Which Oil Is Better: Sunflower Or Mustard Oil?

Oil is one thing that is needed for cooking purpose in every household or eateries. Different types of oil are available that serves the purpose of cooking or frying different types of dishes. The usage of oil also depends on the type of culture and traditional recipes that are being prepared. Though, many types of oils are used for cooking, a substantial number of dishes are being cooked with the help of Sunflower Or Mustard Oil. These two oils are predominantly used in every kitchen for cooking. They are two distinct oil which are extracted from different sources and also have their own individual uses. Sunflower oil and mustard oil also come with their own benefits and drawbacks which are going to discuss further. 

When it comes to comparative study and learning which oil is better than the other, there are a lot of factors that has to be considered before coming to any conclusion. Thus, let’s do a comparison between the two heavy weight oil and see who emerges as the champion.

Round 1 – Extraction

Mustard Oil

Mustard oil, a long-regarded vegetable oil, provides numerous health benefits. It is derived from fresh mustard seeds and is distinguished by its strong odor and spicy flavor. Mustard oil is widely used for external body applications, hair regeneration, and cooking, particularly in India and Bangladesh.

Mustard oil is extracted by crushing or grinding mustard seeds to extract oil and seed cake, which can be used as animal feed. Mustard oil processing has been easier, faster, and more automated since the introduction of the mustard seed oil extraction machine. Mustard oil extraction is the technique of extracting oil from mustard seeds. Mechanical extraction using oil processing machinery is the most affordable and extensively used method for producing mustard oil. The most affordable and effective oil mill machine for mustard oil production is the oil press machine (large scale, small scale, and mini scale types). The recovered mustard oil can be further refined by filtering and refining processes.

Mustard seeds are initially sun-dried. This step is critical in eliminating any moisture that could impede the oil extraction process. The dried seeds of mustard are next cleaned, removing any debris and other objects to ensure that the produced oil is pure and is of high quality.

The mustard seeds are eventually heated before the oil pressing begins. Heating the seeds improves the quantity of yield. The method also boosts the quantity of protein in the byproduct seed cake, which is used to make animal feed. To create about 26% oil, well-prepared mustard seeds are fed right away into the mustard oil press machine. There, they are crushed and pressed for as long as an hour, or longer, depending on the quantity. To remove all the oil from the seed cake, more crushing and pressing must be done. 

Sunflower oil

Sunflower oil production involves the following steps: cleaning the seeds, crushing the seeds, pressing and extracting crude oil from the seeds, and further refining the oil before packaging. A volatile hydrocarbon, such as hexane, serves as a solution to extract oil.

During the cleaning process, the collected sunflower oil seeds have to pass over magnets to remove any metal residues, and other contaminants are removed using cleaning sieves and destoners. The seeds’ outer covering (hulls) are then removed, obtaining pure seeds. 

In order to guarantee the quality of both oil as well as sunflower meal, the 20% to 30% hulls that are present in oil-type sunflower seeds are occasionally removed prior to oil extraction. After cleaning, once the seed reaches a moisture level of 5%, dehulling is finished. The typical process involves using a centrifugal or pneumatic sheller to mechanically crack the seeds; abrasion can also be used to finish the process. After that, the mixture is winnowed to extract the kernels from the hulls. Certain oil sunflower seeds can be free of de-hulling to prevent oil loss because their thin hulls are difficult to remove.

To provide a greater surface area for pressing, the dehulled seeds are crushed into a coarse meal. The main tools used to reduce the coarse grain into uniformly fine particles are hammer mills and grooved rollers. After that, the food is heated to facilitate the extraction of the oil; however, during this process, contaminants are released along with the oil, and these contaminants must be eliminated before the oil is deemed edible.

The food is heated and then put into a screw press, where it passes through a slotted barrel and the pressure gradually rises from 60 kps to 950 kps to 850 kps. Simultaneously, the oil is extracted via the barrel’s slots and collected.

To obtain the highest outputs possible, the residual oil cake is processed through solvent extraction using volatile hydrocarbon solvents. Hexane is among the most frequently used solutions since it dissolves the oil in the remaining oil cake. Following that, the solvent is taken from the oil, transported through the material, and eventually collected at the bottom.

