(Chapter 2)
All About Cooking Oil and Triglycerides.
Cooking oils are made of fats composed of a glycerol backbone with three fatty acid chains, called triglycerides. “Tri” means three. “Glyceride” means attached to glycerol. So a triglyceride is three fatty acids hooked onto one glycerol molecule.
When we eat any cooking oil or fat, we are eating triglycerides. Our body breaks them apart during digestion, uses the fatty acids for energy, and rebuilds new triglycerides to store excess energy in fat cells.
When doctors check blood triglycerides, they are measuring how much of this fat is floating in bloodstream. **High levels after eating too much sugar or fat can raise the risk of heart disease.
That is really all there is to it. Every fat we eat, whether ghee, mustard oil, or olive oil, is made of triglycerides. The only difference between oils is which three fatty acids are attached to the glycerol spine. The three fatty acids do not have one fixed set of names. It depends on which fat or oil we may talk about.
There is more academic details below. If you find it boring or complicated, skip to chapter 3. There is more to this ‘fat’ story. All articles on Fats in Food ar here.
Triglyceride
A triglyceride is a glycerol spine with any three fatty acids attached. Those three can be the same or different. For example:
In olive oil, the three fatty acids are mostly oleic acid, with some palmitic and linoleic mixed in.
In coconut oil, most triglycerides carry three lauric acid chains.
In ghee, butyric, palmitic, and stearic acids are found on the same glycerol. Each oil has its own combination, which is why oils differ in taste, texture, and health effects. Palmitic, lauric, oleic, linoleic are the other most common acids found across different cooking oils.
The carbon count of each depends on which fatty acid dominate each oil.
Ghee is short-chain fatty acids like butyric acid (C4) and caproic acid (C6) which is rare in plant/seed oil.
Understanding Acids:
Butyric acid (C4) The shortest of all. Found in ghee and butter. It is actually made by good bacteria in your gut when you eat fiber. It feeds the cells lining your colon, reduces inflammation, and protects against colon cancer. Easiest to digest because of its tiny size.
Lauric acid (C12) Found heavily in coconut oil. It has mild antibacterial and antiviral properties. Digested differently from most fats — it goes straight to the liver for quick energy rather than being stored. Raises both good and bad cholesterol.
Palmitic acid (C16) The most common saturated fat in food and also in the human body. Found in palm oil, ghee, and meat. Digested easily but excess amounts raise LDL cholesterol. Your body also makes it naturally from excess sugar.
Stearic acid (C18, 0 bends) A saturated fat found in ghee, butter, and meat. Unusual among saturated fats because it does not raise LDL cholesterol. The liver quickly converts it into oleic acid after digestion. Considered relatively neutral for heart health.
Oleic acid (C18, 1 bend) The star of olive oil. Monounsaturated and very stable. Digested smoothly, reduces LDL cholesterol, and supports heart health. It also reduces inflammation mildly.
Linoleic acid (C18, 2 bends) An omega-6 fat your body cannot make. You must eat it. Found in sunflower and soybean oil. Essential for skin health and immune function. Too much relative to omega-3 fats can promote inflammation though.
Erucic acid (C22) The longest chain here. Found in mustard oil. Very long chains are harder for the body to break down. High doses caused heart muscle damage in animal studies, which is why it raised safety concerns. Traditional Indian mustard oil consumption at normal cooking levels is generally considered safe.
Appendix
Table Showing Properties of Different Oils.| Oil / fat | Dominant fatty acid | Carbon count | Saturated % | Mono-unsat % | Poly-unsat % | Smoke point (°C) | State at room temp | Health note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ghee | Butyric + stearic | C4–C18 (mixed) | 62% | 29% | 4% | 210°C (+- 20 °C ) | Semi-solid | Gut-friendly |
| Mustard oil | Erucic acid | C22 | 12% | 60% | 21% | 250°C | Liquid | High erucic acid |
| Palm oil | Palmitic acid | C16 | 50% | 39% | 10% | 235°C | Semi-solid | High saturated fat |
| Coconut oil | Lauric acid | C12 | 87% | 6% | 2% | 177°C | Solid | Very high saturated |
| Olive oil | Oleic acid | C18:1 | 14% | 73% | 11% | 210°C | Liquid | Heart-healthy |
| Sunflower oil | Linoleic acid | C18:2 | 10% | 20% | 66% | 232°C | Liquid | High omega-6 |
| Soybean oil | Linoleic acid | C18:2 | 16% | 23% | 58% | 238°C | Liquid | Omega-3 present |
| Canola oil | Oleic acid | C18:1 | 7% | 63% | 28% | 238°C | Liquid | Low erucic acid |
| Groundnut oil | Oleic acid | C18:1 | 17% | 46% | 32% | 232°C | Liquid | Balanced profile |
| Sesame oil | Linoleic acid | C18:2 | 14% | 40% | 42% | 210°C | Liquid | Rich in antioxidants |
| Rice bran oil | Oleic acid | C18:1 | 20% | 43% | 33% | 254°C | Liquid | Highest smoke point |
| Butter | Palmitic + butyric | C4–C18 (mixed) | 63% | 26% | 4% | 150°C | Solid | Low smoke point |
A few things stand out from the table. Ghee and butter share a similar carbon range (C4–C18) because both come from dairy fat. Ghee’s smoke point varies by animal source, cow ghee being lower and buffalo ghee higher.
Rice bran oil has the highest smoke point, making it suitable for deep frying. Coconut oil is the most saturated fat of the lot, at 87%. Mustard oil is unique in having erucic acid (C22) as its signature fatty acid, which no other common oil matches.
Saturated fat means every carbon is full. No gaps. Think of it like a straight stick. Straight sticks stack neatly, so the fat is solid at room temperature. Ghee, butter, coconut oil.
Unsaturated fat means some carbons have a gap, which creates a bend. Bent sticks don’t stack well, so the fat stays liquid. Olive oil, mustard oil, sunflower oil.
So which one is the right cooking oil for humans?
In Chapter 3, we shall read more about it in non-academic or in common people language.