-2
$\begingroup$

In core science we have been learning about vegetable oils but we haven't covered why they are better than water.

Are vegetable oils better than water? Why? What can we use vegetable oils for other than in cooking?

Hope someone could answer this. Thanks.

Improve this question
$\endgroup$
4
  • 3
    $\begingroup$ You might get better traction on Seasoned Advice than here, at least for the cooking-related part of your query. Your question is a little broad and opinion-based as it reads, so you might consider some editing to narrow the scope, too. $\endgroup$
    – Todd Minehardt
    Commented Mar 10, 2016 at 22:52
  • 3
    $\begingroup$ Define "better" $\endgroup$
    – Melanie Shebel
    Commented Mar 10, 2016 at 23:42
  • $\begingroup$ I'm voting to close this question as off-topic because this question belongs on Seasoned Advice $\endgroup$
    – Geoff Hutchison
    Commented Mar 27, 2016 at 3:28
  • 1
    $\begingroup$ @Geoff meh, I think "better" is subjective in Seasoned Advice as well. :) $\endgroup$
    – M.A.R.
    Commented Mar 27, 2016 at 7:14

2 Answers 2

Reset to default
1
$\begingroup$

Our food is the source of many compounds that are needed to keep our body working. Some of these are directly available from the food (vitamins), others (provitamins) have to be converted first in our body to their final structure before we can actually use them.

Chemically, all these compounds belong to very different classes, but we can roughly divide them into two groups by one property, their solubility in water.

The vitamins that are insoluble in water are soluble in fat.

Did you ever step into a piece of tar on the beach and the tar wouldn't get off your foot no matter how often you jumped into the sea? But with a bit of tanning oil, which is insoluble in water, it was usually no problem to remove the tar from your foot.

The same principle applies for the vitamins.

Digestion of (vegetable) oils together with food, such as carrots, helps your intestines to take up the fat-soluble provitamins and vitamins more easily.

Improve this answer
$\endgroup$
0
$\begingroup$

Found the answer. Vegetable oils have a higher boiling point than water so that means food can be cooked at higher temperatures and faster speeds.

Improve this answer
$\endgroup$
1
  • 2
    $\begingroup$ Cooking time is only one of the many ways in which "better" can be measured. $\endgroup$
    – MaxW
    Commented Mar 10, 2016 at 23:09

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged or ask your own question.