Frequently Asked Questions

Cottonseed oil is used in cooking and is also used as a home remedy for certain skin conditions and ailments. Like olive oil, cottonseed oil is high in polyunsaturated fat which can help lower LDL (“bad” cholesterol) and increase HDL (“good” cholesterol). 

Cottonseed oil is commonly used in processed foods because of its ability to extend shelf life. Some of these products include:

• Potato chips
• Cookies and crackers
• Margarine
• Mayonnaise
• Salad dressing

It’s also a popular ingredient for baking. It provides a solid fat index for shortening, making for baked goods that’re moist and chewy. It also helps achieve a creamy consistency in icing and whipped toppings. 

Cottonseed oil is also used by many fast-food chains for deep frying because it enhances the flavour of food instead of masking it. 

Cottonseed oil is rich in tocopherols!

These natural antioxidants, which have varying degrees of vitamin E activity, also contribute to its stability giving products that contain it a long shelf life.

Cottonseed oil naturally contains Tocopherols, which is a form of Vitamin E. It is known as an antioxidant superhero that keeps food fresh for a longer duration and protects our skin. It makes up 96% of our skin’s natural antioxidant defence system. 

Studies show tocopherols:

• Absorbs UV rays and helps prevent UV-induced radical damage to the skin.
• Acts as an anti-inflammatory agent on skin
• Helps moisturise skin
• Helps reduce pollution-related free radical damage

Cottonseed oil may potentially offer various health benefits such as protecting skin, lowering cholesterol, inflammation, improve immune system, boost cognition, speeds healing and prevention from certain cancer types. 

Cottonseed oil is a heart-healthy oil choice. Cottonseed oil, like other oils of plant origin, is cholesterol free. Cottonseed oil has three times as many polyunsaturated fats as saturated fats, about 55 percent of refined cottonseed oil is made up of polyunsaturated fats like linoleic acid. This is an omega-6 fatty acid that, when consumed in moderation, has been shown to help reduce inflammation, lower the risk of heart disease, improve brain function, and boost immune function. 

20% of oil from cottonseeds contains oleic acid, an omega-9 fatty acid that is found naturally in vegetable fats. Oleic acid is known for its ability to reduce blood pressure and cholesterol. It may also help prevent type 2 diabetes, fight infections, and promote brain function. 

Cottonseed oil benefits the skin because of its moisturizing and soothing properties. Unrefined cottonseed oil contains vitamin E oil, which has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant effects.

Cottonseed oil’s history is closely related to the history of the modern vegetable oil refinery business. Cottonseed oil is ‘America’s original vegetable oil’ and was first bottled in 1882. Cottonseed oil has since dominated the U.S. market for one hundred years and has maintained a prominent position as a premium cooking and frying oil ever since. Its key attributes – most notably high stability and neutral flavour – have helped cottonseed oil stand the test of time as a workhorse ingredient. 

Gossypol acts as a natural defensive agent against predators, provoking infertility in insects. Nevertheless, gossypol is not genotoxic.  Like all major food crops, cottonseed production is regulated by food protection agencies of the and Cottonseed oil meets the government’s strict standards for purity. In fact, refined and deodorized Cottonseed oil is one of the purest food products available. Few foods can be as exceptionally cleaned and refined, and still maintain their nutritional quality. 

Cottonseed oil, like other vegetable oils, is extracted from the seed of the plant, through either mechanical process such as crushing or pressing or by chemical processes such as solvent extraction. Cottonseed oil, however, is most extracted commercially via solvent extraction. 

Some consumers use cottonseed oil for hair and skin health. Some believe that consuming the oil promotes hair growth. Others use the oil topically on the skin, the hair, and the scalp to boost hair growth, prevent hair loss, and improve the appearance of skin. 

Cottonseed oil provides vitamin E, which has been promoted as a treatment for scars, and to promote good skin and hair.

Based on much of the outdated information that appears in internet-based sources, it could be mistaken to think that Cottonseed Oil is harmful to consumer.

However, new farming and refining practising and legislation has dramatically reduced the number of pesticides used in growing cottonseed crops to an amount that is even less than that used to grow corn or soybeans. 

The smoke point of cooking oils refers to the temperature when an oil starts to smoke—which it will reach before its boiling point. One of the most important factors to consider when choosing your cooking oil is its smoke point. Heating oils past their smoking point has been linked to the formation of carcinogens and can also create an off, burnt flavour.

Each oil has a different smoke point and will vary depending on whether the oil is refined or not and what the percentage is of polyunsaturated vs monounsaturated vs saturated fats.

• Refining: The more refined an oil, the higher its smoke point, because refining removes impurities and free fatty acids that can cause the oil to smoke. 
• Type of fat: Oils consist of different types of fats, including polyunsaturated, monounsaturated, and saturated. Oils high in polyunsaturated fats tend to have a lower smoke point, while oils higher in monounsaturated fats have medium smoke points. 
• Age: As an oil ages, it’s exposed to light, heat, and air, which can lower its effectiveness and smoke point with time.

When you cook with oil that’s been heated past its smoke point, you do more than impart a burnt flavour to foods. Beneficial nutrients and phytochemicals found in many unrefined oils are destroyed when the oil is overheated. Overheating also creates harmful free radicals.