Corn oil

Corn germ oil is an edible oil, which is extracted from the fatty germ of corn grain.

The extraction is done either by pressing ( cold and hot) or by chemical extraction with solvents. Abstracted or refined oil is colorless, odorless and tasteless. The yellow color is achieved by the addition of beta-carotene. A further addition of tocopherol or vitamin E results in better durability. Extra virgin or virgin oil can be seen by the slightly reddish color, of a liter of oil needed to 100 kilos of maize. It contains 59 percent linoleic acid and thus is 59% polyunsaturated fatty acids, 24% from monounsaturated fat and 13 % saturated. Corn germ oil does contain lots of omega -6 but very few Omega -3 fatty acids, which makes it less suitable for a balanced diet at least in larger quantities. Due to its content of vitamin E and the unrefined oil has a long shelf life, since vitamin E is an antioxidant and prevents it from becoming rancid. Refined corn oil is very good for cooking and frying because its smoke point is about 200 ° C and therefore no harmful substances when heated arise (carcinogenic cyclic hydrocarbons). Corn oil, like all vegetable products cholesterol-free and is suitable as all vegetable fats for cholesterol diet, as long as they are not cured as in most margarines.