Mustard oil can reduce the risk of coronary heart diseases, say experts."Coronary heart diseases (CHD) are a leading cause of death. The use of mustard oil can reduce the risk of CHD," said S.C. Manchanda, former professor, department of cardiothoracic diseases at New Delhi's All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS).

Mustard oil is one of the healthiest edible oils as it has the lowest amount of saturated fatty acids and a high amount of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are good for health.

Manchanda, who was speaking at a conference here, said: "Mustard oil is rich in non-saturated fat or unsaturated fats. This oil has shown to reduce cholesterol."

Over 200 scientists, oil technologists, mustard processors, farmers, policy makers and trade professionals from across India took part in the conference.

"Renowned cardiologists have now started comparing the nutritional benefits of mustard oil with olive oil and have conclusive proof about mustard oil's superiority," he said.

"Mustard oil is healthier than olive oil because it has no trans-fats, has low saturated fats, high mono-unsaturated fats, high polyunsaturated fatty acids such as omega-3 and stability at high temperatures, which makes it ideal for Indian cooking and even deep frying," the cardiologist said.

Trans-fatty acids, commonly termed trans-fats, are a type of unsaturated fat.

M.S. Ganesh, an oncologist, drew attention to the benefits of mustard oil in fighting cancer. Mustard oil has an ideal ratio of Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids, which are essential for human health.

The linolenic acid, which is present in abundance in mustard, is converted in the human body into Omega-3 fatty acid. It helps in preventing common cancers like colon and stomach," Ganesh said.

Therefore, use of mustard oil as nutritional supplement should be initiated as a preventive measure at an early stage for battling common cancers, he added.