(Candace Napier)
Except, there’s another oil that’s even more potent, and wellness bloggers are just starting to clue onto it: Algae oil. I know, it sounds hideous—but despite the unfortunate fishy connotations, this stuff is actually completely brilliant. Trust me, I tried it.
Like its name suggests, the buzzy product is made from algae, which naturally produces oil. One major producer, Thrive, actually grows the algae in fermentation tanks, then presses the plant to make oil that sells for around $12 for a large bottle. Thanks to the hype surrounding sea plants (hello, Nori seaweed), algae oil’s starting to gain steam on the health circuit.
Before I sell you on the taste (and other cooking benefits), the biggest talking point about algae oil is its impressive healthy attributes. Like coconut oil, the algae version is packed with good fats and skimps on bad (saturated) fats—more so than any other cooking oil on the market, in fact.
“Algae is a rich source of one type of omega-3 fatty acid (docosahexaenoic acid or DHA) that helps to reduce the inflammation in the body,” explained Rebecca Stritchfield, registered dietitian who you may have spotted talking about food and health on Today Show, Fox News, MSNBC, and CNN.
Surprisingly, the flavor is very light and not at all fishy, and didn’t really add or detract from the flavor of the grilled chicken I tested it with. It’s virtually flavorless, and quite neutral—I like it, but if you’re an olive oil girl who loves lots of flavor, this might not be your jam. Compared with other cooking oils, algae has a higher smoke point (485 degrees), which basically means it’s way easier to cook with.
“Chefs find the high smoke point ideal for a wide variety of cooking applications, and love that the neutral taste allows the natural flavors of ingredients to stand out in flavorful dishes. It has the versatility of a vegetable or canola oil for high-heat cooking, but has a healthier fat profile,” explained Mark Brooks, Senior Vice President at Thrive.
Of course, it’s not just the benefits of eating coconut oil that have propelled me to always have a jar on my counter—it’s the topical treatment too, so I wanted to make sure algae oil lived up to these expectations as well.
I usually oil pull with coconut oil daily, swishing it around in my mouth for about 15 minutes (I find it helps keep acne at bay and whiten my teeth) but swapped to the ocean alternative for a week to see if there was any difference. In terms of results, everything stayed stable, but I actually preferred the algae oil’s flavor, which is much more subtle than overpowering coconut. (Side note: I’ve tried this with olive and sesame oil before and don’t recommend it—ickkk.)
Every evening, I also moisturize coconut oil into my cuticles, a habit that I’ve found has strengthened my nails since I picked it up around a year ago. Naturally, I made the switch to algae oil for a few nights to check out the difference. Again, my nails feel exactly the same, but the new oil feels thinner and lighter than coconut oil, so the residue dried faster (bonus.)
I never thought I’d say this, but I think coconut oil just got knocked off its pedestal—or at the very least, off my kitchen counter.
This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service - if this is your content and you're reading it on someone else's site, please read the FAQ at http://ift.tt/jcXqJW.Read More Weight Loss News,Click Link:How To Use Coconut Oil To Lose Weight
0 comments:
Post a Comment