What oil to choose...

Source from:

http://www.fatfreekitchen.com/cholesterol/cookingoil.html

http://whatscookingamerica.net/Information/CookingOilTypes.htm

Cooking Oil, Healthy Cooking Oils

Which is the best cooking oil for reducing cholesterol, weight loss and health? Healthy Cooking Oils?

1. Fat is a high calorie food. There are 9 calories in each gram of fat.
2. Fat contains more than twice the number of calories in protein or carbohydrates.
3. From a weight loss viewpoint, all fats are equally 'bad' (same calorie-content). All vegetable oils contain 100% fat. Each tablespoon of vegetable oil contains 14 grams of fat and 125 calories.
4. Choose cold-pressed unrefined vegetable oils such as sesame, sunflower or safflower for salad dressing
5. Use extra-virgin olive oil for cooking.
6. Avoid heating oils to high temperatures, beyond their smoking point.
7. Minimize use of oils rich in saturated fats.
8. Avoid hydrogenated oils (trans-fatty acids). Use unhydrogenated margarines.
9. Avoid coconut and palm oil.
10. It is best to reduce your intake of high-fat, calorie-dense foods like butter (80 per cent fat), mayonnaise (75-80 per cent fat) and coconut oil (100 per cent fat)
11. For better health, choose oils/fats that are low in saturated fat.
12. Store oil in an airtight container at a dark place away from light.

Best Cooking Oil : Fat Content of Oils

For better health, choose oils/fats that are low in saturated fat & high in monounsaturated fat. The follwoiing table lists various oils in decreasing order of monounsaturated fat content.

Type of Oil/fat	Smoke Temp.	% Fat
		Saturated	Poly unsaturated	Mono unsaturated
Olive Oil	420F / 216C	14	12	74
Almond Oil	420F / 216C	8	19	73
Canola Oil	475F /246C	7	35	58
Margarine, whipped		20	30	50
Peanut Oil	450F / 232C	18	33	49
Rice Bran Oil	490F/254C	20	33	47
Margarine, stick		20	33	47
Margarine, tub		17	37	46
Sesame Oil	350F / 177°	15	43	42
Palm Oil		52	10	38
Cocoa Butter		62	3	35
Butter	350F / 177C	66	4	30
Wheatgerm Oil		20	50	30
Butter, whipped		69	3	28
Margarine, Flora Pro-activ		25	49	26
Corn Oil	320F /160C	13	59	24
Soybean oil	320° F / 160C	15	61	24
Sunflower Oil	450F / 232C	11	69	20
Walnut Oil (omega 3 fatty acids)	400F / 204C	14	67	19
Grape seed	420F / 216C	9	77	14
Safflower Oil	450F /232C	9	78	13
Coconut Oil	350F / 177C	92	2	6

Based on the above, the following may be recommended with regard to the best cooking oil:

For deep frying foods: The best oils are those with a high smoke point such as canola oil, corn oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil. The smoke point of unrefined oil is lower than the values mentioned in the above table.

For stir-frying and salad dressing: any oil low in saturated fat like canola oil, corn oil, or flax seed oil, olive oil, peanut oil, safflower oil, sunflower oil and walnut oil.

Oils to avoid: coconut oil, palm oil, butter, hard margarine.

There are conflicting reports about the health benefits or risks of coconut oil.

Olive Oil

Types of Olive Oil

There are generally three types of olive oil, but each having the same number of calories as in other oils.

1. Extra Virgin: This type of olive oil is the strongest in flavor and aroma. This oil is made from olives immediately after harvest and processed at room temperature. These oils are called cold pressed as they are produced by mechanically squeezing the oil under pressure.
   The flavour of extra virgin olive oil varies depending on the place where it has been grown and the type of olives.
2. Extra Light: This type of olive oil is a refined oil that is light in colour, odour and taste.
3. Olive Oil: This type of olive oil is mild in flavor and is a blend of refined oil and some virgin oil. This oil is mostly used around the world.

