Last weekend on the way to lunch, I (Litsa) had the munchies. Thus, I reached for a pack of sunflower seeds that were in my truck. Since I had a driver, I opted to read the ingredient list. As we passed the fields of West Tennessee cotton, I was surprised to find ‘cottonseed oil’ as an ingredient listed on the back of my sunflower seed package!?!
Cottonseed oil!?! What is it? It comes from cotton!?!
I had research to do.
I learned that cottonseed oil is “a cooking oil that is extracted from the seed of specific cotton plants that are primarily grown for cotton fiber, animal feed, and oil. Cotton seed is noted as having a similar structure to other oil seeds such as sunflower seed, which has an oil-bearing kernel surrounded by a hard outer hull; in processing, the oil is extracted from the kernel. Cottonseed oil is used for salad oil, mayonnaise, salad dressing, and similar products because of its flavor stability.”
I also learned that cottonseed oil is NOT the healthiest choice I could make.
“Cottonseed oil contains only fat, so it is high in calories compared to other foods. Each 1 tbsp. of cottonseed oil contains 120 calories; this is the same number of calories in other oils, such as olive and canola, as all are pure fat.” Thus, my healthy choice of sunflower seeds on the way to lunch wasn’t so healthy after all!?!
The next time that I am shopping for nuts, I will read the ingredient list carefully. I’ll specifically choose nuts that are not coated in cottonseed oil.
Are you finding cottonseed oil in foods you consume that you might have thought were healthy for you?
Read more about Cottonseed oil on LS (Credit to some research noted above)
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