With so many cooking oils available on supermarket shelves, it can be tricky to make sense of the latest health headlines about dietary fat. In fact, many consumers are confused about which types of dietary fat experts encourage or discourage in order to promote heart health. However, the overall message seems to be to encourage healthy fats (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated) in the diet by replacing animal fats with vegetables fats. These fats are good for the heart as they decrease the levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol and fats in the blood, both of which are risk factors for heart disease.
To help you select some of the healthiest oils while still pleasing your taste buds, here is a rundown of 9 cooking oils:
1. Avocado oil
1. Avocado oil
This is rich in monounsaturated fat (70%),
and it has one of the highest levels of monounsaturated fat among
cooking oils, second only to olive oil. Like olive oil, avocado oil is
low in polyunsaturated fats (10%). When compared with other vegetable
oils, avocado oil has a higher saturated fat content (20%), but this is a
lot less than the percentage of saturated fats in lard, butter, or
tropical oils such as palm or coconut oil.
Avocado oil is a fine oil to use, although it tends to more expensive
and harder to find. It has a mild flavor that's similar to avocado, and
it can withstand high cooking temperatures, making it suitable for
grilling, sautéing, roasting, or in a salad dressing.
2. Canola Oil
This oil has a relatively high monounsaturated fat content (62%).
However, despite this, canola oil still contains a considerable amount
of polyunsaturated fat (32%). Furthermore, canola oil has the lowest
level of saturated fat among other cooking oils. It’s also one of the
few oils that contain a good plant-based source of omega-3 fats. A study
carried out in 2013 found that when people use canola oil to replace
saturated fat in their diets, it helped them to reduce their cholesterol
levels and LDL cholesterol levels, which reduces a person’s risk of a
heart attack.
Canola oil is a versatile and practical cooking oil that’s not very
expensive and can be used in a wide variety of ways, from baking and
grilling to stir-frying and making salad dressings.
3. Grapeseed Oil
This versatile cooking oil is extracted from grape seeds left over from
wine-making. It’s considered to be a good all-purpose oil that can be
used for sautéing and roasting, or in salad dressings. Grapeseed oil has
a high percentage of polyunsaturated fat (71%), with a similar fatty
acid profile to soybean oil.
According to a 2016 review of studies published in the Journal of
Nutrition and Metabolic Insights, little is known about the effects of
grapeseed oil on human health.
4. Coconut oil
Made from the fruit of the coconut, this
oil has been promoted as a better alternative to butter. Consumers seem
to have bought into the hype that it’s among the healthier options when
it comes to oils, and vegans, who eat no animal fat, may use it as a
butter substitute (it’s a white solid at room temperature). However,
coconut oil is high in saturated fat, so it’s recommended that it’s used
sparingly. A study conducted in 2016 found that people who consumed
coconut oil had higher LDL cholesterol levels than those who consumed
unsaturated fats. Therefore, coconut oil might not be as healthy as
everyone says it is.
5. Extra-Virgin Olive Oil and Pure Olive Oil
Due to its prominent role in the Mediterranean diet, olive oil is a very
popular cooking oil. Extra-virgin oil is made from the first pressing
of the olives. This results in an oil that has more flavor and a fruity
aroma, and is less processed, meaning it’s considered to be “unrefined.”
It’s also usually more expensive than other types of olive oil and
contains the most antioxidants.
Olive oils have the highest percentage of monounsaturated fats among
cooking oils. They're rich in antioxidants called polyphenols,
beneficial plant compounds that improve heart health.
When it comes to cooking at high temperatures there are better choices,
as extra-virgin olive oil cannot withstand very high heat before it
starts to burn and smoke. Refined, or pure, olive oil may be more suited
for high-temperature cooking.
Since extra-virgin olive oil offers more flavor than other types of
olive oil, it’s a good option for sautéing vegetables, and preparing
salad dressings and marinades.
6. Peanut Oil
Among cooking oils, peanut oil has the highest monounsaturated fat
content (49%). It also has a relatively high percentage of
polyunsaturated fat (33%). It’s percentage of saturated fat is higher
than that of other vegetable oils, but not to the point that it has an
effect on heart health.
A flavorful oil with a pale color and nutty aroma, peanut oil can
withstand high temperatures, and is a good choice for cooking
Asian-inspired meals and stir-fries.
7. Sesame Oil
Often used in Asian and Middle Eastern
cooking, sesame oil is a good mixture of polyunsaturated fat (46%) and
monounsaturated fat (40%). This oil is not often used as a cooking fat
and is used more for its intense flavoring.
Sesame oil lends a nutty flavor to any dish, especially toasted sesame
oil, which is darker and has a bolder flavor.
8. Sunflower Oil
Light in color and neutral in flavor, sunflower oil has one of the
highest concentrations of polyunsaturated fat (69%) among cooking oils.
It has some monounsaturated fat (20%) and is low in saturated fat (11%),
making it an overall heart-healthy option.
Four studies have compared the heart-health effects of a diet rich in
conventional sunflower oil, a polyunsaturated fat, with a diet rich in
canola oil, which has more monounsaturated fat. The research concluded
that sunflower oil and canola oil had similar effects: both reduced the
levels of cholesterol and LDL cholesterol in the participants’ blood.
This oil is a good all-purpose oil because it can withstand high cooking
temperatures.
9. Vegetable Oil
This oil is primarily a polyunsaturated oil (61%). As a bonus, it
contains some omega-3 fats, which are heart-healthy fats often found in
salmon and sardines, but are less common in plant-based sources of food.
Vegetable oil that is made from soybeans is a neutral-tasting oil that
does not have much of a flavor. Nevertheless, it can be used for
sautéing, frying, and making salad dressings.