Health Benefits of Benefits

The olive oil may be beneficial in preventing conditions related to coronary disease, stroke and certain types of cancers.

Storing of Virgin Olive Oil

A study by researcher Antonella Baiano of the University of Foggia in Italy and published in the Journal of Food Science, (March 2009) has revealed that after 3 months of storage, the antioxidant activity in the oil remained unchanged, but antioxidants decreased by about 40% after six months.
The study recommends consumers to store extra virgin olive oil in small glass bottles (one liter maximum because the oxygen contained in the headspace determines its oxidation), in a dark location, at a temperature lower than 20-250C (68-770F).

Misinformation on Canola Oil

Some of the information on the Internet states on canola oil is that it causes many diseases like joint pain, gum disease, constipation, heart disease, hearing loss, etc. Whereas the truth is that canola oil contains essential fatty acids that our body cannot make on its own. The long chain unsaturated fat in canola oil has been proven beneficial to our health.

Canola oil is Low Erucic Acid Rapeseed (LEAR) oil which contains less than 1 percent erucic acid. It was developed in Canada during the late 1960s - 1970s using hybrid propagation techniques involving black mustard, leaf mustard, and turnip rapeseed plants.

Types of Cooking Fats and Oils - Descriptions and Uses - Smoking Points

Not all fats are the same. Following are some basics on the various types of fats to help you make sense of what is best for your own body.

Saturated Fats: Saturated fats are mainly animal fats and are solid at room temperature. These fats include butter, cheese, whole milk, ice cream, egg yolks, lard and fatty meats. Some plants fats are also high in saturated fats such as coconut oil and palm oils. Saturated fats raise blood cholesterol more than any other food you eat. By using the right oils and fats for the right reasons, you can preserve the healthful benefits. Your foods will not only taste their best, but also be healthy.

Unsaturated Fats:

These fats can come from both animal and plant products. There are three (3) types:

1. Monounsaturated Fats - Usually come from seeds or nuts such as avocado, olive, peanut, and canola oils. These fats are liquid at room temperature.

2. Polyunsaturated Fats - Usually come from vegetables, seeds, or nuts such as corn, safflower, sunflower, soybean, cotton seed, and sesame seeds oils. These fats are liquid at room temperature.

3. Trans Fatty Acids - Trans fats are produced when liquid oil is made into a solid fat, such as shortening or margarine. This process is called hydrogenation. Trans fats act like saturated fats and can raise your cholesterol level.

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Based on the above classification, the ideal cooking oil should contain higher amounts of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, with a minimal or no saturated fats and trans fats.

Different fats and oils have different uses. Each performs best within a certain range of temperature. Some are made for high heat cooking, while others have intense flavors that are best enjoyed by drizzling directly on food.

The smoke point of an oil or fat is the temperature at which it gives off smoke. The smoke point of oil depends to a very large extent on its purity and age at the time of measurement.

