Mustard oil, its nutritional composition, biological activities, therapeutic uses, topical uses and risk factors
Description : Oil, which is extracted from mustard seed, is generally termed as mustard oil. It has been
Article Details :
Oil, which is extracted from mustard seed, is generally termed as mustard oil. It has been traditionally used for various medicinal and culinary purposes.
Some important information regarding mustard oil
- It is considered as very common ingredient in Indian cuisine
- It is liquid in room temperature
- It has pungent aroma
- It has strong flavor too
- It has high smoke point. Smoke point is recognized as a temperature at which fat starts to break and produces smoke. As mustard oil has high smoke point thus it can be easily utilized for high heat cooking methods such as baking, frying, roasting, grilling etc
Nutritional profile
It is rich in monounsaturated fatty acids and also contains several fat soluble vitamins and trace elements. It also contains phytonutrients that exert various nutraceutical activities.
Biological activity
Antioxidant activity
- It exerts strong antioxidant activity, which is responsible for decreasing the concentration of free radicals within body and protects the body from the harmful consequences of free radical induced oxidative damages
- It plays vital role in preventing lipid peroxidation
- It also helps in decreasing the risk of developing chronic diseases by preventing oxidative stress
Anti-inflammatory activity
- It contains several components that exhibit anti-inflammatory activities and prevent inflammation by decreasing the concentration of inflammatory mediators in body
- Onega 3 fatty acid is another important component of mustard oil that helps in regulating inflammatory process thus helps in preventing inflammation
- It has been traditionally used topically for relieving the symptoms of arthritis as it plays imperative role in preventing joint swelling
Anti-carcinogenic activity
- Allyl isothiocyanate is an important component extracted from mustard oil plays significant role in lowering the prevalence of carcinoma as it has strong anti-carcinogenic activity
- It helps to hinder the growth of cancerous cells in body
- It helps to prevent metastasis as well
- It is very effective for decreasing the prevalence of bladder cancer and colon cancer
Antimicrobial activity
- Its antimicrobial activity is accountable for decreasing the prevalence of infectious diseases in many folds
- It can hinder the growth of bacteria, virus as well as fungus within host
Health benefits
Role on digestive health
- It plays significant role in stimulating the secretion of digestive juice as a result helps in digestion
- It is also associated with decreasing the prevalence of gastrointestinal infectious diseases as it exerts antimicrobial activities, which are responsible for hindering the growth of harmful microbes within gastrointestinal tract. As a result it lowers the prevalence of diarrhoea, stomach cramping, abdominal distress and bloating
- It also helps to protect the gastrointestinal tract from oxidative and inflammatory damages hence plays vital role in decreasing the susceptibility of developing inflammatory bowel disease, ulcers and irritable bowel syndrome
Role on circulation
- It has seen that using of mustard oil for massaging the body significantly improves blood circulation
- It also enhances the supply of oxygen as well as nutrients to the body through blood, which ultimately helps every organ to perform efficiently as a result promotes wellbeing
Role on respiratory health
- It has been traditionally used as an imperative therapeutic substance for respiratory health
- It acts as an effective preventive measure for asthma. It has seen that during asthma attack, massaging the chest with mustard oil is very effective for reducing the complication as it is closely associated with increasing air flow to the lungs, which subsequently helps in easy breathing
- It helps to improve the symptoms of sinusitis as well. Consumption of one teaspoon of mustard oil along with honey or sugar is extremely beneficial
- It also acts as an important decongestant, which plays vital role in clearing congestion from the respiratory tract thus it is widely used as an important remedial action for cough and cold
- Mustard oil steam treatment is also considered as an important remedial action for reducing phlegm as it is linked with warming up the respiratory system
- It can be applied on chest before sleeping or it can be also Read more
