Pine Nut Oil
Pine nut oil is a natural substance that is popular for its varied benefits for humans. Read and know more about this natural oil.
Pine Nut Oil
Table Of Content
What is Pine Nut Oil?
It is a kind of pressed vegetable oil. It is extracted from the kernels or seeds (commonly known as pine nuts) of various species of pines. It is extracted only from the edible seeds of pine. It is also known as Pine Seed Oil or Cedar Nut Oil. This oil is distinguished from other curative oils because of the wide range of benefits it has to offer.
There are various species of pine nuts like the European variety (also known as Pignoli) and the American variety (also known as pifiions). The quality of the oil extracted from pine seeds depend on the species of the pine nut it is made from. It is highly believed that the Siberian pine nut oil is superior in quality than other varieties of this oil.
Pine Nut Oil History
This oil has been used by people for many centuries to cure and heal illnesses and also to cook food.
During Great Lent, before the revolution of 1917, it was the main oil used for cooking in Russian homes. At that time, ten percent of the total hard currency of this country was based on the trade of this oil. The trade of this oil was mainly done with France. In France, this oil has been traditionally used for cooking.
Picture 1 – Pine Nut Oil
Source – pinenutoil.org
Pine Nut Oil Composition
This oil is rich in various vitamins and fatty acids. It contains:
- Polyunsaturated fatty acids
- Significant quantity of fat-dissolving vitamins E and F
- Phosphatidic phosphorous
It also contains the following vitally important micro-elements:
- Phosphorous
- Calcium
- Magnesium
- Manganese
- Copper
- Zinc
- Cobalt
- Iodine
There is up to 5% nitrogenous substances in the contents of this oil. 90% of these nitrogenous substances are amino acids and 70% are indispensable acids. This fact testifies to the high physiological value of the pine nut oil.
Pine Nut Oil – Triglyceride composition
The triglyceride composition of pine nut oil is as follows:
- Linoleic acid: 49.0% ± 2.3
- Oleic acid: 23.8% ± 2.1
- Pinolenic acid: 17.1% ± 2.0
- Palmitic acid: 6.3% ± 2.2
- Stearic acid: 2.5% ± 0.1
Pine Nut Oil Properties
- This oil is biologically active. Due to this, it is used in body massages and cosmetic facials.
- It has high curative properties.
- It has a very low smoke point.
- There is a high concentration of radical scavengers in this natural substance.
Pine Nut Oil Benefits
A wide range of benefits can be derived from this oil. The oil is used for the treatment of various sicknesses. Its usefulness is varied in range. This oil is rich in proteins, vitamins and fatty acids. Pine nut oil is a widely used natural medicine. It is used in the field of medicines, cooking, cosmetology and many more. The principal benefits of using this oil are mentioned below:
- Pine nuts are rich in amino acids. As a result, the pine nut oil is a great source of nutrition.
- This oil can also help in weight loss.
- This oil is a great source for vitamins B1, B2, B3 and E. Also there are zinc, magnesium, copper manganese etc. All these vitamins and minerals are excellent for health.
- The amino acids in this oil are highly beneficial to the development of a growing organ. This is the reason why pine nut oil is very healthy in the diet of teenagers, children and pregnant women.
- It is rich in Pinolenic Acid, which is a very powerful anti-inflammatory substance.
- It normalizes the lipid spectrum of blood. In this way, the pine nut oil helps to fight high blood pressure.
- The Department of Agricultural Chemistry at the College of Life & Environmental Sciences at Korea University has proved that pine nut oil can lower the cholesterol level in human body.
- This oil also has natural healing abilities. Pine nut oil is very efficient in healing peptic ulcer and gastritis.
- The oil works to alleviate various other digestive problems and stomach disorders.
- It is also believed to have the ability to increase mental energy and clarity.
Picture 2 – Pine Nut Oil Picture
Source – buzzle.com
Uses of Pine Nut Oil in Diet
Pine nut oil can help in fighting obesity. Scientists have proved that pine nuts can work as an appetite suppressant and curb the desire to eat. As a result it stops people from taking the extra food that causes obesity. Once it was proved, the scientists started to think of using pine nuts as dietary supplement. Pine nut oil was extracted so that it could be easily used for the purpose. Later, pine nut capsules were created so that using pine nut oil in a diet became easier. People can swallow the capsule without having to taste the material.
Pine Nut Oil in the Kitchen
The oil also has wide range of uses in the kitchen. It is a frequently used ingredient and there are various delicious recipes of pine nut oil. But it is not used in cooking like other nut oils. This is because it has a very low smoke point. In other words, it burns and starts to smoke at a very low temperature. This makes pine nut oil unfit to be used in cooking over a high temperature. So, pine nut oil is principally used as a “finishing” ingredient to add flavor to the food.
Pine nut oil can be a very effective preservative for bread. A small amount of the oil needs to be added to the dough.
Pine Nut Oil Side Effects
- The oil is very concentrated in nature. As a result it can cause skin irritation in case of sensitive skin. So, it is always advisable to dilute the substance before applying it to your skin.
- The pine nut oil may cause allergy in people who have allergies to other nuts (peanuts etc). The Department of Alergologia e Inmunologia Clinica at the Clinical University of Navarra, Spain has proved that people who are allergic to nuts have a tendency to have an allergy in pine nut oil.
- It smokes and burns at a very low temperature as it has a very low smoke point. Because of this property, it cannot be used in cooking at high temperatures.
- Pine nut oil causes a lack of appetite in people who ingest it. This may result in low amount of food intake and hence may cause health problems.
Buy Pine Nut Oil
If you are interested to buy and use pine nut oil, there are many stores where you can get this product. It is available for online shoppers too. There are many companies selling quality pine nut oil online.
Pine nut oil is a substance having endless natural qualities. It has a long history of being used for diverse reasons by generations past. It can also be said that pine nut oil will be successfully used by generations to come.
References:
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2006/04/060404085953.htm
- by Deepamala Bhattacharya
- August 24th 2011
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