Cooking oils and health ... I'm still confused

[Jingthing]

I've never been super clear on which are the best cooking oils / fats to use.

When eating out, we're pretty much at the mercy of the restaurants but we can control what we use at home.

For westernish food, I'm sold on olive oil for western salads and frying on low heat. So I don't really question that. I could also sometimes use butter but don't see the point, as olive oil seems better.

For my more Asian food, such as stir frying, I've been using safflower oil or canola oil and sometimes corn oil for making ginger sauces because it tastes better.

If I did deep fry, I suppose I might use coconut oil, but I don't deep fry anything.

I do use a little coconut oil with my breakfast yogurt creations largely because it tastes fantastic.

I've read bad things about safflower, canola, and corn oils but I just haven't understood what else I can use.

I know palm oil is very controversial but I would never buy that for home use as I'm sure I'm getting MORE than enough at local restaurants. Figure that is mostly what is used here, right?

Anyway, I recently "discovered" rice bran oil for my Asian cooking and read some wonderful things about it but also a few horrible things.

But I do like the flavor ... it's neutral.

Anyway, I'm probably switching to rice bran oil for all my Asian cooking and won't buy safflower, canola, or corn oil again. But I'm not sure about it. It seems like you have to be a professional nutritionist to sift through all the issues about the different oils, and that ain't me.

So, opening a can of worms here, what about cooking oils and health?

Edited November 7, 2015 by Jingthing

[phycokiller]

dont eat palm oil because it bad for your lungs, but seriously what they did in indonesia this year was an ecological disaster and the smoke does actually kill people

[Supaluke]

Rice Bran oil, healthiest, economic alternative.

Only possible downside is the Omega 6 - Omega3 ratio

No oil has it all.

[Jingthing]

Yes, but I don't understand why that's a problem.

Anyway, in real life, eating in restaurants I wouldn't only be getting rice bran oil, and definitely will still use OLIVE OIL for some things.

It's weird I didn't think of rice bran oil before.

I just noticed it is more prominent on grocery shelves here.

Is that a major trend?

[Jingthing]

dont eat palm oil because it bad for your lungs, but seriously what they did in indonesia this year was an ecological disaster and the smoke does actually kill people

It's hard to not eat palm oil living in Thailand.

[ezzra]

Don't fret, you're in good company, despite the thousands of opinions and testing, if you ask 3 people

what is the best and safes of oils for cooking and general consumptions and you will get 4 opinions,

for example, while some expert recommend the use of cold press coconut oil, others are horrified by it,

the same with palm oil, some saying it is neutrally derived oil and thus safe, while others are ringing

the alarm bell saying that palm oil in not safe,,, so really, stick with pure olive oil for cooking and extra

virgin olive oil for salads and light cooking...

[pinkpanther99]

Well coconut oil seems to be all the rage at the moment.

I have started using it and am quite enjoying it so far.

Some can be very expensive though.

All I would add is that just to use any oil in moderation when cooking.

[Tolley]

I pan fry steaks in olive oil or coconut oil. I don't think you will have any problems with these oils.

You should use only cold pressed organic for best health options.

Everything fried in restaurants and on the street in Thailand is fried in very bad oil. Avoid like the plague.

I stopped eating thai food a long time ago as it is just too unhealthy the way it is cooked here with the oil and sugar.

[TeaMonkey]

Article in the news today:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/health/news/11981884/Cooking-with-vegetable-oils-releases-toxic-cancer-causing-chemicals-say-experts.html

[squatncrunch]

The way most oils are processed has them turned rancid before its in the bottle for packaging . Rancid oils especially seed and vegetable oils due to high content of polyunsaturated fatty acids and omega-6 content. Omega-6 out of balance to your omega-3 balance is a recipe for major inflammatory diseases such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, rheumatiod arthritis, asthma, cancer to name a few.

