\n<\/p>\n
T<\/span>he world of cooking oils is confusing. I keep spotting new ones on supermarket shelves, trumpeting their health claims. Cold-pressed avocado oil, extra virgin macadamia oil, organic coconut oil, premium hemp seed oil \u2026 Even familiar oils are mired in controversy. Is it OK to cook with olive oil? Should you avoid seed oils? Meanwhile, prices keep rising \u2013 earlier this month, Walter Zanre, the CEO of Filippo Berio UK, said supermarkets were \u201ctaking the mickey\u201d out of customers over olive oil pricing. I asked the experts which oils are really worth splashing out on.<\/p>\n \u201cAll oils contain a combination of saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats,\u201d explains Lisa Howard, the Detroit-based author of The Big Book of Healthy Cooking Oils. Where they differ is in their ratio, which may be shown on the label (although in most countries only total fat and saturated fat is mandatory). Howard holds up three bottles of oil. \u201cThey\u2019re all 14g of fat in total [per tablespoon]. The olive oil has 11g of monounsaturated fat out of 14g, so clearly this is a majority monounsaturated oil. With the walnut oil, 10g is polyunsaturated, so that\u2019s a polyunsaturated oil. And then the coconut oil, 12g is saturated, so that is a saturated fat.\u201d<\/p>\n In health terms, pretty much. Dell Stanford, a senior dietitian at the British Heart Foundation, says: \u201cDiets high in saturated fat can raise \u2018bad\u2019 (LDL) cholesterol in the blood. Replacing saturated fat with unsaturated fat helps to lower LDL cholesterol levels and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease.\u201d As well as avoiding animal fats such as butter, lard, goose fat and ghee, that means limiting coconut oil and palm oil, the two vegetable oils that are high in saturated fat. Many of the health claims made for coconut oil in recent years are based on a special formulation of the oil, which is not available in shops. \u201cCoconut oil is about 86% saturated fat, roughly one-third more saturated fat than butter,\u201d says Stanford. \u201cPalm oil is often used in processed foods, so look out for it on ingredients lists, and avoid where possible.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/span>Testing time \u2026 there\u2019s a huge variety of cooking oils to choose from.<\/span> Photograph: Alicia Canter\/The Guardian<\/p>\n Dr Sammie Gill, a specialist gastroenterology dietitian, says: \u201cAlthough they differ chemically, both monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are linked with cardiometabolic benefits, such as improved cholesterol profiles and reduced LDL cholesterol.\u201d Monounsaturated oils include olive, rapeseed (canola) and avocado; polyunsaturated oils include sunflower, walnut and groundnut (peanut). \u201cNeither type is inherently better than the other. Both have important functions in the body. The key focus should be on swapping saturated fats for unsaturated fats.\u201d<\/p>\n Howards has a simple way to remember which oil is which. \u201cIf you put it in the refrigerator and it comes out and pours right away, it\u2019s a polyunsaturated fat. If you put it in the fridge and it doesn\u2019t really pour, it\u2019s a monounsaturated fat. And if you put it in the fridge and it turns into a rock, it\u2019s saturated.\u201d A Splash and a Drizzle by the Italian chef Ursula Ferrigno has a useful guide to the main culinary oils, from argan to walnut.<\/p>\n There is a clear winner. Gill says: \u201cExtra virgin olive oil is widely regarded as one of the healthiest and most versatile cooking oils. This is thanks to its high monounsaturated fat content and abundance of polyphenols (more than 30 different types), which are well known for their anti-inflammatory effects, and have also been shown to possess antimicrobial, anticancer and antioxidant capabilities.\u201d<\/p>\n Polyphenols are a big buzzword, with some oil brands even putting a polyphenol count on their bottles. Gill explains why they matter: \u201cMost of the polyphenols in extra virgin olive oil pass through the gut and reach the large intestine, where they are fermented by gut microbes and converted into other metabolites. Polyphenol metabolites produced during fermentation are regarded as key contributors linked to health benefits. A large body of evidence highlights extra virgin olive oil\u2019s benefits on cardiometabolic measures including blood pressure, cholesterol and glycaemic control.\u201d<\/p>\n Wrong. \u201cOils rich in monounsaturated fats \u2013 such as olive oil \u2013 are generally heat-stable and able to withstand higher cooking temperatures. Extra virgin olive oil is suitable for all types of cooking,\u201d says Gill. Where harmful effects have been seen \u2013 in studies based on animals, not humans \u2013 they occur after \u201crepeatedly heating and reusing oils at high temperatures, which is uncommon in everyday home cooking. Deep-fat fryers, where oil can be reused repeatedly over extended periods, are not widely used in most households today.