It’s important to know which cooking oils are good for you and which are not. Oils like olive oil and avocado oil are great for your health. They have fats that help your heart and help your body use vitamins. But, oils like palm oil and some vegetable oils are not good if you use them too much1.
Olive oil is really good for your heart. It can help stop heart disease, keep your arteries healthy, and lower blood pressure. Extra virgin olive oil is even better because it has more vitamin E and good plant stuff1. But, saturated fats in oils like palm oil can be bad for your heart1. So, choosing the right oils to cook with is very important.
Things like the smoke point and what’s in the oil matter a lot too. Avocado oil is good for cooking at high temperatures and is good for your heart1. But, coconut oil and oils with trans fats or saturated fats are bad for cholesterol levels. They should be used less or not at all2.
To learn more about which cooking oils are the best and which to avoid, check out this article. It gives you a lot of good information1.
Understanding Cooking Oils: A Comprehensive Guide
When we look at cooking oils, it’s good to know how they are different. We think about their smoke points, kinds of fats, and how they affect our health.
Extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO) isn’t great for cooking on high heat because its smoke point is 375ºF (191ºC)3. But, light olive oil can handle more heat. It has a smoke point of about 470ºF (243ºC)3. Many people love EVOO because it’s full of healthy stuff and fits into the Mediterranean diet4.
Avocado oil is super for high-heat cooking, like stir-frying and baking. It can get up to 520ºF (271ºC) if it’s refined and 480ºF (249ºC) if not3. It’s also full of good fats that help your heart5.
Refined coconut oil can go up to 450ºF (232ºC). Unrefined, it’s good until 350ºF (177ºC)3. Half of its saturated fats are from lauric acid, which is good for your cholesterol4. It’s also stable when you cook with it4.
Canola oil is good for a lot of cooking styles. It can be used up to 400ºF (204ºC)3. It stays good for a long time and has both kinds of healthy fats5.
Peanut and sesame oils are worth mentioning too. Refined peanut oil is great for frying at 450ºF (232ºC), but unrefined is lower at 320ºF (160ºC)3. Sesame oil works well for flavor in medium heat, between 350 to 400ºF (177 to 204ºC)3.
It’s important to pick the right oil, thinking about health and how you’ll use it. For help picking oils, look at this detailed guide3. Also, check out the health side of things at HealthFitnessScience.com4.
| Oil Type | Smoking Point (ºF) | Main Use | Key Health Benefit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Extra-Virgin Olive Oil | 375 | Dressings, Low-heat Cooking | Rich in Polyphenols |
| Light Olive Oil | 470 | High-heat Cooking | Heart Health |
| Avocado Oil | 520 | High-heat Cooking | Monounsaturated Fats |
| Refined Coconut Oil | 450 | High-heat Cooking | Stable and Oxidation-resistant |
| Canola Oil | 400 | Medium-high heat Cooking | Omega-3 Fatty Acids |
| Peanut Oil | 450 | Frying, Sautéing | High in Vitamin E |
| Sesame Oil | 350-400 | Sautéing, Dressings | Antioxidants |
Healthy Cooking Oils to Include in Your Diet
Adding healthy oils to your meals can make your food better for you. Olive Oil: The Heart-Healthy Choice is great because it has good fats, vitamin E, and antioxidants6. These help your heart and lower inflammation. It works best for cooking on low or medium heat7.
Avocado oil is also great for your heart due to its vitamin E and good fats6. It’s perfect for high-heat cooking like frying7.
Sesame oil makes food taste unique and is good for you. It can be used for cooking on moderate heat7. It’s especially good for people with type 2 diabetes6. Sesame oil also has antioxidants6.
To learn more about healthy oils, check out this guide.
Unhealthy Cooking Oils to Avoid
Before picking Cooking Oil Brands, know the risks. Corn, soybean, and canola oils are everywhere in processed food. These not only have bad omega-6 fats but also lose good nutrients in processing. Harmful stuff can get added too8.
Some oils, like sunflower, safflower, and grapeseed, have lots of polyunsaturated fats. These fats break down easily when heated or chemically stressed, making aldehydes8. Aldehydes are bad chemicals linked to health issues like arthritis and heart disease8. Too much omega-6 can also lower omega-3, which our brains need8.
Refined oils like canola, corn, and soybean get super-processed. This includes high heat and chemicals making toxic stuff9. People use them because they’re cheap and look the same. Yet, they’re bad for us9.
Oils with a lot of saturated fats, like palm and coconut oil, have problems too. Palm oil raises bad cholesterol since it’s 80% saturated fat9. Coconut oil, being over 90% saturated fat, stays solid and isn’t great for us9.