Fats or Oils	Description	Cooking Uses	Type of Fat	Smoke Point °F	Smoke Point °C
Almond Oil	Has a subtle toasted almond aroma and flavor.	Used in sauté and stir fry of Oriental foods.	Monounsaturated	420°F	216°C
Avocado Oil	Vibrant green in color with a has a soft nutty taste and a mild avocado aroma. This is a very healthy oil with a profile similar to olive oil. This oil can be used for very high temperature applications.	Stir frying, searing	Monounsaturated	520°F	271°C
Butter	Whole butter is a mix of fats, milk solids, and moisture derived by churning cream until the oil droplets stick together and can be separated out.	Baking, cooking	Saturated	350°F	177°C
Butter (Ghee), clarified	Ghee has a higher smoke point than butter since clarification eliminates the milk solids (which burn at lower temps).	Frying, sauteing	Saturated	375-485°F (depending on purity)	190-250°C (depending on purity),
Canola Oil (Rapeseed oil)	A light, golden-colored oil.	Good all-purpose oil. Used in salads and cooking.	Monounsaturated	400°F	204°C
Coconut Oil	A heavy nearly colorless oil extracted from fresh coconuts.	coatings, confectionary, shortening	Saturated	350°F	177°C
Corn Oil	A mild, medium-yellow color refined oil. Made from the germ of the corn kernel.	Frying, salad dressings, shortening	Polyunsaturated	450°F	232°C
Cottonseed Oil	Pale-yellow oil that is extracted from the seed of the cotton plant.	Margarine, salad dressings, shortening. Also used for frying.	Polyunsaturated	420°F	216°C
Grapeseed Oil	Light, medium-yellow oil that is a by-product of wine making.	Excellent choice of cooking oil for sautéing or frying. Also used in salad dressings.	Polyunsaturated	392°F	200°C
Hazelnut Oil	The nuts are ground and roasted and then pressed in a hydraulic press to extract the delicate oil.	Salad dressings, marinades and baked goods.	Monounsaturated	430°F	221°C
Lard	The white solid or semi-solid rendered fat of a hog. This was once the most popular cooking and baking fat, but has been replaced by vegetable shortenings.	Baking and frying	Saturated	370°F	182 °C
Macadamia Nut Oil	This oil is cold pressed from the decadent macadamia nut, extracting a light oil similar in quality to the finest extra virgin olive oil.	Saute, pan fry, sear, deep fry, stir fry, grill, broil, baking.	Monounsaturated	390°F	199 °C
Olive Oil	Oils vary in weight and may be pale yellow to deep green depending on fruit used and processing.	cooking, salad dressings, saute, pan fry, sear, deep fry, stir fry, grill, broil, baking	Monounsaturated	Extra Virgin - 320°F Virgin - 420°F Pomace - 460°F Extra Light - 468°F	160°C 216°C 238°C 242°C
Palm Oil	A yellowish-orange fatty oil obtained especially from the crushed nuts of an African palm.	Cooking, flavoring	Saturated	446°F	230°C
Peanut Oil	Pale yellow refined oil with a very subtle scent and flavor. Made from pressed steam-cooked peanuts. Used primarily in Asian cooking.	Frying, cooking, salad dressings	Monounsaturated	450°F	232°C
Rice Bran Oil	Rice bran oil is produced from the rice bran, which is removed from the grain of rice as it is processed.	Frying, sauté, salad dressings, baking, dipping oils	Monounsaturated	490°F	254°C
Safflower Oil	A golden color with a light texture. Made from the seeds of safflowers.	Margarine, mayonnaise, salad dressings	Polyunsaturated	450°F	232°C
Sesame Oil	Comes in two types - a light, very mild Middle Eastern type and a darker Asian type pressed from toasted sesame seeds.	Cooking, salad dressings	Polyunsaturated	410°F	232°C
Shortening, Vegetable	Blended oil solidified using various processes, including whipping in air and hydrogenation. May have real or artificial butter flavor added.	Baking, frying	Saturated	360°F	182 °C
Soybean Oil	A fairly heavy oil with a pronounced flavor and aroma.	Margarine, salad dressings, shortening	Polyunsaturated	450°F	232°C
Sunflower Oil	A light odorless and nearly flavorless oil pressed from sunflower seeds. Pale yellow.	Cooking, margarine, salad dressings, shortening	Polyunsaturated	450°F	232°C
Vegetable Oil	Made by blending several different refined oils. Designed to have a mild flavor and a high smoke point.	Cooking, salad dressings	Polyunsaturated
Walnut Oil	Medium-yellow oil with a nutty flavor and aroma. More perishable than most other oils.	Saute, pan fry, sear, deep fry, stir fry, grill, broil	Monounsaturated	400°F	204°C

1. Almond Oil

2. Canola/ Rapeseed Oil

3. Extra Light/ Refined Olive Oil

4. Grape Seed Oil

5. Safflower Oil