are some benefits of this increasingly popular oil:

Benefit #1: Boosts cardiac health

Rationale: Incorporating mustard oil into your diet may help protect against heart disease. The oil is rich in monounsaturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids (commonly heard as MUFAs and PUFAs), both of which help lower bad cholesterol (LDL) and raise good cholesterol (HDL). Improving your cholesterol balance also helps lower triglycerides (the bad fat) which can in turn prevent obesity, kidney disease and hyperthyroidism, in addition to improving heart health.

Benefit #2: Contains antibacterial and anti-fungal properties

Rationale: Mustard oil, when consumed in diet, improves digestibility and its antibacterial and anti-fungal properties can fight infections in the colon, intestines and other parts of the digestive tract. It is also known to protect from cancer forming cells in the digestive tract.

Benefit #3: Reduces inflammation

Rationale: Mustard oil is high in selenium which has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.

Benefit #4: Is good for the skin

Rationale: Mustard oil has high levels of vitamin E, which helps improve skin health. It can help protect the skin against free radical damage from ultraviolet light and pollution, and can even help reduce the look of fine lines and wrinkles. Additionally, vitamin E is a great immunity booster thereby making mustard oil an immunity booster too!

Benefit #5: Improves hair health

Rationale: Mustard seed oil is high in omega-3 fatty acids (the good fat) which may help your hair grow and become healthier! Applying this oil in the scalp gets into hair pores and nourishes the hair roots. This gives a shine to the hair naturally and makes them strong.

Along with benefits, there are some health risks associated with mustard oil. Mustard oil contains erucic acid (monounsaturated omega-9 fatty acid) which when consumed in large amounts can cause a drop in platelet counts, cause allergic reactions, irritation in lungs or even edema (water retention or swelling of hands and legs). Fats of any kind when consumed in excess can be harmful to health. Thus, be judicious in your usage. Say yay to the benefits of the oil but nay to overconsumption!