Vegetable Oils - The Good and the Bad

Vegetable Oils

There are so many vegetable oils out there today, with the majority of people going for the cheapest: sunflower oil or “vegetable oil”.

But, if you're going to use oils at all, you really should opt for the healthier options. Luckily, in Ireland and in the EU, food laws are strict and so it's not as difficult to find good quality produce. Unfortunately, if you live in the US or other countries where food standards aren't as stringent, then choosing oils such as the classic vegetable oil is never a good option.

There are much healthier options than a generic vegetable oil such as olive and rapeseed oils that are labelled cold-pressed or extra-virgin.

What's this 'virgin' stuff about?

Edible vegetable oils are commercially available generally as refined, virgin and extra-virgin oils. Virgin oils are obtained by mechanical procedures (e.g. pressing) and the application of heat only. Cold-pressed/Extra-virgin oils are obtained by mechanical procedures only, without the application of heat. No food additives are permitted in virgin or cold-pressed oils. Refined oils however, can be subjected to several chemical and physical refining processes which includes degumming, neutralisation, bleaching and deodorisation. As a result, there is a reduction of a number of compounds such as tocopherols (vitamin E), phytosterols ("heart-healthy" bioactives), and carotenoids (vitamin A precursor). And as a result, the oils may deteriorate faster.

Health Effects

These cooking oils, we then use to fry foods, elevating the temperatures once again, and changing the structure, leading to further breakdown of the fatty acids into free radicals (lipid peroxidation) which when consumed regularly can be a chronic threat on human health, by increasing inflammatory disease risks and cancer risks.

The problem is, is that these oils aren’t just fuel for us. They make up structural components in our bodies. They’re stored in all our cells and they make up our hormones. We even have an antioxidant (Vitamin E) that tries to prevent the oxidation of these unsaturated fatty acids in the body, but if you’re consuming large amounts of already-oxidised fatty acids, your vitamin E intake won't be sufficient enough to meet your needs and you won’t be able to stop further oxidation reactions in the body.

Types of vegetable oils

Spreads and Margarine

'Oils' are naturally unsaturated fats which means at room temperature they exist as a liquid (oil). But spreads and margarine are made up of these vegetable oils, and yet they’re solid… how do they do that? Is it magic? Nope, it’s simple chemistry. The oils go through a process called hydrogenation which makes it solid at room temperature. And along with this hydrogenation process comes our evil friends: trans-fatty acids (TFA). Yup, that’s what trans fats are – those nasty, artery-clogging mutants you hear about. They have absolutely no place in the human diet! In fact, the FDA removed TFA from the GRAS list (Generally Recognised As Safe) in 2015 and have banned TFA from the USA food supply as of 2018.

Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is made up of medium chain fatty-acids (MCFA). There are three main types in it; Lauric acid, Caprylic acid and Capric acid. These MCFA are metabolised in a different way to the saturated fats found in animal food, and is not a source of cholesterol, however, it is still a source of saturated fat and shouldn't be consumed in large amounts.

There's a large debate as to whether or not people should be eating coconut oil due to its large saturated fat content, but as far as the scientific literature goes, coconut oil hasn't been shown thus far to affect LDL (bad cholesterol) levels.

Olive Oil

Without getting into the complications, olive oil is a great choice, but extra-virgin olive oil is the best. Its rich in antioxidants that help fight cancer, and it acts as an anti-inflammatory.

Choosing oils

If you can, get oils in darker bottles and store them in a press away from the light. This helps prevent their deterioration, preventing negative health effects and reducing the loss of vitamins.

Oils you should NOT use daily:

• Any oil that does not state 'cold-pressed', 'extra-virgin' or 'virgin' on the label

• Vegetable Oil

• Canola Oil

• Margarine

• Shortening (NEVER)

• Fake butter

Best oil options include:

• Oils that are labelled 'cold-pressed', 'extra-virgin' or 'virgin'

• Flaxseed oil

• Avocado oil

• Walnut oil

• Olive Oil

• Rapeseed Oil

• Coconut Oil* (Do not use excessively, but a good option to cook with due to its stability)

*Coconut oil is high in saturated fat, which is a known contributor to CVD. If you already consume a lot of saturated fat foods for example you are a non-vegan and eat animal-produce which is high in saturated fat, then coconut oil is not a good option. However, if you consume a large amount of nuts and seeds already and are a vegan with low saturated fat intakes, it is safe to use coconut oil sparingly.

I usually avoid cooking with oil as much as possible. In fact, if I’m making a stir-fry, I actually use water, I add it in drops as it evaporates. It works!

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