7 cooking oils ranked by heart health, according to cardiologists

Extra Virgin Olive Oil Takes the Crown

The gold standard of heart-healthy cooking oils has emerged from decades of Mediterranean diet research. Extra virgin olive oil is singled out in the analysis as being the smartest heart-healthy choice, given the evidence accumulated in a large number of studies conducted on the food.

This isn’t just another health trend – the science behind olive oil’s cardiovascular benefits is robust and compelling. 91).

These numbers represent real people who experienced measurably better heart health outcomes simply by incorporating this oil into their daily routine. This is why cardiologists recommend switching to high-phenolic olive oil.

However, research suggests that extra virgin olive oils with a high concentration of polyphenols are even better. The polyphenolic compounds act as natural protectors for your cardiovascular system, providing benefits that extend far beyond basic nutrition.

Consuming more than half a tablespoon of olive oil daily may lower the risk of coronary heart disease by 18% and the risk of any heart disease by 14%. Think of it as a simple daily investment in your long-term health – just half a tablespoon can make a meaningful difference.

The beauty of olive oil lies in its versatility, whether drizzled over salads, used for gentle cooking, or enjoyed with fresh bread.

Avocado Oil Emerges as a High-Heat Champion

The rising star in heart-healthy cooking deserves serious consideration, especially for those who love high-temperature cooking methods. Avocado oil is perfect for making dips, marinades and dressings and is an excellent option when sauteing something because of its high smoke point at 520 degrees.

It’s packed with monounsaturated fats and has a neutral, avocado-like taste. Some studies suggest that avocado oil may have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and heart health benefits.

Cardiologists particularly appreciate avocado oil’s composition and stability under heat. Avocado oil is high in monounsaturated fats, which can help reduce bad cholesterol levels and lower the risk of heart disease.

Additionally, avocado oil contains antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds, which can further benefit heart health. Unlike some oils that break down and lose their beneficial properties when heated, avocado oil maintains its integrity at cooking temperatures.

If you’re looking for a heart-healthy cooking oil, both Han and Garcia-Benson recommend avocado oil. It’s rich in good fats and has a higher smoke point than most plant-based cooking oils, which makes it perfect for sauteing.

This makes it particularly valuable for stir-fries, roasted vegetables, and other dishes that require sustained high heat without compromising the oil’s heart-protective qualities.

Canola Oil Proves Its Worth Despite Controversy

Recent social media attacks on canola oil have confused many consumers, yet cardiologists continue to recommend it based on solid scientific evidence. I generally use canola oil in my cooking, as it has the best overall effect on cholesterol profile.

This endorsement from practicing cardiologists carries significant weight in the ongoing debates about seed oils. In terms of heart health, canola oil has several favorable attributes, says Dr.

Crosby. It’s a decent source of alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), the main vegetarian source of essential omega-3 fatty acids.

Like EPA and DHA (the omega-3 fats found in fatty fish), ALA has anti-inflammatory and other effects thought to benefit cardiovascular health. This omega-3 content sets canola oil apart from many other cooking oils.

Canola oil also contains phytosterols, which are compounds that occur naturally in plants that may help lower cholesterol. For these reasons, people should consider canola oil a safe and healthy option for saut’ing, stir-frying, roasting, and baking.

The combination of affordability, versatility, and proven heart benefits makes canola oil a practical choice for everyday cooking. We reaffirmed the evidence that we’ve seen again and again, of swapping out the saturated fat from animal foods for cooking with plant oils, including canola, sunflower, and safflower.

Seed oils lower LDL cholesterol compared to butter, lard, and beef tallow. The scientific consensus continues to support canola oil as a heart-healthy choice despite viral social media claims to the contrary.

Safflower and Sunflower Oils Show Promise

These lesser-known oils deserve recognition for their impressive nutritional profiles and heart-protective properties. Safflower oil presents a neutral taste great for marinades, dips and sauces as well as lightly searing and sauteing on the stovetop.

