People have long used mustard oil in cooking and alternative medicine. It is common in Asian, notably Indian, cuisines. The oil’s strong taste comes from a compound that is also present in horseradish and wasabi.
Mustard oil is rich in monounsaturated fatty acids, which could mean that it benefits cardiovascular health. It also contains a compound that may have anti-inflammatory properties.
- Mustard oil may help lower the risk of cardiovascular disease.
Mustard oil is rich in monounsaturated fatty acids. Researchers have consistently found that including monounsaturated fatty acids in the diet can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.
One systematic review found that people with diets rich in monounsaturated fatty acids had lower blood pressure and less body fat than others who consumed fewer of these acids. A high proportion of body fat and high blood pressure increase the risk of cardiovascular disease.
While mustard oil contains high levels of these fatty acids, avocados and olive oil contain more.
It is important to note that these potential benefits are likely to be very small, compared with other factors that influence cardiovascular risk. Consuming mustard oil will not compensate for a broadly unhealthful diet or a lack of physical activity.
Mustard oil contains a compound that could be useful for reducing inflammation: allyl isothiocyanate.
One study foundTrusted Source that allyl isothiocyanate has anti-inflammatory potential. The study’s authors noted this effect in cell cultures, which are cells that researchers grow in a controlled setting. However, they also found that the anti-inflammatory effect was much smaller in mice.
Results of a more recent studyTrusted Source indicate that allyl isothiocyanate reduced inflammation and had a range of other benefits in mice with colitis, a condition that causes inflammation in the colon.
Inflammation is a characteristic of a wide range of health issues, and it can cause a host of symptoms. If allyl isothiocyanate can reduce inflammation, mustard oil could help treat these issues. However, there is currently very little evidence to support the idea.
