Cholesterol Lowering Effect
Corn oil has received much attention in the recent years for its ability to lower blood cholesterol. It is also being compared with olive oil to find out which oil performs better in terms of health benefits. Corn oil contains phytosterols in significant amount. These are sterol compounds that are derived from plant sources and are similar to cholesterol in structure.
Many plant sterols have powerful ability to reduce absorption of cholesterol. Some others help the body to use more cholesterol so that there is less in the serum In this popular study, it was found that corn oil does in fact affect absorption of cholesterol in the body. People were fed a diet rich in cholesterol. There was much higher cholesterol absorption in corn oil from which sterols had been reduced.
This effect was observed using 150 mg / kg of body weight corn oil supplementation. This implies that using corn oil in diet, like for cooking or as salad dressing should lower LDL cholesterol, unless corn oil is taken in such high amounts that its saturated fat content increases cholesterol levels.
Heart health
Corn oil is good for health of cardovascular system if taken within limits. Corn oil is rich in linoelic acids and other PUFAs ( polyunsaturated fatty acids ). A diet which contains about 8 – 10 % of the total energy from PUFAs is good for heart health.Our regular diet usually contains only about 5 % even though we may be consuming lots of fats. This means that our diet should be rich in foods that contain PUFAs, like corn oil.
High Blood Pressure
Consuming polyunsaturated fatty acids lowers high blood pressure in people who are suffering from hypertension [5]. Corn oil specifically is able to lower blood pressure levels by about 10 %. However, as always, one should keep the consumption of fats within limits, no matter how healthy.
Corn Oil for Skin
One can apply corn oil for skin as a massage oil. It is a nice emollient, though not as good as the well known massage oils like olive, coconut or sweet almond. Unrefined corn oil has slight corn like aroma which may be preferred by some people. It improves skin functioning because of the presence of linoleic acid and vitamin E in it. Corn oil is a gentle oil and one can use it as base oil for household products like lip balms, salves, creams and night oils. Corn oil is about 59 % linoleic acid and because of it, this oil penetrates quickly into the skin.
Corn Oil for Hair
Corn oil is not conventionally a "hair oil". One can use it as a hot oil treatment 1 – 2 times a week. It helps dry and undernourished hair. It conditions the hair and makes them smooth.