\u201d<\/p>\n That said, you\u2019ll get the most health benefits \u2013 and taste \u2013 from unheated extra virgin olive oil. \u201cCooking with extra virgin olive oil decreases the polyphenol content by 40% at 120C and 75% at 170C,\u201d says Gill. But as the polyphenol count is so high to start with, you\u2019ll still get some benefits even after cooking with it.<\/p>\n It\u2019s true that it doesn\u2019t come cheap, and prices have increased for a host of reasons: wars, droughts, labour shortages \u2026 But there are still relative bargains to be had. In the UK, Asda sells a litre of extra virgin olive oil for \u00a37.13, while Sainsbury\u2019s and Tesco have a litre for \u00a37.50. These are either from Spanish olives or a blend of olives from across the EU. The cheapest extra virgin olive oils with a protected designation of origin (PDO) or protected geographical indication (PGI) label \u2013 a guarantee of quality \u2013 are from Aldi (\u00a35.49 for 500ml, from Puglia in Italy) and Lidl (\u00a36.49, from Messenia in Greece).<\/p>\n <\/span>\u2018What are the main differences between cooking oils?\u2019<\/span> Photograph: Alicia Canter\/The Guardian<\/p>\n In UK law, extra virgin olive oil must be \u201csuperior category olive oil obtained directly from olives and solely by mechanical means\u201d. Virgin olive oil is made in a similar way, but with lower-quality olives. Olive oil is a blend of virgin and refined oils. Of the three, extra virgin has lowest acidity, indicating quality and freshness, the best taste, the highest polyphenols and by far the most health benefits. Howard is emphatic: \u201cI only ever use extra virgin olive oil.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cLight, heat, time and exposure to oxygen degrade unsaturated oils,\u201d says Howard. So buy extra virgin olive oil in dark glass or tins (never in plastic bottles); keep it in a cool, dark place; use it within 18 months of the harvest date (which should be on the label); and put the lid back on after use. She is appalled by the mistakes people make with their oil: \u201cPeople store their nice quality unsaturated fats on the window sill because it\u2019s pretty \u2013 my God, the sunlight! They put it next to the oven, even above the stove \u2013 the heat!\u201d<\/p>\n Of course, if you\u2019re splurging on a particularly expensive, high-quality extra virgin olive oil, it makes sense to savour it. I tasted some single-estate bottles from The Oil Merchant, which has been importing oil to the UK since 1984. The peppery Laudemio Fescobaldi from Tuscany (\u00a325 for 250ml) is certainly too good to slosh into a stir-fry. But don\u2019t save such oils for special occasions; enjoy them in Howard\u2019s three Ds: \u201cdrizzles, dressings and dips\u201d. Olive oil is more like a freshly squeezed juice than a fine wine: it gets worse, not better, with age.<\/p>\n <\/span>Rachel\u2019s stir fry.<\/span> Photograph: Alicia Canter\/The Guardian<\/p>\n Olive oil is ideal for Mediterranean-style dishes, but for other cuisines you may sometimes want a more neutral-tasting oil. \u201cBoth rapeseed oil and sunflower oil are high in healthy unsaturated fats and good value for money,\u201d says Stanford. Of the two, rapeseed has the edge: \u201cRapeseed oil contains nearly half as much saturated fat, and it also contains healthy, anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids, which sunflower oil does not.\u201d Look for cold-pressed, unrefined rapeseed oil, which is easy to find in the UK, where it is widely produced, but may be more difficult elsewhere (a colleague of Howard\u2019s sent her some from Canada, as it was impossible to find in the US).<\/p>\n \u201cNo, absolutely not. The idea that seed oils cause \u2018inflammation\u2019 is nonsense,\u201d says Gill. \u201cFor example, the claim that high levels of omega-6 \u2013 commonly found in seed oils \u2013 are harmful is inaccurate. Large-scale studies have shown that omega-6 is actually linked with cardiometabolic health benefits.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhile the \u201830 plants a week\u2019 message is popular, there isn\u2019t a large body of evidence to support this specific number,\u201d says Bridget Benelam, a nutrition scientist with the British Nutrition Foundation. \u201cWe know that eating a large variety of plant foods, including vegetables, fruit, pulses, wholegrains nuts and seeds, is important for health. But we don\u2019t have studies showing that there are benefits for varying oil types. Provided unsaturated types are mainly used, it probably isn\u2019t necessary to vary the type of oil that you use.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cAvocado oil is really surging in popularity. It\u2019s a nutritious and versatile cooking oil, with several proposed health benefits, although evidence in humans remains limited,\u201d says Gill. \u201cIt\u2019s high in monounsaturated fats, especially oleic acid (omega-9). It has a high smoke point and high temperature stability, making it a high-quality cooking oil.