Cooking Oils: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

With all of the different oils out there, it can be frustrating to figure out which ones are healthy and which ones should be avoided. How can vegetable oil be bad for you, when vegetables themselves are some of the best foods you can eat? And what is so great about olive oil? In general, the healthiest oils to cook with are the ones with the highest smoke points because this is where potentially unhealthy compounds are formed and nutrients are destroyed. Here are some things you should know.

The Good (These Are The Healthy Ones!)

1) Extra Virgin Olive Oil - Monounsaturated fats such as olive oil help to keep LDL (bad cholesterol) low and increase HDL (good cholesterol). Also, extra virgin olive oil is high omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants which help to prevent disease and slow aging.

2) Canola Oil- Although canola oil doesn't have the antioxidant power of olive oil, its high smoke point still makes it a relatively healthy choice. Also, canola oil is generally low in saturated fats and high in omega-3 fatty acids which have been linked to heart health. Although olive oil is considered healthier, canola oil may be a better choice when the stronger flavor of olive oil makes it less desirable for what you are cooking or baking.

The Bad (Try Not To Use These Very Often!)

1) Most Other Vegetable Oils Including Corn Oil, Soybean Oil, and Sunflower Oil -Although these are mostly polyunsaturated fats which are typically considered heart-healthy, the problem is that the smoke point is low enough that unhealthy and damaging chemicals may form during cooking. This may increase the amount of damaging and disease causing free radicals in your body. Also, they are usually highly processed.


The Ugly (Avoid These As Much As Possible!)

1) Palm Oil - The high ratio of saturated fat that palm oil contains makes it one of the least healthy options. It may raise the risk of heart disease and high cholesterol.


2) Any Oil That Is "Partially Hydrogenated" -Try to avoid any foods that contain partially hydrogenated oils or trans fats. Trans fats are even worse for you than saturated fats. This is because while both saturated fats and trans fats can raise levels of LDL (bad cholesterol), trans fats also lower HDL (good cholesterol). Trans fats have also been linked to obesity.