A staple in Indian cuisine, the benefits of mustard oil are often overlooked in terms of health and wellness. The oil is extracted from the mustard seeds through the steam distillation process. In the western world, this essential oil is mostly used as a massage oil but not for cooking purposes.
So, how can you get the most out of mustard oil? Here, we have listed the advantages and disadvantages of mustard oil to give you a detailed insight. Let’s get started!
12 Health Benefits of Mustard Oil
It’s time to bring the good old mustard oil back to your diet plan. Why? Because mustard oil benefits you in several ways. Have a look at them!
1. Mustard Oil Against Infections
Being a great anti-bacterial, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory agent, this oil is often used to relieve inflammatory problems. For this reason, the manufacture of diclofenac also involves the use of mustard oil.
Therefore, mustard oil helps in preventing unnecessary bacterial or fungal growth in the body. It is often used in treating skin rashes and infections for the same.
2. Mustard oil boosts appetite and digestion
Mustard oil benefits include its ability to stimulate the gastric juices in the stomach. As a result, it is useful in increasing hunger. So, It is recommended as a cooking medium for people with a poor appetite.
Along with that, mustard oil helps the liver and spleen in producing digestive enzymes easily. In return, the enzymes speed up the digestion process as well as your metabolic capacity.
3. Mustard Oil Benefits For Hair
With fatty acids like oleic acid and linoleic acid present in them, mustard oil can make your dull hair glow. It works as a great natural conditioner for dry hair.
In addition to that, the stimulating effects of mustard oil can increase blood circulation in the scalp. Therefore, it results in building strong roots and causes less hair fall.
Also Read:- Home Remedies for White Hair
4. Mustard Oil Relieves Asthma
Being a cordial substance, mustard oil can warm your body, especially the respiratory system. So, there’s less chance of the formation and accumulation of excessive amounts of phlegm in your body. Therefore it is a great choice to protect yourself from congestion and breathing disorders like asthma and bronchitis.
Additionally, massaging the chest with slightly warm mustard oil can improve airflow to the lungs during an asthma attack.
5. Mustard Oil for Improving Heart Health
According to the researchers, replacing saturated fat with monounsaturated fat can reduce the risk of cardiovascular events. Polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats can together decrease the level of bad cholesterol (LDL) and increase the level of good cholesterol (HDL).
Moreover, mustard oil is free from trans fat which can cause heart disease and stroke by building up cholesterol in the arteries.
6. Mustard Oil Good for Skin
Mustard oil exhibits several positive effects in terms of skin health. With its rich Vitamin E content, this essential oil is regarded as a natural sunscreen. It also contains vitamin B complex that promotes glowing, and healthy skin.
Apart from that, mustard oil also acts as a natural cleanser by opening skin pores. Mustard oil massage can lighten the pigmentation spots, improve complexion and slow down the skin aging process.
7. Mustard Oil Goods for Arthritis
Mustard oil is quite helpful with rheumatoid or arthritis pain when applied topically onto the joints that hurt. It brings relief by reducing the inflammation in these areas as well.
The use of mustard oil for massaging can improve blood circulation in the body. Therefore, it results in relieving joint pain and arthritis problems.
8. Mustard Oil as a Stimulant
Mustard oil works as a natural stimulant in your body. It stimulates the sweat glands, thus helping in improving blood circulation throughout the body. Better blood circulation ensures relief and rejuvenates overworked muscles.
Besides, mustard oil also helps regulate the body temperature and remove toxins from the body.
9. Mustard Oil Promotes Oral Health
By strengthening the gums, mustard oil makes it easier to remove the plaque. Plaque is a result of bacterial infestation which is surrounded by fatty membranes.
Swish some mustard oil in our mouth to lose the fat-soluble bacteria and beat gum bleeding.
10. Mustard Oil for Cooking
Pure mustard oil comes with a high smoke point of around 250°C, making it a perfect fit for different cooking methods like frying, roasting, baking, and grilling. Try to use cold-pressed oil to get the benefits of all its natural nutrients even when it reaches the smoke point.
Also Read:- Best Cooking Oil in India
Cooking in an adequate amount of mustard oil can eliminate problems related to metabolism and digestive issues in elders as well.
11. Mustard Oil Good for Weight Loss
Due to the presence of certain B-complex vitamins including niacin and riboflavin, mustard oil increases body metabolism. However, the vitamin-B complex is mostly available in cold-pressed mustard oil.
Enriched with omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, this oil breaks down the fats easily. Therefore, better metabolism ensures a healthy weight.
12. Mustard Oil as an Insect Repellent
There are many bug repellents available in the market that contain chemicals. These chemicals can react if inhaled or exposed to your skin.
Also read:- Mustard Oil Brands in India
In certain situations, mustard oil works wonders as a natural repellent. It is used in vaporizers or fumigants to drive away insects from your home or surroundings.
Mustard Oil Nutritional Value
According to the USDA, 1 tablespoon of mustard oil contains,
- Calories: 124
- Fat: 14g
The entire calorie of mustard oil comes from its fat content. There are mainly two types of fat present in mustard oil- polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats. It also contains fatty acids such as oleic, linoleic, and erucic acid which contributes to many health benefits.
Although mustard seeds contain carbohydrates in the form of fiber and starch, there is no presence of carbohydrates in mustard oil. Mustard oil does not offer any essential vitamins or minerals as well.
Mustard Oil Side Effects
Although mustard oil has several advantages, it also comes with a few disadvantages because of excess intake or allergic reactions. The disadvantages of mustard oil are as follows:
- Excessive intake of mustard oil can increase the level of erucic acid in your body which therefore can damage the heart.
- Long-term application of mustard oil on the skin can have harmful effects. If you stay way too long in the sun, it can even cause severe skin blisters.
- If you are allergic to the use of mustard oil on your skin, strictly avoid it.
- Too much mustard oil in your foods can result in rhinitis. It’s a medical condition in which the mucous membrane tends to get inflamed.
Summary
To summarise, mustard oil is a great choice for cooking because of the numerous health benefits it brings. But, you should always keep an eye on the amount of oil you are using to keep your health in check.
