which cooking oil is beneficial for health?

1. 59

   shriashposted 15 years ago

   1. olive oil
   
   2. corn oil
   
   3. cocount oil
   
   4. sunflower oil

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   1. 77

      apricotposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      The standard response to that is olive oil although  I've never tried corn oil or coconut (corn should theoretically be quite a heavy oil for the heart, I think)
      Personally I think all oil should be used in moderation if it's going to be healthy.  Bon appetit!

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   2. 54

      Rabbi Kingposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      Olive oil is good for most of the cooking and canola oil is good for frying

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   3. 85

      Marisa Wrightposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      2 and 4 are all unsaturated, so they don't have bad health effects.  However olive oil is monounsaturated, which has positive benefits, so it's the winner hands down.
      
      Another monounsaturated oil is canola oil (still called rape seed oil in some countries - you can see why they changed the name!).
      
      Another good unsaturated oil is rice bran oil.
      
      Olive oil, rice bran oil and canola oil all have cholesterol-lowering properties.
      
      There is some evidence that coconut oil has health benefits in spite of containing very high levels of saturated fat - it's really up to you to Google and work out your own opinion.

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      1. 59

         shriashposted 15 years agoin reply to this

         You  are  right. But every regions in the world uses a particular oil and has its own benefits.

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   4. 73

      LiamBeanposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      Olive Oil. It is a monounsaturated fat, loaded with anti-oxidants, not easily absorbed, very flavorful, and good for almost all, but high temperature cooking.
      
      One hundred grams of olive oil has 14g saturated fat compared to butter's 51g. 71g of monounsaturated fat to butter's 21g (this is the good fat).
      
      It has a low incidence of allergic reaction. And even has some molecular components (Cyclooxygenase) similar to the active ingredient in ibuprofen. Olive oil also has some anti-inflammatory properties.
      
      The only time I use canola is if I'm doing deep-frying (which is rare) and for making home-made mayonnaise. It's the best for mayonnaise as it has almost no flavor of it's own.
      
      Olive oil makes atrocious mayonnaise.

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   5. 91

      akirchnerposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      I agree - olive oil - 4 thumbs up!

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   6. 59

      nikki1posted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Hello, hello
      Canola oil less than a teaspoon in a cake mix. Other wise
      0 calorie cooking spray with (canola oil) for your frying.
      Bona petite

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   7. 65

      aslanlightposted 14 years agoin reply to this

      Someone posted that coconut oil is very healthy. I utterly agree but disagree where they claim we shouldn't eat too much of it. I eat a lot and my health has benefited greatly. My skin and hair looks must better too.
      
      It can be heated at higher temperatures than olive oil, which should not be overheated.

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2. 68

   drej2522posted 15 years ago

   3...by far! so many great properties!

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   1. 63

      Daniel Carterposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      Yes, apparently this is true. Coconut oil has all kinds of nutritive, energizing and some healing properties, but along with olive oil, you can't heat this stuff up very much without changing its structure and therefore, losing the benefit.
      
      There are cooking oils that are that have more omega 3's in them than before, and as was mentioned, grape seed oil is great for cooking because it tolerates heat so well.

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3. 61

   Colebabieposted 15 years ago

   Umm well monounsaturated fats are the best for you. Coconut oil is a saturated fat, not so good. Sunflower, olive, and corn are unsaturated. But it depends on what your purpose is. Also a lot of oils can break down into trans fats when exposed to high heat (cooking) so thats why olive and canola oil are good
   
   I would say #1 because of the high levels of monounsaturated fat.

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   1. 68

      drej2522posted 15 years agoin reply to this

      I've read somewhere (of course, I know any information can be incorrect especially these days) BUT I've heard conflicting reports on saturated vs. unsaturated fats. Supposidly a lot of monounsaturated fats are feed to farm animals, such as pigs, which are used to 'fatten' them up...not saturated foods. Also, I would think with a balanced diet and moderate exercise should balance out the saturated fats found in coconut oil..of course, I'm no nutritionist...I'm just speculating here based on limited knowledge and my own "internet" research.

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      1. 69

         wyanjenposted 15 years agoin reply to this

         Nice pumpkin

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         1. 68

            drej2522posted 15 years agoin reply to this

            Thanks, yours is better...ehh

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      2. 61

         Colebabieposted 15 years agoin reply to this

         Yeah dre you're totally right. As long as someone has a healthy diet and exercises coconut oil is perfectly ok, especially as a supplement. But for taste, availability, etc. I stick with olive oil

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4. 65

   Mishaposted 15 years ago

   No cooking is the best

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   1. 60

      Carmen Borthwickposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      Misha, come on! What do you eat then, fast food? Very bad! Or do you eat everything raw?

