Avocado oil, flaxseed oil, canola oil—what's the difference, and which are the best cooking oils for men's health? With so many options in the cooking aisle, it can feel overwhelming to choose.
For men's health, the top cooking oils are olive oil, avocado oil, and safflower oil. These oils are rich in omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants, making them excellent choices for overall wellness.
We're here to guide you through the various cooking oils so you can confidently pick the best cooking oil for men's health and one supports your health and lifestyle.
What Makes Up Cooking Oils?
Many recipes call for a cooking oil to saute or flavor meals. These oils are fats, which are macronutrients that contain a chain of fatty acids attached to glycerol. There are several different types of fats.
Fats are important for providing the body with energy, hormone and gene regulation, boosting mood, and supporting brain function, and they give the body the ability to absorb vitamins such as Vitamin A, D, E, and K, which are fat-soluble. Also, fats make foods tastier.
Unhealthy fats are saturated and trans fats.
Saturated fats are fats that become solid at room temperature. These are usually found in animal products such as butter, milk, yogurt, cheese, bacon fat, coconut, and palm oils. Saturated fats can affect your cholesterol levels and lead to an increased risk of heart disease. According to the American Heart Association, only eat 5-6% of your daily calories from saturated fats.
Trans fats show up on packaging labels as “partially hydrogenated oils.†They are commonly found in processed and prepackaged foods. Most trans fats are artificially made by adding hydrogen to liquid vegetable oils to make them more solid. These fats are easy to use, have a long shelf life, and are cheap to make. They also give foods a pleasing texture and taste.
But, trans fats raise your bad (LDL) cholesterol levels and lower your good ones (HDL).
Not all fats are bad, in fact, healthy fats are essential macronutrients that your body needs to function. When you are looking for the best cooking oil for men's health, you should look for ones that are made up of monounsaturated fats.
Monounsaturated fats are liquid at room temperature but turn to solid when they are chilled. These oils reduce bad cholesterol levels and lower your risk of heart disease and stroke. They also help to maintain your body's cells and provide vitamin E and important antioxidants.
The right cooking oil can help lower your risk of cardiovascular disease and improve your bad cholesterol levels.
How To Choose the Best Cooking Oils
If you are looking to lower your cholesterol or just make some healthy switches, you should look for cooking oils that are low in saturated fats. However, it is also important to consider two other aspects before committing to a new cooking oil: flavor and smoking point.
Different oils bring different notes to meals. It's important to choose an oil that complements the food you are preparing. Several oils have strong flavors, such as sesame oil or coconut oil. Others are more subtle such as canola oil, vegetable oil, and grapeseed oil.
Additionally, each type of oil has a temperature at which they begin to smoke. This is called a smoke point. The smoke is not great for you and leads to burnt and bad-tasting food. So, you need to make sure you cook with an oil that can take the heat of the cooking method you are going to use it with.
Cooking oils with very high smoke points are best for high-heat cooking such as searing, browning, and deep frying. Medium-high smoke points are perfect for stir-frying, baking, and oven cooking. Medium smoke point oils are best for sauces, low-heat baking, and light sauteing. Some oils are not great for cooking and should only be used in marinades, dips, and salad dressings.
Below is a brief overview of the types of oils and their smoke points:
Very High Smoke Point
- Almond oil
- Hazelnut oil
- Light Olive Oil
- Avocado oil
- Palm oil
Medium High Smoke Point
- Canola oil
- Grapeseed oil
- Macadamia oil
- Light Virgin Olive Oil
- Peanut oil
Medium Smoke Point
- Hemp oil
- Corn oil
- Pumpkin Seed oil
- Sesame Oil
- Soybean Oil
- Virgin Coconut Oil
Low Smoke Point- Do Not Use For Cooking
- Flaxseed Oil
- Walnut Oil
- Wheat Germ Oil
You may want to have on hand a couple of different oils so you can prepare meals in a variety of methods.
What Are The Healthiest Cooking Oils?
After you've considered taste and smoke points, you need to look at the health benefits of the different cooking oils. Highly refined cooking oils contain fewer nutrients than unrefined oils. You can tell the difference by the appearance of the oil. Unrefined oils will be cloudy and may contain particles, whereas highly refined cooking oils will be smooth and more opaque.
The food source that the oil is derived from also affects the health benefits of cooking oil. Cooking oils that come from plants or seeds with a lot of fatty acids will have more fatty acids in them. They are also more likely to contain unsaturated fats, which are better for your heart health.
Here is a list of the healthiest cooking oils for men's health and their benefits:
#1 Olive Oil
Olive Oil is a versatile cooking oil. It has a smoking point of about 350 degrees Fahrenheit, which makes it good for baking and sauteing. It even works well in cold dressings. The flavor is mild, grassy, and slightly peppery. It complements many dishes.