<\/p>\n \u201cAvocado oil is also rich in phytosterols and carotenoids, particularly lutein, which is known for its potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. There is evidence that lutein plays a role in eye health, protecting the retina and lens and delaying the progression of diseases such as age-related macular degeneration and cataracts.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/span>Extra virgin olive oil is suitable for all types of cooking \u2013 including stir frying.<\/span> Photograph: Alicia Canter\/The Guardian<\/p>\n \u201cThe composition of fats varies widely among nut oils,\u201d says Gill. \u201cFor example, brazil nut oil has the highest level of saturated fat (about 25%) compared with other nut oils, while walnut oil has the highest amount of omega-3 and omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids.\u201d<\/p>\n Benelam adds: \u201cHemp seed oil is high in omega-3s, and other nut and seed oils provide nutrients such as vitamin E and some minerals \u2013 although as they are consumed in small amounts, they are not a primary source of micronutrients. These oils often have low smoke points and are relatively expensive and so should be used for dressings rather than cooking.\u201d<\/p>\n Howard has at least six oils on the go at all times. \u201cI think variety is the spice of life. Unrefined pumpkin seed oil is wonderful, and when I was in New York, I picked up a butternut squash seed oil. I found argan oil in Germany and I was so excited \u2013 it\u2019s especially prevalent in Moroccan and Tunisian cuisine. Sometimes I\u2019ll use hazelnut oil to make a nice chocolate cake.\u201d She also uses nut oils to flavour homemade lattes: \u201cIf you use pistachio oil, it turns green! It\u2019s a fun experiment, and far better than buying fake hazelnut flavouring.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/span>\u2018Unrefined pumpkin seed oil is wonderful.\u2019<\/span> Photograph: banusevim\/Getty Images<\/p>\n No \u2013 they are part of a balanced diet and a source of essential fatty acids, which the body can\u2019t make itself.<\/p>\n \u201cAmericans went through a big period of fatphobia in the 80s and 90s where everybody was told: don\u2019t eat fat,\u201d says Howard. \u201cBut vitamins A, D, E and K are all fat-soluble vitamins, which means that if you consume food such as carrots without fat, you won\u2019t get those vitamins from it. If you eat a salad with only veggies \u2013 no nuts, no cheese, no avocado, no olives, no dressing \u2013 that\u2019s not really getting you anywhere.\u201d Make the dressing yourself, she stresses: \u201cYou just need a good-quality oil and an acid \u2013 lime, lemon, orange juice, vinegar \u2026 It\u2019s so simple.\u201d<\/p>\n In short, use extra virgin olive oil as often as you can afford. For a more neutral flavour, use cold-pressed rapeseed oil. On a tight budget, any unsaturated oil (eg sunflower, groundnut) is better than a saturated fat.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The world of cooking oils is confusing. I keep spotting new ones on supermarket shelves, trumpeting their health claims. Cold-pressed avocado oil, extra virgin macadamia oil, organic coconut oil, premium hemp seed oil \u2026 Even familiar oils are mired in controversy. Is it OK to cook with olive oil? Should you avoid seed oils? Meanwhile,<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":48784,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[51],"tags":[1752,7677,9660,12778,1725,9465,6023,22161,1104],"class_list":{"0":"post-48783","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-health","8":"tag-cheaper","9":"tag-cooking","10":"tag-essential","11":"tag-facts","12":"tag-food","13":"tag-healthier","14":"tag-meals","15":"tag-oils","16":"tag-truth"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48783","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=48783"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/48783\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/48784"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=48783"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=48783"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/naijaglobalnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=48783"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}What are the main differences between cooking oils?<\/h2>\n
And unsaturated is good, saturated is bad?<\/h2>\n
Should I choose monounsaturated or polyunsaturated?<\/h2>\n
So \u2026 which is the best unsaturated oil to use?<\/h2>\n
Can\u2019t I use cheaper virgin olive oil, or plain old olive oil?<\/h2>\n
How should I store my oil?<\/h2>\n
I\u2019ve heard I should avoid seed oils \u2026<\/h2>\n
I try to eat 30 different plants a week. Should I vary my oils, too?<\/h2>\n
I\u2019ve noticed pricey avocado oil in shops recently. Is it worth the cost?<\/h2>\n
How about specialist nut and seed oils?<\/h2>\n
Isn\u2019t it better to cut out oils altogether?<\/h2>\n
I\u2019m still confused \u2026<\/h2>\n