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   2. 59

      shriashposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      Yes, Misha , I hope you are not cooking for yourselves.

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5. 60

   Carmen Borthwickposted 15 years ago

   The only good oil is extra virgin olive oil, this is from the first pressing unlike all others that have been re-pressed afterward. Including pure... the last pressing.

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   1. 0

      cosetteposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      yep. i cook pretty much everything with olive oil. well everything that needs to be sauteed etc.
      
      of course you wouldn't use olive oil in things like cakes, etc...

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6. 69

   wyanjenposted 15 years ago

   Olive oil all the way.
   It is not refined chemically.
   Pressed, strained and bottled!

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7. 60

   Carmen Borthwickposted 15 years ago

   Just stay away from margarine Pass The Butter . Please.   
   Margarine  was originally manufactured to fatten  turkeys  When it killed the turkeys, the people who had put  all the money into the research wanted a payback so they put their  heads together to figure out what to do with this product to get  their money back. 
   It was a white substance with no food appeal  so they added the yellow colouring and sold it to people to use in place of butter.  How do you like it?   They have come out  with some clever new flavourings..   
   DO  YOU KNOW.. The difference between margarine and butter?   
   Both  have the same amount of calories.
   
   Butter  is slightly higher in saturated fats at 8  grams; compared   to 5 grams for margarine.
   
   Eating margarine can increase  heart disease in women by  53%  over  eating the same amount of butter, according to a recent  Harvard  Medical Study.
   
   Eating butter increases the absorption of many other nutrients in  other foods.
   
   Butter  has many nutritional benefits where margarine has a few and only  because  they are added!
   
   Butter  tastes much better than margarine and it can enhance the flavours of  other foods.
   
   Butter  has been around for centuries where margarine has been around for less than 100 years .
   
   And now, for Margarine..
   
   Very High in Trans fatty acids.
   
   Triples risk of coronary heart disease .
   Increases  total cholesterol and LDL (this is the bad cholesterol) and  lowers HDL cholesterol, (the good cholesterol)
   
   Increases  the risk of cancers up to five times..
   
   Lowers  quality of breast milk.
   
   Decreases immune response.
   
   Decreases  insulin response.
   
   And  here's the most disturbing fact.... HERE IS THE PART THAT  IS  VERY INTERESTING!
   
   Margarine  is but ONE MOLECULE away  from being PLASTIC... and shares 27 ingredients with PAINT
   
   These facts alone were enough to have me avoiding margarine for life  and anything else that is hydrogenated (this means hydrogen is  added,  changing the molecular structure of the  substance).   
   
   You  can try this yourself:
   
   Purchase  a tub of margarine and leave it open in your garage or shaded  area.  Within a couple of days you will notice a couple of things:
   
   *  no flies, not even those pesky fruit flies will go near it  (that should tell you something)
   
   *  it does not rot or smell differently because it has  no nutritional value ; nothing will grow on it. Even those teeny weeny  microorganisms will not a find a home to grow.  Why?   Because it is nearly plastic .  Would you melt your Tupperware and  spread that  on your toast?

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   1. 61

      The Ropeposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      Just to be sure, there is also a very big difference in stick versus soft butter (or margarine)...but I digress,
      Different oils have different uses and the cook must consider the burn factor as well as the amount to be used - a little bit of the higher fat version may be more acceptable than making something that won't be consumed with the lower version.  "rmcrayne" had a good point - pumpkin seed oil is my favorite salad oil but the burn rate is such that it isn't really useful in the skillet and frankly olive oil is not a taste I find goes with many of the foods I personally cook. It's all about choices and knowledge...

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8. 68

   drej2522posted 15 years ago

   olive oil is tasty.....and good for you too.
   
   And, many American's make decisions based on convenience...Exercise is not convenient! So...olive oil is ultimately the 'safer' choice.

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9. 96

   rmcrayneposted 15 years ago

   Maybe the better question is which essential oils are best for health.  Not all of them are suitable for cooking, but to be used in dressings etc.  Pumpkin seed oil, hemp oil, flax seed oil etc have great health benefits.  Just like coconut oil however, mainstream media, influenced by Western Medicine thinking, doesn't seem to know this. 
   
   Check Wilderness Family Naturals for all things coconut.  I like their coconut oil soaps and deodorants, but buy my coconut oil for cooking locally. 
   
   http://www.wildernessfamilynaturals.com/

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   1. 59

      shriashposted 15 years agoin reply to this

      Where u from?