Like avocado oil, it has a high smoke point (around 510 degrees) and it’s high in unsaturated fatty acids. A recent study found that incorporating this healthy oil into your diet can help reduce the risk of coronary heart disease and improve inflammation, blood sugar management and cholesterol.

Sunflower oil shares many of the same benefits, particularly when consumed as part of a balanced approach to cooking fats. However, if people use seed oils to cook or complement otherwise healthy meals – such as stir-frying vegetables with sesame oil or lightly dressing a salad with sunflower oil – the benefits far outweigh any potential health risks.

The key is using these oils as part of an overall healthy eating pattern. For example, oils like flaxseed or hemp seed are rich in omega-3 fatty acids which have anti-inflammatory properties, support heart health and decrease the risk of high blood pressure.

Additionally, when consumed in moderation, seed oils like sunflower or safflower can be part of a balanced diet, especially if they’re minimally processed. Quality matters significantly when choosing these oils – cold-pressed or expeller-pressed versions retain more beneficial compounds.

Grapeseed Oil Offers Unique Antioxidant Benefits

Grapeseed oil is rich in omega-6 fatty acids and vitamin E. By incorporating this heart-friendly oil into your diet, you can enjoy a reduced risk of heart disease because of its high antioxidant properties.

This oil represents an excellent example of how different cooking oils can provide unique nutritional advantages beyond basic heart health. Grapeseed oil is high in polyunsaturated fatty acids and antioxidants.

It has a high smoke point and a neutral flavor, making it a good choice for cooking as well as baking. The neutral flavor profile makes it particularly versatile for dishes where you don’t want the oil to compete with other flavors, while still providing cardiovascular benefits.

The antioxidant content in grapeseed oil sets it apart from many other cooking oils. These compounds help protect against oxidative stress, which plays a role in cardiovascular disease development.

While not as extensively studied as olive oil, grapeseed oil represents a valuable addition to a heart-healthy cooking arsenal, especially for high-heat applications where its stability shines. However, moderation remains key with grapeseed oil, as with all cooking fats.

Its higher omega-6 content means it works best when balanced with omega-3 rich foods or oils. Think of it as one tool in your kitchen toolkit rather than your only cooking fat.

Sesame and Walnut Oils for Finishing Touches

These specialty oils excel in specific applications where their unique flavors and nutritional profiles provide both taste and heart benefits. Walnut oil is rich in omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants.

It has a delicate nutty flavor and is best used in salad dressings for low heat cooking. The omega-3 content in walnut oil rivals that found in fatty fish, making it a valuable plant-based source of these essential fats.

Sesame oil brings both flavor and tradition to heart-healthy cooking. When making a vegetable stir-fry, for example, he said he would use toasted sesame oil.

The key with sesame oil is understanding its proper use – a little goes a long way in terms of both flavor and nutrition. Toasted sesame oil contains compounds that may help reduce inflammation and support cardiovascular health.

These oils work best as finishing touches rather than primary cooking fats. A few drops of walnut oil in a salad dressing or a splash of sesame oil at the end of cooking can enhance both the nutritional profile and flavor of your meals.

Their relatively high cost and distinctive flavors make them perfect for targeted use rather than everyday cooking. The omega-3 content in these oils provides anti-inflammatory benefits that complement the heart-protective effects of other cooking oils.

Think of them as the accent pieces in your cooking oil collection – small amounts that add significant value to your overall dietary pattern.

The Surprising Truth About Seed Oil Controversy

The recent vilification of seed oils on social media platforms contrasts sharply with decades of cardiovascular research. Some social media nutrition gurus claim seed oils are harmful.

But the science says otherwise. It’s so odd that the internet has gone wild demonizing these things.

They are not to be feared. This disconnect between online rhetoric and scientific evidence has created unnecessary confusion for consumers trying to make heart-healthy choices.

