Cooking oils have evolved over the last century, some for better and some for worse. Each oil has different attributes, burning points, and production processes. If you’re trying to cook at home more or have a passion for creating nutritious meals, it’s important to know which oils are the best options to have in your cupboard.
This is not medical advice, just information I have personally applied, benefitted from, and want to share with you. I encourage you to also research the wealth of information on the Weston A. Price foundation website. Though it may challenge the mainstream narrative, it also may benefit your health. Read the full disclaimer here. Also, there is a list of all the studies mentioned in this post at the bottom of this page if you want to do further research yourself.
Not so great cooking oils
Firstly, vegetable oil is in pretty much everyone’s cupboard, often used for frying and cooking at high temperatures. Since its label says ‘vegetable oil’ you would think it has something to do with vegetables. However, it’s usually made out of soybeans, rapeseed, canola or a mixture of the three. The reason these companies get away with labeling it ‘vegetable’ oil is because the oils are from something that grew on a plant.
Inflammatory seed oils
Soybean oil is actually the most consumed oil in America, even though many don’t even know they are consuming it. Vegetable oils are not titled soybean oil because there may be 15% or less of another oil mixed in, such as canola oil or rapeseed oil.
Soybeans go through a rigorous process to become soybean oil. Hexane, a constituent of gasoline, is used for extraction. Sometimes they are hydrogenated for further refining. Canola oil is another popular oil for frying & preserving foods. During the production process, the oil is washed for 20 minutes with sodium hydroxide and bleached for color. Similar to soybean oil, this is a rigorous and questionable production process. Rapeseed also oil has a similar method of production.
Other oils that have similar production processes and effects include corn oil, peanut oil, and sunflower oil. Interestingly enough, these oils are the most used oils in America. They are hiding in almost all processed foods on the ingredient lists (yes, really. Look at the ingredient lists) and are in the majority of fast-food establishments for cooking and frying.
Soybeans, canola and rapeseed are all grown using a mono-crop agriculture method. This means that the plot of land that the soybeans grow on is always growing soybeans, year after year, on the same soil. The problem with mono-crop agriculture is that it depletes the soil of nutrients. Also, there is no such thing as a small mono-crop garden. All mono-crop plants are mass-produced, allowing for a cheap product delivered in bulk amounts.
Mono-crop agriculture is bad for the environment. It affects soil, water and air quality, reduces pollinators and native plants, and ultimately has the only goal of mass producing food. Aside from a rigorous production process, the growth of these plants is also not great for us. Check out this article to read more about the pros & cons of mono-cropping.
All of these oils have these things in common: very high in polyunsaturated fats (Omega 6’s), become rancid once ingested by the body (yes, not just in high heats), often are mono-crops, and are made out of low quality & mass-produced ingredients.
Health implications of inflammatory seed oils
Nutrient void soil & a rigorous production process are not the only negative things about these oils. Seed oils gained popularity in the 1970’s. With the entry of the anti-fat movement, heart-healthy processed foods such as honey nut cheerios and vegetable oil were the top recommendations for a healthy lifestyle. The mainstream advice is (to this day) is to replace saturated fats with polyunsaturated fats. At the dawn of this information, the average American had a Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratio of1:2. Now, only 50 years later, the Omega-6 to Omega-3 ratio is 25:1.
Soybean oil specifically is extremely high in Omega-6 fatty acids. These are polyunsaturated fatty acids or PUFAs, the major one being linoleic acid. The problem with this is that Omega-6’s need to be balanced with Omega-3’s for the body to process them properly. If there is an excess of Omega-6’s, the body will metabolize them into free radicals.
Linoleic acid, or Omega 6 fatty acid, has drastically increased under our noses for the last several decades. Studies show that linoleic acid promotes oxidative stress, oxidizes LDL, causes inflammation, and may even be a culprit for causing coronary heart disease and atherosclerosis. Here’s an eye opening note from this same study:
The intake of omega-6 vegetable oils, particularly soybean oil, began to increase in the USA starting in the early 1900s at a time when the consumption of butter and lard was on the decline. This caused a more than two-fold increase in the intake of linoleic acid, the main omega-6 polyunsaturated fat found in vegetable oils, which now makes up around 8% to 10% of total energy intake in the Western world.
Something that is 8-10% of someone’s total energy intake is pretty significant. It’s also important to consider that this is a rather new invention. From an evolutionary perspective, humans were never consuming industrial seed oils because it would have been close to impossible to make them by hand. Now the average person has up to 10% of their diet composed of them, all in the name of low fat or low cholesterol. If you’re wondering about cholesterol, check out this comprehensive article breaking down the history & science of the most well known cholesterol advice.