Saturated fat is more heat stable and doesnt oxidate as quickly. Nut and olive oils are best used unheated as it retains their antioxidants and vitamins. Lard, tallow and duck fat or ghee are the safest at high temps. You can render your own but then comes in the issue of quality of meat used.

I recommend spending some time on any Paleo website for clarity on this issue. Not saying you need to follow the diet/lifestyle just good info on those sites.

[h90]

olive oil for most things and for the rest lard....healthy and taste good. I rather use less than making a compromise on the taste.

[Jessi]

I always use Rice bran oil for cooking, like you said a neutral taste. Olive oil for salad.

My wife was head chef in a 5* hotel in Thailand and all they used was Palm oil and charge like a wounded bull for their food "Disgusting"

[BookMan]

Cooking with vegetable oil releases toxic chemicals linked to cancer
Cooking with vegetable oils releases toxic chemicals linked to cancer and other diseases, according to leading scientists, who are now recommending food be fried in olive oil, coconut oil, butter or even lard.

The results of a series of experiments threaten to turn on its head official advice that oils rich in polyunsaturated fats - such as corn oil and sunflower oil - are better for the health than the saturated fats in animal products.

Scientists found that heating up vegetable oils led to the release of high concentrations of chemicals called aldehydes, which have been linked to illnesses including cancer, heart disease and dementia.

Martin Grootveld, a professor of bioanalytical chemistry and chemical pathology, said that his research showed "a typical meal of fish and chips", fried in vegetable oil, contained as much as 100 to 200 times more toxic aldehydes than the safe daily limit set by the World Health Organisation.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/national/health/cooking-with-vegetable-oil-releases-toxic-chemicals-linked-to-cancer-20151108-gktips.html#ixzz3qsR1AUHS

Edited November 8, 2015 by BookMan

[nidieunimaitre]

I think that when it comes to oil or food in general, there is only one advise that makes sense:

VARIETY

[h90]

I always use Rice bran oil for cooking, like you said a neutral taste. Olive oil for salad.

My wife was head chef in a 5* hotel in Thailand and all they used was Palm oil and charge like a wounded bull for their food "Disgusting"

I tend to get some mild diarrhea from Palm Oil (or from old oil, or from old palm oil, never figured out the details) and even the most expensive places uses it to save a few Baht

[BookMan]

I have gone to Rice Bran oil for all my oily needs. I use it for stir fry dishes and also use it for my salad dressings,

It also goes well after a shave. I rub it onto the skin and leave it for 15 minutes. Smooth and soft.

[MrBrad]

[JHolmesJr]

I like olive oil for its nutty flavour….but there are some real scams going on….many oil labels are suspected to lie about the content and origin of their olive oil on their labels…e.g. bertolli.

Also use virgin unrefined coconut oil and mustard oil sometimes for fish dishes. Sesame oil is great too, for dressings

[AyG]

Get more confused: http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/vegetable-oils-contain-toxic-chemical-linked-to-cancer-and-brain-degeneration-say-scientists-a6725881.html

[jerome2]

Clarified butter or ghee is suposed to be the best with olive oil

[Jingthing]

Get more confused: http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/vegetable-oils-contain-toxic-chemical-linked-to-cancer-and-brain-degeneration-say-scientists-a6725881.html

I expected this. Which is why I gave up before. It's just an endless loop of conflicting scary information. But we do need to use some fats in our diet. So you have to choose one or some of them ... and regardless of which you choose, there will be endless links saying how it's gonna kill you!

Edited November 8, 2015 by Jingthing

[Jeffrey346]

Stick with olive oil.. it's heart healthy and that is the only important part of oil selection.

Researchers in Malaysia found that LDL cholesterol increased 8% on a diet rich in coconut oil vs. a diet rich in olive oil. Now, Malaysia is a major exporter of coconut oil so when the researchers wrote up the results for publication, they didn't mention cholesterol in the title or abstract, choosing instead to focus on parameters where the coconut oil diet had no ill effects. -

I never had a cholesterol problem. It only took 8 years of Thai stir fry to clog my veins that caused my recent heart attack. I now carry a small bottle of Olive Oil to my favorite restaurants. They have no issue using it for me.

