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7 healthiest cooking oils for you to cook with

Cropped shot of a young woman preparing a healthy meal at home
Cropped shot of a young woman preparing a healthy meal at home

Those who enjoy the flavour of good-quality food, from salads and stir-fries to oven-baked fish and French fries, will often find themselves searching for the healthiest cooking oils. With the wide variety of commercial preparations available today, it is not always easy to know which of the many brands and types on the market will deliver the most flavour and be safe for consumption.

To help you choose the best healthy oil, let's look at the different types, their effects on our health and nutritional value and the best ways to use them.

  • Avocado Oil - Avocado oil's health benefits include its ability to act as a natural antibiotic, an antifungal and anti-inflammatory agent, protects the liver and heart, reduces risks of cancers, and lowers LDL cholesterol (harmful) levels.

    • Its fat content is low-fat and mono-unsaturated, which means it is the right choice for reducing their total cholesterol levels. And since it is mono-unsaturated fat, it lowers LDL cholesterol (bad) while increasing HDL cholesterol (right).

    • Avocado oil also protects the liver and heart from damage caused by high cholesterol levels. So it is not only good for your heart; it is also suitable for your liver and your entire body.

  • Extra-virgin Olive Oil - Extra-virgin olive oil that is truly healthful for cooking contains extra vitamins and antioxidants.

    • Extra-virgin olive oil, produced from the olive tree's fruit, is the healthiest cooking oil because it is extracted directly from the olive's skin.

    • It contains high levels of good fat, antioxidants, vitamins A and E, manganese, zinc, potassium, calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, niacin, and folic acid. What makes it so beneficial is that there are no calories involved—as such, using it is like eating right along with its excellent nutritional value.

  • Flaxseed Oil - Flaxseed is a liquid seed oil extracted from the flax plant's seeds.

Healthiest cooking oil contains fatty acids similar to the saturated fats found in red meat.

Bottles with different kinds of vegetable oil
Bottles with different kinds of vegetable oil

While saturated fats are commonly known to raise harmful cholesterol levels, flaxseed is beneficial because it prevents plaque formation, which clogs arteries and contributes to high blood pressure and other heart problems. It has been proven to be both healthy and environmentally sound.

  • Canola Oil - The benefits of canola oil go further than that, though. The canola plant produces seed oil and fatty acids and compounds called poly-unsaturated.

    • This helps protect the body from free radicals and other toxins that attack cells and cause diseases.

    • The highest poly-unsaturated levels are found in canola and olive oils, both grown in the healthiest cooking oils themselves and virgin olive oil which has extra virgin olive oil's antioxidants and manganese and potassium in its makeup.

  • Peanut Oil - Peanut oil can be used to help people lose weight, build muscle, heal faster, and more.

    • It is also a perfect cooking agent for the body. If you cook with it, your body will process more fats and proteins faster.

    • Your metabolism increases and your energy levels will be much higher after some days of peanut oil consumption.

    • It can be an excellent substitute for a delicious and healthy snack or even become the main ingredient of your next meal.

  • Sesame Oil - Sesame oil has the highest concentration of all fats' natural minerals and vitamins.

    • This oil contains high levels of poly-unsaturated fatty acids, which are highly beneficial to your heart.

    • It's the same kind of fatty acids found in olive oil.

    • Fats contained aren't oxidised or saturated fats, built up in your arteries. Sesame oil is a safe, all-natural product that's highly nutritious.

  • Coconut Oil – Yet another healthful fat is coconut oil.

    • Although much like olive oil, it does not possess the antioxidant properties found in olive oil, nor does it cause a particular health problem like smoking does.

    • Coconut oil is high in saturated fat, but the good news is that saturated fat does not raise bad cholesterol or contribute to cardiovascular disease.

Final verdict

There is a large amount of saturated fat in foods today, which should be used in moderation. Overeating saturated fat raises bad cholesterol and may increase heart disease risk. So, stay healthy! Eat healthy!

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