Why choosing the right kind of cooking oil is important for your health

Except for the outliers who are enrolled in the highly prestigious olive-oil-of-the-month club, few consumers put a tremendous amount of thought into their cooking oil.

Nutrition experts and doctors have done a great job getting the word out that we should steer clear of the “bad fats,” like “trans fats,” even if we’re sometimes a little hazy on what, exactly, an artificial trans fat is. (FYI: It’s when liquid vegetable oils are altered through the addition of hydrogen to turn them into a solid, like stick margarine.)

Many of us also know that it’s advisable to limit our intake of “saturated fats,” another category of bad fats that includes butter, duck fat and other things that stay solid at room temperature (but without the chemical process that sees hydrogen added).

That’s probably about where most people’s knowledge starts to drop off. Even if you steer clear of the bad fats though, nutrition experts warn that there are slight differences between cooking oils that we should be aware of. A lot of people are overlooking health benefits, and, also, potential dangers by using the wrong oil and/or the wrong oil for the job.

“I think it’s really important to identify better cooking oil, because it’s an item that people use a lot of and it’s something people use every day,” explained Amanda Li, registered culinary dietitian and founder of Wellness Simplified, a practice in Toronto. “It’s a staple that I think a lot of people can make better choices with, since it can have a big impact in terms of health.”

Although we tend to think of oil as something to avoid, some are associated with health benefits. Three to four tablespoons of olive oil, for example is associated with reduced inflammation.

“I always say choose an oil based on three things: the smoke point, the degree of processing and the health benefits,” Daniella Wolf, a registered dietitian and founder of Making Food Fit for You, said.

“The ‘smoke point’ is the temperature at which the oil is no longer stable and starts to break down and oxidize.”

That change allows “free radicals” (unstable atoms) to form. That’s not good, because free radicals can cause cell damage. Wolf warns against cooking with oils such as flaxseed, fish oil and most “unrefined” oils, which often have minerals and compounds that tend to react poorly to high temperatures.

“I really love avocado oil, which has a very high smoke point — over 500 Fahrenheit — so this is ideal for high heat,” said Wolf. “It’s got a very neutral taste and it’s similar to olive oil in terms of health benefits. It’s also an anti-inflammatory and it also decreases LDL cholesterol.” (LDL cholesterol, a.k.a. low-density lipoprotein, is the “bad cholesterol.”)

If you could only have one oil, avocado would be a good choice, since it’s a versatile liquid that can be used in everything from salad dressings to the deep fryer. Most of us, though, have a couple of options in the pantry. In addition to avocado, Wolf likes to cook with sesame oil, because of its high smoke point (450°F), nutty flavour and health benefits. In addition to those two, she always has a bottle of olive oil in the house.

“Refined olive oil has a good smoke point — around 350 degrees Fahrenheit,” said Wolf. “It’s good for baking, it’s good for cooking and most of us aren’t usually cooking at much higher temperatures than that anyways.”

Heat, however, isn’t the only thing that can destabilize oil.

“Oil is oxidized by light, by heat and by oxygen,” said Li. “So, if something is in a big clear plastic container, that’s a potential problem.” She adds that most of the oil she buys at home comes in opaque glass bottles, which protects the oil better than clear plastic.

Li continues: “I never buy a huge amount of cooking oil, because, unless you use it quickly, you risk it oxidizing, a process that starts the moment you open the bottle.”

Have you got a fancy bottle of oil you’ve been rationing? If it’s over a year old, it’s likely gone off. Especially if it hasn’t been stored properly — away from heat and light.

So use up your oil while it’s still good. Especially since we know that, in moderation, it can actually be good for you.

“It’s a really important component of healthy eating,” said Wolf. “I know a lot of people think less oil is better and they use sprays or minimal oil, but I encourage my clients to include oil in their daily cooking because it can actually be beneficial for your health.”

“And it increases the flavour and enhances the taste of food, so you can enjoy a meal and feel more satisfied after you eat it,” she added. “When it comes to good fat, there’s no reason to avoid it completely.”

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