Oil

See also :

• Omega-3 fatty acids
• Omega-6 fatty acids
• Oil pulling
  

Special Precautions of Oil

The misdirected war on saturated fats has convinced millions of people that unsaturated vegetable oils are a healthy alternative. A heart-healthy diet does NOT exclude saturated fat; rather, an appropriate balance of saturated, polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats is best. Only a mixed-fat diet promotes a healthful ratio of LDL to HDL—the “good” cholesterol—and lowers the risk of heart disease. Not only do many vegetables oils turn rancid quickly, which means they are toxic, but many of them also contain high levels of omega-6 fatty acids which, apart from omega-3 fatty acids, can cause severe health problems like heart disease and cancer. Whenever an oil is heated, it undergoes a partial or complete chemical breakdown, which leads to it becoming somewhat rancid. This heat-induced process transforms formerly healthy oils into dangerous oils, which are most often carcinogens. This happens regardless of their original nutrient content. Polyunsaturated fats are the absolute worst oils to use when cooking because these omega-6-rich oils are highly susceptible to heat damage.This category includes common vegetable oils such as:

• Corn
• Soy
• Safflower
• Sunflower
• Canola

Olive Oil is NOT good for cooking. It should really only be used cold, typically drizzled on salads and other food.Due to its chemical structure and a large amount of unsaturated fats, cooking makes extra-virgin olive oil very susceptible to oxidative damage. However, during this interview I learned that extra-virgin olive oil has a significant draw-back even when used cold – it’s still extremely perishable!

HEALTHY COOKING OILS

Type	Taste	Smoke Point	Fat Type	Healthy	Cooking	Stays Fresh
Avocado - refined	Mild	520° F	Monounsaturated (70%)	+++	++	++
Canola - refined	Mild	400° F	Monounsaturated (59%) and Polyunsaturated (30%) plus 9% omega-3 and 20% omega-6 fatty acids (healthy, but not for cooking)	+++	-
Coconut	Mildy Nutty	375° F	Saturated (86%)	---	+	+++
Corn - unrefined	Buttery	320° F	Polyunsaturated (55%) and Monounsaturated (28%) with 54% omega-6 (not healthy for cooking)	+	---	---
Corn - refined	Mildly Buttery	400° F	Polyunsaturated (55%) and Monounsaturated (28%) with 54% omega-6 (not healthy for cooking)		--	---
Flaxseed	Nutty	225° F	Polyunsaturated (66%) and Monounsaturated (20%) with 53% omega-3 (very healthy, but not for cooking)	+++	---	---
Grapeseed	Nutty	400° F	Polyunsaturated (70%) with 70% omega-6; good source of vitamins (E and others) and antioxidants	+	+
Olive - unrefined	Fruity	350° F	Monounsaturated (74%) with 72% omega-9; extremely healthy	+++	+	+++
Palm - unrefined	Strong	350° F	Saturated (49%) and Monounsaturated (37%)	---	+	+++
Palm Kernel	Strong	375° F	Saturated (82%)	---
Peanut - unrefined	Nutty	320° F	Monounsaturated (46%) and Polyunsaturated (32%) with 32% omega-6	++
Peanut - refined	Mildy Nutty	450° F	Monounsaturated (46%) and Polyunsaturated (32%) with 32% omega-6	+	+
Rice Bran	Neutral	490° F	Monounsaturated (39%) and Polyunsaturated (35%); good source of vitamins (E and others) and antioxidants	++	++
Safflower - unrefined	Nutty-corn	320° F	Polyunsaturated (75%) with 75% omega-6 (not healthy for cooking)	-	---	---
Safflower - refined	Mildly Nutty	450° F	Polyunsaturated (75%) with 75% omega-6 (not healthy for cooking)	-	--	---
Sesame - unrefined	Nutty	320° F	Polyunsaturated (42%) and Monounsaturated (40%) with 41% omega-6; sesamol antioxidant permits heat up to 320°F	+		++
Sesame - refined	Mildy Nutty	400° F	Polyunsaturated (42%) and Monounsaturated (40%)	+	+	++
Sunflower - refined	Bland	450° F	Monounsaturated (45%) and Polyunsaturated (40%) with 40% omega-6 (not healthy for cooking)	-		---
Sunflower - high-oleic, unrefined	Nutty	320° F	Monounsaturated (84%)
Sunflower - high-oleic, refined	Mildly Nutty	450° F	Monounsaturated (84%)	-	+
Vegetable (soybean) - refined	Mild	450° F	Polyunsaturated (45%) with 40% omega-6 (not healthy for cooking)	-	-
Walnut - unrefined	Nutty	305° F	Polyunsaturated (63%) with 53% omega-6 and 10% omega-3 fatty acids (not healthy for cooking)	-	---	--
Walnut - refined	Mildy Nutty	400° F	Polyunsaturated (63%) with 53% omega-6 and 10% omega-3 fatty acids (not healthy for cooking)	--	--	--

Key: +++ = Highest rating in the associated category. --- = Lowest rating in the associated category. Healthy (category) = How healthy is the associated oil at room temperature? Cooking (category) = How healthy is the associated oil at higher temperatures? Stays Fresh (category) = How long before the associated oil turns rancid? Facts The best cooking oil has a high smoke point, does not break down when heated, contains healthy ingredients, lacks unhealthy ingredients and has an appropriate flavor. All oils are fats (NOT all fats are oils). All fat has 9-calories per gram. This is true of all oils, too. There are three basic categories of fat (based on their fatty acid content) -- Monounsaturated, Polyunsaturated and Saturated. Health Factors In general, healthy oils tend to break down into unhealthy chemicals when heated. Unless heated, the healthiest fat is Monounsaturated fat. It raises the good <acronym title="High-Density Lipoprotein">HDL</acronym> cholesterol ratio. When heated, Monounsaturated fat tends to break down and become unhealthy. The unhealthiest fat is Saturated fat. It is associated with the bad, artery-clogging <acronym title="Low-Density Lipoprotein">LDL</acronym> cholesterol, but it is also the most stable when heated. Trans fatty acids are twice as unhealthy as saturated fats. Trans fatty acids are in hydrogenated and partially-hydrogenated oils. Avoid them. Linolenic (Omega-3) and Linoleic (Omega-6) are essential fatty acids. They are healthy (especially Omega-3), but they break down and become unhealthy when heated. Western countries typically consume too much Omega-6 and not enough Omega-3. They must be balanced. Shelf Life Oils have a relatively short shelf life and become rancid rather quickly. Rancid fats have been associated with atherosclerosis, heart disease and cancer. Shelf life for cooking oils is about 3-months to 1-year. Exposure to oxygen, heat and light diminish an oil's shelf life. Refined oils stay fresh longer and can be heated to higher temperatures, but they contain more impurities than unrefined oils. Saturated fat has the longest shelf life, but it is the most unhealthy fat. Polyunsaturated fat readily combines with oxygen in the air to become rancid. Dark cooking oils have shorter shelf lives than light-colored or clear oils. Anti-oxidants extend an oil's shelf life.