From seed oils to olive oil, we now have an overwhelming choice of what to cook with. Here’s how they all stack up, according to the scientific evid

The complete guide to cooking oils and how they affect your health

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2024-11-08 14:30:16

From seed oils to olive oil, we now have an overwhelming choice of what to cook with. Here’s how they all stack up, according to the scientific evidence

Whether you are roasting a chicken in the oven, browning onions in a frying pan or choosing a spread for your toast, oils are at the heart of our culinary activity.

We have a dizzying array of choice. From sunflower to flaxseed, avocado to coconut, around 30 varieties of oil are now used for cooking. Your decision on which to use could have a profound effect on your health, with consequences for your cholesterol, blood pressure and risk of cardiovascular disease.

If you believe the headlines, then palm oil is out, sunflower oil is on shaky ground and there seems no end to the benefits that extra virgin olive oil brings to the table. But are these claims backed up by solid science? And how do the health effects of these products weigh up against their environmental costs?

We’re finally working out why the Mediterranean diet is so good for usWe have known for decades that the Mediterranean diet lowers the risk of heart attack and other conditions – now we are starting to understand how certain components of the diet work their magic