Approximately 90% of the volatile solvent that remained in the oil’s extraction evaporates and is regenerated. The remaining solvent is then collected with a stripping column. In this process, steam boils the oil, forcing it to evaporate, condense, and gather itself.

Sunflower oil which has been collected and desolventized requires additional processing in order to produce an edible product. Refinement processes for edible oils include degumming, neutralizing, bleaching, and deodorizing the oil to improve its flavor, taste, color, and firmness. During these stages of oil refining, contaminants such as phosphatides, pro-oxidants, and free fatty acids are eliminated.

There are instances in which further refining sunflower oil and fats becomes beneficial. While certain oils are winterized or dewaxed, others go through alterations to alter their melting characteristics. By-products can be processed further to create more valuable goods or to save expenses.

The final process involves heating the hot oil to a temperature of around 225 to 250 degrees Celsius while it is under vacuum in order to deodorize it without the use of steam. This makes it possible for the volatile components to stay stable, which eliminates the flavor and odor of the oil. To prolong the oil’s shelf life and inactivate specific trace elements, a one percent solution of citric acid is then added to the oil. This prevents oxidation.

Round 2 – Nutritional value

Mustard oil has 12 grams of saturated fat and at least 900 calories per 100 grams. 15 grams of linoleic acid, 6 grams of gamma linoleic acid, 21 grams of polyunsaturated fatty acid, and 60 grams of monounsaturated fatty acid. There are no proteins, carbohydrates, micronutrients, vitamins, or minerals in mustard oil.

Sunflower oil contains a minimum of 900 calories, 7 grams of saturated fat, 321 micrograms of vitamin K, and 90 micrograms of vitamin A per 100 grams. Protein, carbs, cholesterol, and salt are absent from sunflower. Sunflower oil contains 0.5 to 9 grams of polyunsaturated fatty acids and 3 to 11 grams of monounsaturated fatty acids, depending on the kind used.

Round 3 – Health benefits

Mustard oil

There are several advantages of mustard oil for our skin, hair, and well-being in general. By increasing blood circulation, mustard oil helps several organs operate better by supplying them with oxygen-rich blood. It even affects the intestines’ peristalsis to facilitate better and more frequent bowel movements. It also encourages the release of bile and gastric juices.

The antibacterial qualities of mustard oil help in the treatment of both exterior and interior bacterial illnesses. When applied topically, mustard oil deters insects and keeps mosquitoes away. It is also applied topically to the hair to increase blood flow, which encourages the growth of new hair. Additionally, some research indicates that mustard oil maintains healthy gums and whitens teeth. 

Sunflower oil

Sunflower oil is very beneficial to health. For example, it has a lot of monounsaturated acids, which support cardiovascular health and help lower cholesterol. Sunflower oil has several benefits for the skin. It hydrates the skin, reduces the appearance of wrinkles, and shields the skin from UV rays.

Tocopherol, a chemical component found in sunflower oil, helps treat conditions like baldness and excessive hair loss by promoting healthy hair. According to certain research, the magnesium in sunflower oil helps control mood, promotes weight loss, and greatly enhances digestion.

Round 4 – cooking 

Since mustard oil has a high smoke point and keeps its nutritional value at high temperatures, it is the best oil to use for deep-frying. 

You can use refined sunflower oil instead of any neutral vegetable oil for cooking activities including frying, sautéing, and searing. Refined sunflower oil can be used in place of extra-virgin olive oil when preparing salad dressing.

Round 5 – Drawbacks 

Mustard oil should be used judiciously, much like most other meals. Anemia, respiratory problems, diarrhea, and cardiovascular illnesses can result from erucic acid poisoning, which is caused by excessive regular use of mustard oil. Because of a molecule called allyl isothiocyanate, mustard oil may cause irritation to the soft tissues of the mouth as well as the gastrointestinal tract.

When heated to higher degrees over time, some types of sunflower oil might release harmful substances that can aggravate inflammation in the body. A diet rich in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids may cause weight gain. An increase in blood sugar is also connected to overuse of sunflower oil.

Conclusion 

When we compare sunflower oil to mustard oil, we see that sunflower oil is better for cooking but not for saving money. On the other hand, mustard oil is both useful in cooking and affordable. This analysis shows that mustard oil and sunflower oil have advantages and disadvantages. The choice between them is determined by personal health requirements and food preferences.