When you change to a diet focused on low cholesterol, you increase your omega 6’s significantly while simultaneously decreasing your omega 3’s. While this may technically lower cholesterol on paper, it still causes inflammation to the body and can cause an array of issues including cardiovascular ones. If you want to learn more
Also, many companies that claim a low fat or heart healthy product have many sugars or sugar alcohols that are disguised as pretty names. While this article is not on sugar, it is evident that a high sugar diet is also not the greatest for optimal health. Low nutrient, high sugar, high seed oil diets contribute to imbalance and inflammation in the body. Rather than continuing to sadden you with the crazy processes of industrial seed oils & the like, here’s a simple list of the ones that aren’t great for us.
List of oils to avoid
– CANOLA OIL
– CORN OIL
– VEGETABLE OIL
– ANY SEED OILS- rAPESEED, sOYBEAN ETC.
A side note: peanut oil and sunflower oil also fall into the category of seed oils. I do not recommend having these on a daily basis or as a regular cooking staple if at all. They are still highly inflammatory especially when used at high temperatures. However, sunflower oil is often a staple in skincare and peanut oil in sweets & nut butters. Peanuts & sunflower seeds do have health benefits as nuts and seeds, but still go through a rigorous process to produce oil, including bleaching in many cases. However, they are a little better than canola, soybean, or rapeseed oil so long as they are organic. If you have to have these things, I suggest opting for organic options and moderating your usage.
Healthier options
How can we choose a healthier option? We must find oils that are less processed and less inflammatory, ideally with a lower PUFA content. We have two options nature provides us with: oils extracted from fruits and oils made from animal products.
A simple rule is if you couldn’t figure out how to make it an oil yourself, it likely shouldn’t be an oil in the first place. For example, avocado oil & olive oil have a very simple production process. After removing the skin and pit, the fruits are crushed and the oil is extracted. It’s not hard to crush a ripe olive or avocado. The process of making coconut oil is also simple and very traditional: boiling the coconut milk to evaporate the water so the oil separates. Further, animal fats are often naturally created via heating or mixing. There’s no bleach, hexane or hydrogenation used in any of this.
Another thing to take into consideration is an oil’s burning point. Many of these oils I am about to mention have a load of benefits, but will lose the benefits if used at too high of a temperature. Also, it is good to note that if oils go past their smoke point, they may become rancid. It is good to stick to using certain oils for certain types of cooking.
List of healthy oils & how to use them
– Avocado Oil
Avocado is a high-heat oil. Its burning point can be anywhere from 375-520 degrees Fahrenheit. It’s great for pan-frying or sautéing, roasting, baking, air-frying. If you are planning on cooking anything at high heat, avocado oil is a great choice. When you’re shopping for this, try to find 100% avocado oil. It’s rise in popularity has caused big companies to cut the product with cheaper oils. Always remember to read your labels!
– Coconut Oil
The burning point of coconut oil is around 350. It’s good for searing and sautéing. It’s also good for roasting at lower temperatures, and provides a sweet taste and aroma.
– Ghee
Ghee is similar to butter. It’s clarified butter that’s cooked longer, removing moisture and milk solids. It comes out as more of a liquid. Ghee is a high-heat oil, with a burning point of up to 480 degrees. Though it’s related to butter, it is much more versatile and can be used for more cooking methods due to its high heat. Another pro to ghee is that it can stay at room temperature.
– Grass-fed Butter
Grass-fed butter is another great option for cooking. Its burning point is 350, so it is a bit lower than its clarified counterpart, ghee. Grass-fed is the best option because it is made from high-quality milk and has more nutritional benefits.
– Animal Fats- beef tallow, duck fat, pork fat, lard
Animal fats, such as the ones listed above, all have a burning point around 375-400 degrees Fahrenheit. These are great options and are also very savvy. You can save and strain the oils from making bacon or steak and freeze them to use later as cooking oil. They are also delicious!
No, these are not bad for you (unless you prefer not to have animal products). Like any oil, they are high in fats so they are denser and very filling. Oils inherently are high in fat- but animal fats (as well as the others on this list) have a healthy ratio.
– Olive Oil
Olive oil has several benefits, but it does have a lower smoke point. It has a burning point of around 350. Like butter and coconut oil, it’s good for searing and sautéing. It’s good for roasting at lower temperatures as well. Olive oil is great to use uncooked in sauces, salad dressings, and dips. It’s a great source of healthy fats and has a lot of benefits, along with a delicious taste. I like to use it in dressings or drizzle it onto finished meals.
LIST OF STUDIES & ARTICLES REFERRED TO IN THIS BLOG:
HIGH OMEGA 6 DIET: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22570770/
HIGH OMEGA 6’S, SEED OILS & INFLAMMATION: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6196963/
DIETARY CHOLESTEROL & BLOOD CHOLESTEROL: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9143438/
COMPREHENSIVE CHOLESTEROL ARTICLE WITH SEVERAL STUDIES: https://www.kevinstock.io/health/cholesterol-and-the-carnivore-diet/
MONOCROP AGRICULTURE: PROS & CONS: https://www.environmentbuddy.com/environment/pros-and-cons-of-monoculture-farming-monocropping/#consistent
There you have it! The good, bad & ugly of cooking oils. I hope this article helped, thanks again for checking it out. Much love, and see ya next blog.
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