Healthiest Oil?

[Mr_Dove]

There doesn't seem to be any clear concensus on which liquid cooking oil is the healthiest. There is a long list of oils commonly used for cooking but for some reason nobody seems to know which one is best.

Corn Oil
Cottonseed Oil
Canola Oil
Olive Oil
Palm Oil
Peanut Oil
Poppyseed Oil
Safflower Oil
Sesame Oil
SunFlower Oil
Sunola Oil (sunflower variation)
Coconut Oil

I'm pretty ignorant about most of these types of oil. I just don't have the time to research each one individually. Olive Oil claims to be healthy and there seems to be recent claims from Coconut oil makers that their product is healthy as well.

Can anyone clear this up or refer me to a reputable source of information.

[GB]

I have always gone with olive oil as far as which is healthiest.

[licia]

Canola and sunflower oils are quite healthy also. I suppose as in most things it depends on how much of anything you use.

[Andy M.]

Olive, safflower and canola are in the top teir of healty oils (there may be others). I use olive when I want the flavor of the oil in a dish and canola when I do not want the flavor of the oil in the dish or when I'm using higher heat.

[BreezyCooking]

Olive oil & Canola oil seem to be the top contenders healthwise these days.

They're the only ones I buy, except for a few specialty oils like peanut for stir-frying, & artisinal types like walnut, truffle, etc., for salads & garnishing.

I've only heard bad things about both palm & coconut oil, not to mention they're not commonly purchaseable for everyday use.

[jennyema]

Check out THIS CHART

[Lady C]

It depends on what you are making and the flavor you want. If baking, I use canola oil, if veggies or meat I use olive oil.

[Aurora]

Originally Posted by jennyema

Check out THIS CHART

Great reference!

The choice of healthy oils is generally made by selecting the oil with the least amount of saturated fats which rules out palm, coconut and palm kernal oil, vegetable shortenings and all animal oils as being healthy. Next you would want to select the oil with the least amount of hydrogenated fats which drops margarines from the healthy list. Of the remaining vegetable oils you will probably want to limit your intake of cottonseed oil since it has nearly twice the saturated fat of most other vegetable oils.

[Bam!!]

Originally Posted by jennyema

Check out THIS CHA

RT

Gadzoucks, cocnut oil seems really healthy according to chart. Am I reading it correctly ?

Regards,

Steve

[CharlieD]

What do you mean? It is prooven fact that the olive oil is the healthiest.

[CharlieD]

Speaking of oils, how come sunflower oil has disapear from the stores?

[Andy M.]

Originally Posted by Bam!!

Gadzoucks, coconut oil seems really healthy according to chart. Am I reading it correctly ?

Regards,

Steve

No, It's just the opposite. Coconut oil has lower percentages of the desirable elements of an oil and a higher percentage of undesirables.

[Bam!!]

Originally Posted by CharlieD

What do you mean? It is prooven fact that the olive oil is the healthiest.

If you were talking to me, I was referring to the chart that posted.

By the way, olive oil does not fare well at high heats and therefore breaks down at a pretty low temperature. When you see smoke, it is because the oil has broken down and that is not healthy. That is why I use grapeseed oil when searing meats.

Regards,

Steve

[Swann]

Rice Bran Oil is the best and healtiest. Here is what the CA Rice Growers have to say:

Rice Bran Oil is truly "The World's Healthiest" edible oil, containing vitamins, antioxidants, nutrients and trans fat free. It's not just delicate and flavorful, it can help lower cholesterol, fight diseases, enhance the immune system, fight free radicals and more. Rice Bran Oil is extremely light, versatile and delicious. Use it to fry, sauté, in salad dressings, baking, dipping oils and where ever you use cooking oil. Once you use it you will be amazed cooking light and healthy is also the best tasting.

Not only is it good for food but it makes excellent soap too. The majority of soapmakers use it in place of more expensive olive oil.

[jennyema]

Originally Posted by Bam!!

If you were talking to me, I was referring to the chart that posted.

By the way, olive oil does not fare well at high heats and therefore breaks down at a pretty low temperature. When you see smoke, it is because the oil has broken down and that is not healthy. That is why I use grapeseed oil when searing meats.

Regards,

Steve

Grapeseed oil has a high smoke point, but most olive oils have pretty high ones, too. Especially refined olive oils. Many people even deep fry with olive oil.

Here's a chart

[Andy M.]

Originally Posted by jennyema

...Here's a chart

Maybe you should change your name to Chart Girl

[CharlieD]

Originally Posted by Bam!!

If you were talking to me, I was referring to the chart that posted.

By the way, olive oil does not fare well at high heats and therefore breaks down at a pretty low temperature. When you see smoke, it is because the oil has broken down and that is not healthy. That is why I use grapeseed oil when searing meats.

Regards,

Steve

No I was talkin to the original poster. Sorry.

As far as using olive oil for frying you are right it is not the best. But that was not the question.

[GB]

Originally Posted by Swann

Rice Bran Oil is the best and healtiest. Here is what the CA Rice Growers have to say:

Rice Bran Oil is truly "The World's Healthiest" edible oil, containing vitamins, antioxidants, nutrients and trans fat free. It's not just delicate and flavorful, it can help lower cholesterol, fight diseases, enhance the immune system, fight free radicals and more. Rice Bran Oil is extremely light, versatile and delicious. Use it to fry, sauté, in salad dressings, baking, dipping oils and where ever you use cooking oil. Once you use it you will be amazed cooking light and healthy is also the best tasting.

Not only is it good for food but it makes excellent soap too. The majority of soapmakers use it in place of more expensive olive oil.

I am not disputing this claim as I have no information for or against it, but I will say this. Take this information from whence it came.

Of course the makers of the oil are going to say their product is the best.

[bethzaring]

I would like to point out another consideration regarding cotton seed oil. The Fed govt. regulates what chemical herbicides and insecticides may be used on foods for human consumption. Since cotton is not considered a food, those restrictions do not apply to cotton. Different chemicals may legally be used on cotton, chemicals that are not permitted to be used on foods for human consumption.

[Diane1415]

Originally Posted by Bam!!

Gadzoucks, cocnut oil seems really healthy according to chart. Am I reading it correctly ?

The Saturated fat in Coconut oil is not the unhealthy type of saturated fat that is associated with palm kernal oil and the other tropical oils. Coconut oil is by far a very healthy oil if not heated past 120 degrees. It is the oil of choice among the Raw Food advocates above olive oil.