5 Disease Preventing Cooking Oils

We all love delicious food, this goes without saying. Without a second thought, many of our favorite meals are prepared by frying, or in general with some amount of oil.

However, have you ever thought about the oil food is prepared with? Just because it is vegetable based, does not mean it is good for you, or even safe for that matter.

Luckily, there are some great cooking oils, that not only help prevent health risks, but actually support good health, especially that of the heart.

These are good oils that should be taken advantage of, as they can prevent diseases and promote overall health.

1. Coconut Oil

What was traditionally considered “exotic,” coconut oil is fast making its way back to being the premier choice for cooking.

In recent years with a resurgence of interest, coconut oil has been heavily researched and found to be superior for daily use. Amongst its marked properties are:

• Stability – coconut oil is not liquid at room temperature, but rather a semi-solid. It is able to survive for month or even years when keep in an airtight container without going rancid and is such perfect for stored use.
• Rich in Lauric Acid – Lauric, which has a marked effect on reducing cholesterol levels and is extremely favorable to overall heart health.
• Rich in Medium Chain Triglycerides – MCTs found in coconut oil are able to produce ketone bodies, compounds, which act as alternative energy sources to carbohydrates. This makes coconut oil especially helpful when trying to keep up energy levels on a low-carb diet and improves weight loss.

2. Olive Oil

A very popular oil, likely to be the most well known for its benefits on health. 100% pure extra virgin olive oil has been shown to improve HDL levels, reduce LDL, and improve heart health significantly.

Olive oil is best used for stir-frying or low heat preparation, since under high heat it may lose some of its natural health benefits.

3. Palm Oil

A relatively unknown type of cooking oil in many parts, it is extracted from the fruit of oil palm trees. Red palm oil in particular is rich in Vitamin E and coenzyme q-10, potent anti-oxidants. The oil is very stable and is perfect for high heat cooking.

4. Avocado Oil

A rarely used oil, but one with tons of benefits. The oil is extracted from the flesh of the avocado, as opposed to the seed like many other oils.

Rich in monounsaturated fats which are extremely good for heart heath, as well as the anti-oxidant lutein which is important for maintaining the health of eyes.

As if that’s not enough, avocado oil has been shown to boost absorption of fat soluble vitamins, making a perfect for low carb diets.

5. Rice Bran Oil

Not often used in the West, but a traditional staple in Japan and many other Asian countries.

This oil is very stable at room temperature and is also suitable for high temperature cooking.

Research has found that rice bran oil contains a unique anti-oxidant compound, which can help to improve cholesterol levels in addition to its high content of unsaturated fats, which are the best for heart health.

Keep in mind that rice bran oil is still calorie heavy, so use sparingly, though sparingly really applies to all oils, as they are calorie rich. Generally, 2 to 3 tablespoons a day is advised.

2 Oils Of Concern

You may have noticed the exclusion of two very popular oils, soybean, and canola.

The reasons are simple, based on a broad segment of the population; these two oils are really not good enough to be considered necessary for overall health.

Most canola oils are highly processed “synthetic” versions of another oil, and are produced using toxic chemicals.

Soybean oil, on the other hand is too high in its omega-6 content, which is a fatty acid that actually promotes inflammation in the body, hastening aging, disease and many other undesirable conditions.

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