Besides the aromatic flavor it gives to the food, mustard oil has its benefits

A look into the kitchen of an Indian household and you’ll easily spot a bottle of sarso ka tel, aka Mustard oil comfortably sitting in a corner. For this cooking oil has been an integral part of Indian cooking, from royal to middle-class families.

While its cheap money value makes it affordable for the masses, it is hugely important for cooking owing to its multitude of benefits that it possesses for the body.

Good Heart Health Mustard oil is a good source of MUFA - monounsaturated fatty acids, which is very essential for our health. According to various studies including mustard oil in our regular food consumption lowers the bad cholesterol in the body helping in keeping a check on blood fat levels and improving blood circulation.

Good Skin protector Ayurveda has proved that massaging the body using mustard oil while improving blood circulation, releases muscular tension, and improves skin texture. Acting as a natural cleanser, it activates the sweat glands which help in eradicating toxins from the body. As it is loaded with vitamin E, which is essential for the skin, it reduces fine lines, wrinkles besides acting as a sunscreen.

That is the reason, in India babies are massaged with mustard oil. In fact, many users have vouched for its lighting the dark spots and removing tan. Further, one can also massage the skin with equal quantities of mustard oil and coconut oil to improve skin tone.

Makes the scalp happy Well, coconut oil is not the only scalp massage oil. Mustard oil is highly loved and appreciated by people as it contains beta-carotene which is important for hair growth. An age-old practice, in the remote areas of India and to some upper-class families, it is still followed today. While it also activates the blood circulation across the scalp, its anti-bacterial properties prevent it from infections. In fact, medical experts are of an opinion that it leaving it overnight helps in controlling hair fall.

Heals cracked heels and nails Since it is helpful in keeping our skin healthy and shining, its usage on cracked heels and brittle nails can help heal them quickly and naturally. You just have to make a mixture of candle wax with an equal amount of mustard oil forming into a thick paste-like consistency. Then fill up your cracked heels with the mixture, cover them, and leave them overnight.

As for nails, apply the mustard oil directly onto the nails and is said to be better in healing brittle nails than coconut or almond oil. It lubricates the nail bed and is easily absorbed giving nails the required nourishment.

Apart from these properties, mustard oil is also beneficial in alleviating pain as it contains allylisothiocyanate, which is effective on pain receptors in the body and also reduces inflammation.