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      1. 96

         rmcrayneposted 15 years agoin reply to this

         I'm from South Carolina/USA.  I lived in several states and countries the last 20 years, and now live in Texas.

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10. 61

    shanekrugerposted 15 years ago

    i think olive oil is better.

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11. 59

    prettydarkhorseposted 15 years ago

    vegetable oil

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    1. 59

       shriashposted 15 years agoin reply to this

       You added a cooking oil. That is made the competition tough.

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12. 85

    Sufidreamerposted 15 years ago

    Extra virgin olive oil - healthy and also extremely tasty

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    1. 80

       manlypoetrymanposted 15 years agoin reply to this

       That's what a "Doc" on my favorite radio station says. He states that is the way to go! I guess that is in abundance over in Greece as well...Sufidreamer?
       
       Man...I like Greek food...Gyros...Shish ka Bob...and Backlavash (sp?)...for starters.

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13. 70

    lrohnerposted 15 years ago

    The OP asked which cooking oil is beneficial to health. Maybe I'm talking out of my arse, but I don't think any of them are. I think it's really about which one is less harmful to your health.

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    1. 85

       Marisa Wrightposted 15 years agoin reply to this

       If your body didn't get fat of some sort, you'd die!

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    2. 60

       Ron Montgomeryposted 15 years agoin reply to this

       Fat is an essential part of the diet.  Many vitamins are fat soluble and cannot be processed without fat.  Carrots with fat-free dip may as well be candy.

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14. 69

    wyanjenposted 15 years ago

    
    Olive oil has monounsaturated fats so it is healthy for your heart. It also has antioxidants.
    
    Olive oil is made simply by crushing olives. No processing, nothing added to it. Just olives, squeezed and bottled.
    
    It's good to use olive oil in place of other oils. It's completely healthy

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15. 92

    Rochelle Frankposted 15 years ago

    Olive oil loses some of its beneficial properties when heated- it is better when drizzled over cooked veggies or salads.
    
    I like to use grapeseed oil for cooking-- it has a very high smoking point, so you can get a high heat and use a little grapeseed oil to sautee or brown foods. It also is much higher in polyunsaturated fat, Omega 6 and vitamin E than olive oil.
    
    It is very tasteless, compared to olive-- but great for a qucic stir-fry.

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    1. 59

       shriashposted 15 years agoin reply to this

       Grape seed oil .To be frank , I am hearing about this first time. Can u explain how we are getting the grape seed oil.

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       1. 92

          Rochelle Frankposted 15 years agoin reply to this

          I live in California-- where there are a lot of vineyards. The wine producers have found out that they can extract oil from the grapeseeds-- yielding another money-making product  from their wine grapes. Here, at least, it is quite a bit cheaper than olive oil, and the analysis of it puts it way above olive oil in nutrient power. As i said, the high smoke  temp makes it great in a frying pan.
          I will admit  that olive oil is still the best tasting for raw uses, like salad dressings.

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    2. 89

       livelongerposted 15 years agoin reply to this

       I'll second grapeseed oil. It's very healthy, has a high smoke point, and has a neutral flavor.

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16. 66

    Blogging Erikaposted 15 years ago

    Well thanks for the accidental heads up!  I swear I wrote a hub on this last week, but it's not in my account, so who knows what happened.
    
    Short answer - olive oil is #1. 
    
    But it's not always the right choice.  You don't want to use it in baked goods, for example, and it's too expensive to use for cooking any old thing.
    
    Most sources agree that canola oil is #2. 
    
    I guess I'd better start re-writing that hub now!

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17. 59

    shriashposted 15 years ago

    Thank u rochelle for giving the information about the grapeseed oil. Surprise to know about the nutrient value is more than the olive oil.

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18. 59

    shriashposted 15 years ago

    very informative liambean.Surprised to know about the ingredient in olive oil is the same of pain killer.

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19. 59

    shriashposted 15 years ago

    Last week I read about the coconut oil benefits.Believe it or not Coconut oil helps in weight loss.This is the news I got from that website.

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20. 59

    gramon1posted 15 years ago

    Coconut oil fat is mostly omegas. Those are very good for us and help us reduce cholesterol. I would not cook with any oil, since cooked oils tend to hydrogenate, becoming as good as margarine (this means very bad).
    It is true that many fats help loose fat in your body. Omega 3 and 6, present in avocado, coconut, pure cocoa, nuts, shrimp, salmon, lobster, etc. reduce bad cholesterol, help loose fat, and are food for the brain. Myelin, the sheath that lubricates the brain requires omega 3 and 6 to be created.

