Dietitian Shares The 1 Cooking Oil Rule They Follow For A Healthy Heart
Some people worry that seed oils (like sunflower, peanut, and soybean oil) are bad for us because they contain an omega-6 fatty acid (linoleic acid).
But this, experts claim, does not actually cause the inflammation it's accused of creating.
Kerry Beeson, a qualified nutritional therapist at Prep Kitchen, previously told HuffPost UK: 'Seed oils are objectively quite healthy, in that they're typically low in saturated fats.'
Writing for UC Davis Health, cardiovascular dietitian Margie Junker, who focuses on how our diets affect heart health, shared that she loved flax and peanut oil.
'Liquid plant oils are rich in unsaturated fats, which reduce low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and heart disease risk,' she said.
But, she added, she avoids one particular type of fat for cooking.
'I stay away from fats that are hard at room temperature, such as bacon grease, shortening and margarine,' she told the university.
According to the World Cancer Research Fund, most cooking fats are higher in saturated fats.
'Too much fat in your diet, especially saturated fats, can raise your cholesterol, which increases the risk of heart disease,' the NHS added.
Other solid cooking fats include ghee, lard, and butter.
'I also avoid tropical oils (coconut, palm, and palm kernel), animal fats (butter and lard), and partially hydrogenated fats,' Junker shared.
Coconut oil has some of the highest saturated fat levels of all common cooking oils (86% to butter's 52%).
So, while Junker said she 'occasionally' adds coconut oil or butter to a dish for flavour, she chooses not to cook with them.
The British Heart Foundation recommends rapeseed oil as their best pick alongside olive oil, while Junker likes avocado oil most.
But though some oils and fats are higher in saturated fats than others, fats of any kind should not make up more than 35% of our diet.
'Current UK government guidelines advise cutting down on all fats and replacing saturated fat with some unsaturated fat,' the NHS shared.
Combining lower-saturated fats with moderation is key to better heart health.
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