Oil Omega
Which oil is healthiest? Is canola oil bad? Is olive oil good? What other options are good?
Factors:
- Smoke Point
- Higher smoke point means less risk of introducing toxins and carcinogens during cooking. Or, from a different angle, allows a wider range of cooking temperatures without introducing toxins or carcinogens.
- Omega Ratio (3, 6, 9)
- Omega 3 is good, Omega 6 is bad, Omega 9 is good.
- GMO
- Genetic modification of crops poses various risks, from altering agriculture processes to nutrient and toxin content in the final product.
- Erucic Acid
- May be linked to heart disease.
- Trans Fats
- Early canola oil had higher trans fat content.
Notes
Oils Study
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10180740/
VOO scores 100, Canola scores 68, but the study is flawed.
Section 2.3 shows a suspicious scoring system, in which a threshold is used to set a score to maximum positive or maximum negative. It does not identify the score values for oleic acid, which has a threshold very close to the values for canola (just below) and VOO (just above). Figure 1, the only figure showing the calculation of scores, does not show the calculation for canola oil.
- Canola TFA should be 0.4 (it was reduced between 2008 and 2013): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canola_oil#Nutrition_and_health https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/public-health-nutrition/article/transfatty-acids-in-cooking-oils-in-bogota-colombia-changes-in-the-food-supply-from-2008-to-2013/149F8B8E6F17BF307D44A2AEC773C553
- Canola and VOO have nearly the same 18:1 oleic acid, with VOO barely over and canola barely under, that should not result in a 6 point swing.
| SFA | '18:1 oleic (9) | '18:2 lino (6) | '18:3 alino-3 | EPA+DHA | TFA | Tocopherol | Phytosterol | |||
| Canola | 10.9 | 65.7 | 22.6 | 22.6 | 0 | 2 | 155.5 | 729 | ||
| VOO | 16.6 | 70.3 | 12.3 | 0.6 | 0 | 0.1 | 20.5 | 178 | ||
| Threshold | <9.0 | >70.0 | 1.6-6.1 | 0.5-2.2 | 0.11-0.90 | <0.9 | 3.4-6.7 | 0.7-1.4 | ||
| 10 | 6 | 0.5 | 0.11 | 1 | ||||||
| Canola | -3 | 3 | 2 | -3 | -5 | -6 | ||||
| VOO | -3 | 3 | 2 | -3 | 0 | -1 | ||||
| Canola | -3 | 3 | 2 | -3 | -5 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 1 | |
| VOO | -3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | -3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 8 | 8 |
| Canola | -3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | -3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 8 | |
| VOO | -3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | -3 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 8 |
Olive Oil
"The reason extra virgin olive oil is deemed superior [to canola oil] is because of the way it is processed, its high concentration of polyphenols, and how its antioxidants withstand heat during cooking. Regular consumption of olive oil is associated with a reduced risk of early death, cardiovascular disease, cognitive decline, certain types of cancer, and diabetes." - https://www.verywellhealth.com/canola-oil-8407170
"regular olive oil has a low polyphenol count. Meanwhile, extra virgin olive oil is packed with polyphenols (1, 2, 9). These include oleuropein, hydroxytyrosol, and oleocanthal, which are linked to a lower risk of heart disease and reduced inflammation (10)." - https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/canola-vs-olive-oil
Canola Oil
Smoke Point
"At 460℉ (238℃), canola oil has a higher smoke point than either regular or extra virgin olive oil — 410℉ (210℃) and 383℉ (195℃), respectively (11, 12)." - https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/canola-vs-olive-oil
Trans Fat
"Compared with oils analysed in 2008( Reference Baylin, Mora-Plazas and Cobos-de Rangel 9 ), the 2013 data showed consistent reductions in SFA and TFA, and increases in n-3 fatty acids, for all oils (Table 2). In particular, reductions in TFA were significant for 18:1 and 18:2 in mixed oils and for 18:2 in sunflower oil. In terms of percentage reduction from 2008 to 2013 in 18:1 and 18:2 TFA, canola oil had 89 % and 65 % reduction, mixed oils had 44 % and 48 % reduction, and sunflower had 25 % and 51 % reduction, respectively." - https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/public-health-nutrition/article/transfatty-acids-in-cooking-oils-in-bogota-colombia-changes-in-the-food-supply-from-2008-to-2013/149F8B8E6F17BF307D44A2AEC773C553
Erucic Acid