According to Marklund, the health benefits of seed oils come mainly from the linoleic and alpha-linoleic essential fatty acids they contain. Linoleic acid is the major polyunsaturated fat in our diet.

The study showed that people with the highest levels of linoleic acid in their blood had a lower risk of developing cardiovascular diseases. This research involved over sixty-three thousand participants across multiple countries and decades of follow-up.

First, while seed oils do contain high levels of omega-6 fatty acids, that’s not a bad thing. Omega-6 is a polyunsaturated fat the body needs but cannot produce itself, so it must get it from foods.

Polyunsaturated fats help the body reduce bad cholesterol, lowering the risk for heart disease and stroke. The American Heart Association supports the inclusion of omega-6 fatty acids as part of a healthy diet.

The reality is that context matters enormously. Part of why seed oils have gotten such a bad reputation, Marklund and Gardner say, is that their effects are conflated with the unhealthy foods they are so commonly used in.

French fries cooked in canola oil aren’t unhealthy because of the oil – they’re unhealthy because they’re deep-fried potatoes consumed in large quantities as part of a processed food meal.

Coconut Oil Ranks Last Despite Popular Claims

Despite its popularity in wellness circles, coconut oil consistently ranks at the bottom of cardiologists’ recommendations for heart health. Coconut oil is very high and saturated fat, approximately 80 to 90%.

Even though coconut oil has been called a super food, consuming foods with increased saturated fats can lead to elevated LDL cholesterol, which is a strong risk factor for heart disease. Unlike olive oil, coconut oil has not been shown in long-term studies to protect the heart.

The saturated fat content in coconut oil exceeds even that of butter, making it a poor choice for cardiovascular health. Dr.

Naidu points out that coconut oil has even more saturated fat than butter. Older studies, however, have shown that it might be better than butter on its effects on cholesterol, but not as good as canola, safflower or sunflower oils, which are rich in unsaturated fat.

This comparison puts coconut oil’s effects into clear perspective for heart health. Coconut oil is high in saturated fat, which can increase bad cholesterol levels and raise the risk of heart disease.

While some studies suggest that coconut oil may have health benefits, it is generally not recommended for people looking to improve their cardiovascular wellness. The evidence consistently shows that coconut oil’s high saturated fat content outweighs any potential benefits it might offer.

For people who enjoy the flavor of coconut oil, using it sparingly as a flavor enhancer rather than a primary cooking fat represents the most heart-conscious approach. Small amounts won’t derail an otherwise healthy diet, especially when balanced with oils higher in unsaturated fats.

Making Smart Choices in Your Kitchen

The key to heart-healthy cooking lies not in finding one perfect oil but in understanding how to use different oils appropriately. If you want a neutral oil that won’t overpower food, use avocado, canola, grapeseed, safflower, or sunflower oil.

For high-heat cooking, oils with higher smoke points protect both flavor and nutrition. The best choices from a nutrition, affordability and availability perspective are olive, rice bran and canola oils.

Olive, canola and rice bran oils are all good choices. Practical considerations matter as much as nutritional benefits when building sustainable cooking habits.

The best oil is one you’ll actually use consistently as part of a heart-healthy eating pattern. Storage and usage practices affect the heart benefits of any oil.

One thing to keep in mind when using vegetable oils is that you should avoid repeatedly reheating the same oil at high temperatures, like you might do with a deep fryer – which are common in restaurants and fast-food chains. Over time, that can lead to changes in the oil that can promote inflammation in the body.

But the take-home message here, Decker says, is to eat less fried food. The best sources of heart-healthy poly- and mono-unsaturated fats are from whole foods that are close to how they are found in nature like nuts, seeds, avocado, olives and oily fish.

When vegetable oils are used sparingly, they can be included as part of a heart-healthy diet alongside plenty of vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds, legumes and whole grains. The oils serve your meals best when they enhance rather than dominate your overall eating pattern.

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