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21. 59

    shriashposted 15 years ago

    You are welcome grammom with useful information about coconut oil.

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22. 58

    SEO Expert Keralaposted 14 years ago

    The best cooking oil is sunflower oil
    
    bez  it contains low calories in it and not harmful to health to the people suffering from cholesterol and blood Pressure problem.
    
    While taking sunflower oil, no harmful disease can attack me. Also I will have normal report for the blood pressure and cholesterol.

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23. 59

    optimus grimlockposted 14 years ago

    olive oli is thew best and has more benefits!

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    1. 59

       shriashposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       Olive oil voted for.

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24. 60

    crunchybettyposted 14 years ago

    Coconut oil.
    Olive oil.
    
    NOT, NOT, NOT, NOT CORN OIL (was that stressed enough)? Or vegetable oil. Or canola oil. (Especially NOT canola oil.)
    
    Unrefined, cold-pressed oils are going to be the best - and never heat an oil until it scorches, it changes the molecular structure.
    
    Overall, stay away from oils that are heated to a high degree, are "conglomerates" of different types of oil, or are, in general, manufactured by huge corporations.
    
    And if you can get it, argan oil is both highly nutritious, and delicious.

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25. 73

    Lady Roseposted 14 years ago

    Cook with extra virgin cold pressed olive oil, coconut oil or sunflower seed oil. If at all possible, dont use oil to fry, just to add to your salads or already cooked dishes.

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26. 64

    Greek Oneposted 14 years ago

    As in affairs of the heart, extra virgin is always the best

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    1. 59

       SomewayOuttaHereposted 14 years agoin reply to this

       yup extra virgin - it's the only one I use.  Hey Greek One - read your Caribanna hub! brings back more memories for me - what a party that is!  a friend of mine works on costumes all year long, every year, getting ready for it.

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27. 62

    alexandriaruthkposted 14 years ago

    canola, sunflower,safflower, olive oil, peanut oil

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28. 58

    saddlerider1posted 14 years ago

    I mainly use a Greek Olive Oil when I fry most things, and Peanut Oil when I cook Oriental. A smooth veggie oil when I do salads, sunflower and canola.

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29. 61

    Ramona Mposted 14 years ago

    Walnut oil is just as healthy as olive oil, and frankly tastes better. You can use it in baking, too, and it makes a wonderful vinaigrette. Ask the French, who use it in their cooking.

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30. 54

    EarthRemediesposted 14 years ago

    Coconut Oil and Olive oil is great for consumption. However please avoid Canola Oil as much as it's touted as being healthy it really isn't. It is manufactured from the rape plant which is really toxic all that has been done is that scientist try to breed the toxicity out of the plant and then when they felt the toxicity is at a negligible quantity, it was then produced, packaged, and distributed to the public. It's one of these cheap low cost items similar to High Fructose Corn Syrup. Cheap, low cost,easy to produce and distribute. Great for the manufactures and producers who make lots and lots of money from the poor unsuspecting consumer.

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31. 54

    EarthRemediesposted 14 years ago

    When deciding on which type coconut oil to use always go for Cold Pressed Coconut Oil.

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32. 63

    Daniel Carterposted 14 years ago

    NOT olive oil. Cooking it changes it's chemical structure, rendering pretty much useless of nutritional value. You have to use oils that have a high heat tolerance if you're going to cook with oil.
    
    Grape seed oil is inexpensive, retains its nutritional value and has a high heat tolerance.
    
    Before you cook with any particular oil, do a little research on its heat tolerance first.
    
    Olive oil is good for salad dressings, bread dipping and the like. Use it as it is.

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33. 60

    Bexzposted 14 years ago

    Canola oil or Vegetable oil when I fry fish or meat.  Olive oil for salad or pasta.  Never used peanut oil yet and its sounds interesting.  I may look into the benefit of using peanut oil.

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34. 59

    MichelleArakakiposted 14 years ago

    Olive Oil

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    1. 60

       Julie2posted 14 years agoin reply to this

       I agree Michelle, I use Extra Virgen Olive oil for everything. It has helped with reducing our cholesterol.

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35. 61

    Lauries Barryposted 14 years ago

    Sunflower oil is healthy for our cardiovascular system. It contains ample amounts of vitamin E and high levels of the essential fatty acids which our body needs it aids in the removal of cholesterol and bring vigour to the brain. Sunflower oil has proven to be versatile and beneficial in many ways.

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