This type of cooking oil is made up of oleic acid, a type of monounsaturated fat. Oleic acid which may provide anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer properties. It is also full of Vitamin E, an antioxidant.
As a replacement for saturated fats such as butter, olive oil can also lower bad LDL cholesterol and raise good HDL cholesterol levels.
When buying olive oil at the store, look for extra virgin olive oil. It is the least processed form and retains more of its antioxidants. However, it does come with a larger price tag.
#2 Avocado Oil
Avocado oil can take higher temperatures than olive oil with a 520-degree Fahrenheit smoke point. This is a great oil for deep frying and searing because of its higher smoke point. It tastes similar to avocados. The quality of the oil depends on where the avocados were grown and how they were extracted. Higher-quality extra virgin avocado oil is extracted using only mechanical methods and without chemicals.
Similarly to olive oil, this oil contains a high content of lipids with about 42-52% of them being oleic. It is high in monounsaturated fatty acids and low in saturated fats. Yet, avocado oil contains a higher ratio of omega-3 fatty acids than olive oil, but less vitamin E. But, avocado oil can improve insulin, glycemia, total cholesterol, and inflammation.
#3 Safflower Oil
Safflower oil is made from the seeds of safflower, an herbaceous, thistle-like plant. You can cook with this oil at high temperatures. Its smoke point is 510 degrees Fahrenheit. It is low in saturated fat and has a high percentage of unsaturated fats.
It comes in different linoleic amounts. High oleic safflower oil may help to reduce the risk of coronary disease. This oil has a neutral flavor and works well in cold dishes as well as for grilling or stovetop cooking.
Like olive and avocado oil, it promotes heart health, and blood sugar management, and possesses anti-inflammatory properties.
Better quality oils come with a major downside-price. It is a lot cheaper to buy partially hydrogenated oils because they are simpler for companies to make. You may have to compromise for an oil that has reduced saturated fats but that is easier on your wallet. Yet, the benefits that you'll feel and see from better quality oil usually balance out the cost.
Which Cooking Oils Are the Worst for Your Health?
There are some oils that you may want to consume in limited quantities. These oils are either full of saturated or trans fats, or they are chemically processed. Be sure to read the label of cooking oil bottles before buying a product. Also, research the company online and find out where they source their ingredients and how they process their oil. This will ensure you're getting a quality product.
Some of the most unhealthy fats to cook with are partially hydrogenated oils. These are a source of trans fats and are super-processed. These are the cheapest oils on the market and often come in large bottles. Palm oil has equal parts of saturated and unsaturated fats, making it less healthy than many other oils on the market, but not as unhealthy as the latter.
Canola oil is an oil that is often touted as one of the healthiest vegetable oils on the market. It is low in saturated fat and full of omega-6 fatty acids. Omega-6 (or alpha-linolenic acid) is a type of omega-3 fatty acid that comes from plant sources. These fatty acids boost brain health and the companies claim they are heart-healthy. It can also lower blood pressure and LDL cholesterol.
This type of cooking oil is also rich in vitamins E and K. It has a high smoke point, which makes it perfect for frying. However, if this oil is consumed at too high of quantities it can lead to obesity, chronic conditions, and heart disease. Some studies suggest cooking with canola oil may increase your risk of metabolic disease.
More studies are needed to completely understand the effects of canola oil on men's bodies.
Coconut oil is another controversial oil. Since it is solid at room temperature, it contains a lot of saturated fats. However, it has a higher amount of fatty acids and some studies suggest it may lower cholesterol. But, other researchers have found that this oil raises bad cholesterol. While the jury is still out, it's best to use this oil in moderation.
What Is The Best Cooking Oil For Weight Loss?
Most people agree that olive oil with its high unsaturated fat content, versatility, and mild taste is one of the best oils for weight loss. It's easy to switch out a saturated fat oil like bacon grease or partially hydrogenated oil with olive oil in most recipes. It is also a popular choice for people on the Mediterranean diet, which many claim to be effective for weight loss. However, any of the healthy cooking oils mentioned above would work.
You should always remember to eat oils in moderation. Fats should only make up about 20-35% of your daily calories. You should try to switch out as much of your saturated fats as possible with healthier, fat-busting unsaturated fats.
If you are having trouble creating a meal plan that meets your wellness needs, seek out a registered dietitian. They can help you to create a dietary plan that will help you meet your weight loss goals.
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Conclusion
Choosing the right cooking oil can help you make small steps towards a healthier diet. Choose cooking oils with a smoke point that matches your cooking style, a flavor that compliments your meals, and that is low in saturated fats for best results.
Be sure to eat food cooked in oil in moderation. Olive oil, avocado oil, and safflower oils are some of the best cooking oils for men's health. Read labels closely and research the company that produces the oil to find the best-sourced cooking oils.
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