"Studies done on laboratory animals in the early 1970s[6] show that erucic acid appears to have toxic effects on the heart at high enough doses. However, more recent research has cast doubt on the relevance of rat studies to the human health of erucic acid. Rats are unusual in their inability to process erucic acid, and the symptoms in rats caused by a diet with high levels of erucic acid have not been observed in pigs, primates, or any other animals." - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erucic_acid
"Food-grade rapeseed oil (also known as canola oil, rapeseed 00 oil, low erucic acid rapeseed oil, LEAR oil, and rapeseed canola-equivalent oil) is regulated to a maximum of 2% erucic acid by weight in the US[10] and 2% in the EU[12] (was 5%[11] before 2019-11-19), with special regulations for infant food. Canola was bred from rapeseed cultivars of B. napus and B. rapa by Dr. Baldur Stefansson at the University of Manitoba, Canada in addition to being cultivated by ancient Chinese, Indian, and Japanese cultures. Canola oil is derived from a variety of rapeseed that is low in erucic acid, as opposed to colza oil." - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erucic_acid
Sources
- https://www.drfabio.com/healthblog/cooking-oil-comparisons
- https://www.verywellhealth.com/canola-oil-8407170
- https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/health/diet-nutrition/g32108013/healthiest-cooking-oils/
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10180740/
Tabular Data
| Cooking Oils / Fats | Smoke Point °C | Smoke Point °F | Omega-6: Omega-3 Ratio
(plus other relevant fat information) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Flaxseed oil | 107°C | 225°F | 1:4 |
| Safflower oil | 107°C | 225°F | 133:1 |
| Sunflower oil | 107°C | 225°F | 40:1 |
| Corn oil | 160°C | 320°F | 83:1 |
| High-oleic sunflower oil | 160°C | 320°F | 40:1, 84% monosaturated |
| Olive Oil: Extra virgin | 160°C | 320°F | 9:1, Low in Saturated fat, 73% monounsaturated, high in Omega 9, high in polyphenols |
| Semirefined safflower oil | 160°C | 320°F | 133:1, (75% Omega 9) |
| Soy oil | 160°C | 320°F | 8:1 (most are GMO) |
| Walnut oil | 160°C | 320°F | 5:1 |
| Hemp seed oil | 165°C | 330°F | 3:1 |
| Butter | 177°C | 350°F | Very little Omegas, mostly saturated fat |
| Canola oil | 177°C | 350°F | 2:1, [ (56% Omega 9), 80% Canola is GMO.] |
| Coconut oil | 177°C | 350°F | 86% saturated fat, lauric acid. Not considered a healthy choice. Claimed to have MCTs that are healthier for you, but the science does not support this |
| Sesame oil | 177°C | 350°F | 138:1 |
| Semirefined soy oil | 177°C | 350°F | 8:1 |
| Vegetable shortening | 182°C | 360°F | mostly unhealthy saturated, Trans Fat |
| Lard | 182°C | 370°F | 11:1 high in saturated fat |
| Macadamia nut oil | 199°C | 390°F | 1:1, 80% monounsaturated, (83% Omega-9) |
| Canola oil (Expeller Pressed) | 200°C | 400°F | 2:1, 62% monounsaturated, 32% polyunsaturated |
| Canola oil (refined) | 204°C | 400°F | 3:1, 80% of Canola in US is GMO. |
| Semirefined walnut oil | 204°C | 400°F | 5:1 |
| Olive Oil: High quality (low acidity) extra virgin | 207°C | 405°F | 9:1, 74% monosaturated (71.3% Omega 9), high in polyphenols |
| Sesame oil | 210°C | 410°F | 42:1 |
| Cottonseed oil | 216°C | 420°F | 54:1 |
| Grapeseed oil | 216°C | 420°F | 676:1, (12% saturated, 17% monounsaturated) |
| Olive oil: Virgin | 216°C | 420°F | 13:1, 74% monosaturated (71.3% Omega 9), high in polyphenols |
| Almond oil | 216°C | 420°F | Omega-6 only |
| Hazelnut oil | 221°C | 430°F | 75% monosaturated (no Omega 3, 78% Omega 9) |
| Peanut oil | 227°C | 440°F | 32:1 |
| Sunflower oil | 227°C | 440°F | 40:1 |
| Refined corn oil | 232°C | 450°F | 83:1 |
| Palm oil | 232°C | 450°F | 46:1, mostly saturated and monosaturated |
| Palm kernel oil | 232°C | 450°F | 82% saturated (No Omega 3) |
| Refined high-oleic sunflower oil | 232°C | 450°F | 39:1, 84% monosaturated |
| Refined peanut oil | 232°C | 450°F | 32:1 |
| Semirefined sesame oil | 232°C | 450°F | 138:1 |
| Refined soy oil | 232°C | 450°F | 8:1 (most are GMO) |
| Semirefined sunflower oil | 232°C | 450°F | 40:1 |
| Olive pomace oil | 238°C | 460°F | 74% monosaturated, high in Omega 9 |
| Olive Oil: Extra light | 242°C | 468°F | 9:1, 74% monosaturated, high in Omega 9, high in polyphenols |
| Rice Bran Oil | 254°C | 490°F | 21:1, Good source of vitamin E & antioxidants |
| Refined Safflower oil | 266°C | 510°F | 133:1 (74% Omega 9) |
| Avocado oil | 271°C | 520°F | 12:1, 70% monosaturated, (68% Omega-9 fatty acids)
High in vitamin E. |