Next time you’re whipping up a storm or checking an ingredient list, stay away from these bad oils for you.
“Low-grade chronic inflammation is the main cause of many common diseases in Western society. This inflammation is the result, in part, of an imbalance in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids,” said Trista K. Best, registered dietitian at Balance One Supplements. “Both are essential fatty acids, but omega-6 is highly inflammatory when it outnumbers omega-3 and is consumed in large amounts in the standard American diet.”
When you can, look for nutrient-rich olive oil, which research shows it can reduce the risk of disease, and even help you live longer. In fact, olive oil is one of the Healthier foods for your heart. and loaded with antioxidants and vitamins.
For salad dressings, we love extra virgin olive oil. While cooking, EVOO or regular olive oil is a great option, as is a little ghee (clarified butter) or butter. Read below which cooking oils you should eliminate from your diet.
Corn oil
One oil in particular that has created this imbalance in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids is corn oil, Best said.
“This oil is relatively cheap and has a high smoke point. This makes corn oil a popular choice for frying foods,” Best said. “Corn oil is 57% omega-6 fatty acids and 29% omega-3 fatty acids, with the rest made up of saturated and omega-9 fats.”
Jay Cowin, a registered dietitian nutritionist and director of formulations for ASYSTEM, also pointed out that corn oil isn’t as healthy as people think.
“It’s full of polyunsaturated fatty acids like Omega-6, which can cause inflammation and liver damage,” he said.
“When buying cooking oils, it is important to know and understand that we need a balance of Omega 3 and 6 fats in our diet; so consuming disproportionate amounts of either can throw the system out of balance,” he added, echoing Best.
Soy oil
Soybean oil is another cooking oil that you may want to limit.
“Like many vegetable oils, soybean oil is highly refined. This means that it goes through an extensive process involving numerous chemicals to extract it from the corn and turn it into oil,” Cowin said. “This production process makes soybean oil more prone to oxidation, and when we have a lot of oxidized compounds in our bodies, we put ourselves at risk for multiple diseases.”
To name a few: heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and metabolic syndrome.
Sunflower oil
“Sunflower oil is unhealthy because it also contains high levels of Omega-6 fatty acids,” Cowin said. “These fatty acids can cause inflammation in the body, which can lead to health problems like heart disease and cancer,” Cowin continued, pointing to 2017 research in the journal Healthcare.
“Another reason sunflower oil may be unhealthy is that it produces higher levels of the aldehyde [per 2017 research in the Journal of Hazardous Materials], compared to other vegetable-based cooking oils, when exposed to heat. Aldehydes are actually toxic substances that can make someone vulnerable to multiple health risks,” she said, pointing to the 2017 research in Chemical Research in Toxicology.
Coconut oil
You may have a halo of health around you, but coconut oil may not live up to the hype.
“Coconut oil is abundant in medium-chain fatty acids, which are more difficult for the body to convert to stored lipids,” said Michael Garrico, personal fitness trainer and nutritionist, founder of totalshape.com. “According to a study published in the journal Circulation in January 2020, coconut oil can increase LDL cholesterol levels, which is bad news for your heart.”
Partially hydrogenated oil
Garrico said partially hydrogenated oil can be found in processed foods and is the main source of dangerous trans fats in a person’s diet, crediting the American Heart Association (AHA).
“These synthetic trans fats are made through an industrial process that involves adding hydrogen to liquid vegetable oils to solidify them,” he added.
Trans fats raise LDL (or “bad”) cholesterol levels and lower HDL (or “good”) levels and increase the risk of developing heart disease and stroke, according to the AHA.
Palm oil
Garrico also recommends removing palm oil from your list of cooking oils.
“According to one study, palm oil has almost equal amounts of saturated and unsaturated fats,” he said. “There are also ethical issues around the situation,” she said, referring to the ingredient’s link to the destruction of rainforests.
Other pure and mixed vegetable oils
Ava Rockwell, founder of the School of Holistic Medicine, commented that any pure or mixed vegetable oil, such as corn, canola or soy, is terrible for your health.
“They cause terrible inflammation and are implicated by a famous now retired cardiac surgeon who has 1,000 bypasses under his belt. He claims that sugar and refined vegetable oils are the real cause of heart disease,” he said. “They damage the arterial walls, causing injury and causing the body to create layers of deposits to repair the damage.”
On that note, pass me the EVOO, please.
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