[lvr181]

The way most oils are processed has them turned rancid before its in the bottle for packaging . Rancid oils especially seed and vegetable oils due to high content of polyunsaturated fatty acids and omega-6 content. Omega-6 out of balance to your omega-3 balance is a recipe for major inflammatory diseases such as cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, rheumatiod arthritis, asthma, cancer to name a few.

Saturated fat is more heat stable and doesnt oxidate as quickly. Nut and olive oils are best used unheated as it retains their antioxidants and vitamins. Lard, tallow and duck fat or ghee are the safest at high temps. You can render your own but then comes in the issue of quality of meat used.

I recommend spending some time on any Paleo website for clarity on this issue. Not saying you need to follow the diet/lifestyle just good info on those sites.

Paleo?

[squatncrunch]

Yes, Paleo or Primal eating, it's a lifestyle consisting of eating whole foods as in zero processed junk, healthy fat, good amount of protein and healthy carbs, not from grains of any sort, veggies and sweet potatos/white potatos. There is so much more to it, I love it. I only mentioned it to give my understanding of healthy oils, probably not for everyone but it falls in-line with the latest research concerning good vs. bad oil.

[h90]

I like olive oil for its nutty flavour….but there are some real scams going on….many oil labels are suspected to lie about the content and origin of their olive oil on their labels…e.g. bertolli.

Also use virgin unrefined coconut oil and mustard oil sometimes for fish dishes. Sesame oil is great too, for dressings

what is wrong with bertolli? Actually this is the brand I always buy.....thought it is italian so it is good....

[NickJ]

Any oil that has been hydrolyzed is bad. even olive oil thats not virgin is hydrolyzed.

[h90]

Any oil that has been hydrolyzed is bad. even olive oil thats not virgin is hydrolyzed.

No!

Extra virgin means that it is cold pressed (cold can be pretty hot....). Else it is hot pressed, but that is something different than hardening it by blowing in H2

[rapom]

Cooking with vegetable oil releases toxic chemicals linked to cancer

Cooking with vegetable oils releases toxic chemicals linked to cancer and other diseases, according to leading scientists, who are now recommending food be fried in olive oil, coconut oil, butter or even lard.

The results of a series of experiments threaten to turn on its head official advice that oils rich in polyunsaturated fats - such as corn oil and sunflower oil - are better for the health than the saturated fats in animal products.

Scientists found that heating up vegetable oils led to the release of high concentrations of chemicals called aldehydes, which have been linked to illnesses including cancer, heart disease and dementia.

Martin Grootveld, a professor of bioanalytical chemistry and chemical pathology, said that his research showed "a typical meal of fish and chips", fried in vegetable oil, contained as much as 100 to 200 times more toxic aldehydes than the safe daily limit set by the World Health Organisation.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/national/health/cooking-with-vegetable-oil-releases-toxic-chemicals-linked-to-cancer-20151108-gktips.html#ixzz3qsR1AUHS

Several years ago researchers claimed that cooking meat on charcoal create cancerous chemicals. Do not think there has been a reduction in backyard BBQ.

[AyG]

what is wrong with bertolli? Actually this is the brand I always buy.....thought it is italian so it is good....

Actually, quite a lot is wrong.

http://www.oliveoiltimes.com/olive-oil-business/north-america/class-action-filippo-berio-bertolli-importer-moves-forward/46804

http://lifehacker.com/the-most-and-least-fake-extra-virgin-olive-oil-brands-1460894373

http://www.snopes.com/food/ingredient/oliveoil.asp

[bazza40]

It's all getting confusing, depending on the application.

Analysing the various risks, IMHO I would use olive oil for salads, and coconut oil for deep frying.