Some cooking oils, although loaded with dietary fat, can actually be good for you. Clear, liquid oils such as corn oil and sesame seed oil are both high in unsaturated fats -- these fats may actually improve your blood cholesterol levels. Corn oil and sesame seed oil are both heart-healthy choices to use when cooking, as long as you mete them out sparingly.
Properties
Dietary fats like butter, margarine, shortening, lard and cooking oils don't necessarily contain one type of fat. Solid fats like lard and butter tend to be high in saturated fat, which is the primary dietary contributor to high blood cholesterol. Equally unhealthy are trans fats found in partially-hydrogenated products such as shortening and stick margarine. Corn oil and sesame seed oil, on the other hand, are made up largely of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. These "healthy" fats, when consumed in moderate amounts, can help decrease high blood cholesterol and lower your risk for heart disease.
Nutrition
A side by side comparison of corn oil and sesame seed oil using the USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference data indicates that 1 tbsp. of corn oil has 124 calories and 14 g total fat -- on par with canola oil -- while the same amount of sesame seed oil has 120 calories and 13.6 g total fat. Corn oil has roughly 8.2 g monounsaturated fat and 4.1 g polyunsaturated fat. Saturated fat and trans fat make up the rest of the oil's total fat. Sesame seed oil has roughly 5.4 monounsaturated fat and 5.7 polyunsaturated fat; the remainder of the oil's total fat is comprised of saturated fat and trans fat.
Other Choices
Safflower oil, olive oil, canola oil, sunflower oil, peanut oil and soybean oil are other healthy oils from which to choose. Coconut oil, palm oil and palm kernel oil are also plant-based oils; however, these oils are loaded with saturated fat. Look for "liquid vegetable oil" first on the list of ingredients when shopping for a cooking oil.
Differences
When using cooking oil, the American Heart Association recommends choosing a product with 2 g of saturated fat per tbsp. or less. Both corn oil and sesame seed oil meet this criteria; however, corn oil has a slight edge, with slightly more than 1 g saturated fat per tbsp. compared to sesame seed oil, which borders on the cusp of 2 g. Corn oil has a light, neutral flavor that translates well into all dishes, but especially in baked goods such as cakes and brownies. Sesame seed oil, however, imparts a nutty flavor to food. The dark oil from toasted sesame seeds is particularly distinct, making it ideal for savory dishes such as stir-fries, vegetable sautes and salad dressings.
Whichever oil you choose, use it frugally when cooking. Keep your total fat intake between 20 and 35 percent of your total calories, advises the Mayo Clinic. No more than 7 percent of your calories should come from saturated fat, and no more than 1 percent should come from trans fat.
References
- Mayo Clinic; Dietary Fats: Know Which Ones to Choose; Feb. 15, 2011
- American Heart Association: Fats and Oils
- USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference: Corn Oil; Sesame Seed Oil
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration; Trans Fat Now Listed with Saturated Fat and Cholesterol on the Nutrition Facts Label; Apr. 5, 2011
- Transportation Information Service: Sesame Oil
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