FAO, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, issued the "Standards for Healthy Edible Oils" and pointed out that the most reasonable intake ratio of fatty acids in healthy edible oils is: less than 10% of saturated fatty acids and more than 75% of monounsaturated fatty acids; among essential fatty acids, the ratio of linolenic acid and linoleic acid is The ratio is less than or equal to 1:4. The fatty acid composition of camellia oil best meets this standard; therefore, camellia oil is the most ideal healthy edible oil.

The saturated fatty acid content in camellia oil is around 10% (see table below), which is at a low level among various major edible fats and oils. It is even lower than olive oil, which is known as "liquid gold", and is lower than the international nutritional standards. The definition of saturated fatty acid content is 12%. Therefore, in terms of saturated fatty acid content alone, tea oil is a healthy edible oil. In addition, the ratio of linoleic acid and linolenic acid in camellia oil is also close to the ratio recommended by the Chinese Nutrition Society, and long-term consumption is very beneficial to human health.

Note: Data for walnut oil are from GB/T 22327-2008, and other data are from Berry: Oil Chemistry and Technology (Fourth edition, Volume 1).

Oleic acid is a monounsaturated fatty acid. A large number of medical experiments have proven that consuming oils mainly composed of monounsaturated fatty acids can reduce the content of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (a kind of "bad" cholesterol) in the body, while maintaining or even increasing high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (a kind of "bad" cholesterol). "good" cholesterol) content. The oleic acid content in camellia oil is generally between 74% and 87%, and is basically stable at around 80%, which is the highest among all major edible oils at present.

Therefore, consuming camellia oil can help reduce cholesterol in blood lipids and reduce the deposition of cholesterol on blood vessel walls, thereby preventing arteriosclerosis and increased blood pressure. According to foreign epidemiological surveys, there is a significant negative correlation between dietary monounsaturated fatty acids and mortality from coronary heart disease. Medical workers believe that the lower mortality rate from coronary heart disease in some areas is related to the daily consumption of oils rich in monounsaturated fatty acids, such as olive oil, tea oil and other oils. Therefore, camellia oil is an edible vegetable oil strongly promoted in the "Outline of China's Food Structure Reform and Development".

Generally speaking, the higher the oleic acid content and the lower linoleic acid and linolenic acid content in vegetable oil, the better its oxidation stability. The oleic acid content of camellia oil is as high as about 80%, and the linoleic acid and linolenic acid content only account for about 10%. After the impurities and moisture are removed from the camellia oil, it can remain at room temperature for several years without deterioration. Therefore, camellia oil is not easily oxidized and is resistant to storage. This characteristic of camellia oil makes it an excellent raw material for canned oil-soaked foods. Its freshness and shelf life are 2 to 3 times longer than canned food soaked in other oils.