Choosing the right Cooking Oil Brands matters. Eating less of these risky oils helps our health and the planet. Check out this guide to pick the best oils8.
Cooking Oils: Choosing the Best for Your Health
Choosing the right cooking oil is key to better health. The smoke point of an oil matters a lot. Avocado oil is great for cooking at high temperatures10. It has a high smoke point of about 520°F. Peanut oil is also a good choice with a smoke point around 450°F10. High smoke points mean less harmful stuff in your food when it’s cooked hot.
How oils are made also affects their goodness. Oils like extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) are better when untouched10. They keep more healthy bits [source]. But, EVOO isn’t good for very hot cooking because its smoke point is only about 375°F10. Using such oils is good for your body and the planet.
Thinking about our planet helps choose better oils. Making palm oil can hurt forests and animals [source]11. Picking oils with a small environmental mark is smarter. Yet, coconut oil, while having good fats, is 90% bad fat that can up your bad cholesterol11.
Take canola oil as an example. It has a smoke point around 400°F, good for many cooking ways1012. And it stays fresh for about a year once opened. But, avoid highly refined oils like sunflower and corn oils; they go bad at high heat, hurting your health11. Choosing oils like avocado, grapeseed, and light sesame oils is smarter for health and the Earth1012.
Conclusion
Choosing the right cooking oil is key for your health and the planet. Different oils have different health benefits. For instance, extra virgin olive oil can lower blood pressure and increase good cholesterol. This helps your heart health a lot13. Eating up to 1.5 tablespoons of this oil every day can cut heart disease risk in half over 11 years13.
Although many people like coconut oil, it’s mostly saturated fat. Too much of this fat can harm your heart13. In the UK, women should have less than 20g and men less than 30g of saturated fat daily to stay healthy13.
For high-heat cooking, choose oils that can handle the temperature. Avocado oil is great for this because it has a high smoke point of 520⁰ Fahrenheit14. But, oils like extra virgin olive oil and coconut oil don’t do well at high temperatures14. Picking the best oil for your cooking style and health goals is important.
Knowing the details about different oils helps you make good choices for your health and the world. Choose oils that are good for you, work with how you cook, and are made the right way. This makes your cooking healthier and more responsible.
Source Links
- 4 Most Healthy Oils To Cook With—and 5 To Avoid – https://www.health.com/best-and-worst-cooking-oils-8405160
- Choosing the Best Cooking Oil – https://health.clevelandclinic.org/how-to-choose-and-use-healthy-cooking-oils
- Which Cooking Oil Should You Use? This Infographic Will Tell You. – https://www.healthline.com/health/health-benefits-cooking-oil-guide
- The Ultimate Guide to Healthy Cooking Oils – https://www.elizabethrider.com/cooking-oils/
- Clover Health | Clover Living – https://www.cloverhealth.com/blog/8-types-of-cooking-oils-and-when-to-use-them
- 4 Healthy Cooking Oils (and 4 to Avoid) – https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/best-cooking-oils
- 4 Healthiest Cooking Oils And 4 to Avoid – https://www.verywellhealth.com/healthy-cooking-oil-8717839
- The Toxic Truth about Cooking Oils – https://www.kosterina.com/blogs/news/the-toxic-truth-about-cooking-oils?srsltid=AfmBOorALaJTqpTUWMa4Me2GVUNzAqqjBxUeps7AlYYRLFAmb49Bz2kY
- Cooking Oil Considerations: Nutrition, Variations, Applications, and Calefaction – https://www.acacamps.org/article/camping-magazine/cooking-oil-considerations-nutrition-variations-applications-calefaction
- Cooking Oil Dangers: Best Cooking Oils and Non-Toxic Practices – https://www.carawayhome.com/blog/best-cooking-oils-and-practices
- The healthiest cooking oils and how to use them – https://www.piedmont.org/living-real-change/the-healthiest-cooking-oils-and-how-to-use-them
- The Best Oils for Cooking, Grilling, Baking, and Beyond – https://www.bonappetit.com/test-kitchen/ingredients/article/types-of-cooking-oil?srsltid=AfmBOooI9AV7PSvxzqYnFRV-syUlPQ10IIgD4ZrXRaMWTNdGKzzSULqy
- What is the healthiest cooking oil? – https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200903-which-cooking-oil-is-the-healthiest
- What You Need to Know About Cooking Oils and Cancer – https://blog.dana-farber.org/insight/2023/09/what-you-need-to-know-about-cooking-oils-and-cancer/