Healthiest cooking oil?

[Sim882]

I use to avoid frying (even lightly) food at all costs, but started doing it recently with olive oil spray and noticed how much better veggies cost.

So I have 2 questions.

I'm aware there is a danger that the oils can turn into danagerous free radicals when heated, particularly polyunsaturated oils (e.g., flaxseed).

(1) Is there such a thing as healthy frying

(2) What oil is the healthiest cooking oil?

My guess is coconut (stable sat fat, but MCT's so healthier I'm guessing) or macadamia oil (almost no poly, mainly mono).

What does coconut oil taste like too frying with?

 

[ceo]

I use grapeseed as it has one of the highest burn/flash/whatever points. You can heat it a lot higher than say olive oil. Look into it.

 

[guest username]

I use a lot of olive oil when I cook (I cook with stainless steel, none of this Teflon coating crap). The thing to remember with olive oil is extra virgin will smoke at a lower temperature, so if you're cooking with high heat, get regular olive oil and not virgin or extra virgin. For once, virgins are a bad thing!

 

[Sim882]

Isn't rapeseed high in polyunsaturates? Oxidation issues would arise when cooking?

 

[ceo]

Isn't rapeseed high in polyunsaturates? Oxidation issues would arise when cooking?

Grapeseed, foolio...not Rapeseed!

 

[Sim882]

Acid Type Average Percentage Range
Linoleic acid ω−6 unsaturated 69 to 78%
Oleic acid ω−9 unsaturated 15 to 20%
Palmitic acid
(Hexadecanoic acid) Saturated 5 to 11%
Stearic acid
(Octadecanoic acid) Saturated 3 to 6%
α-Linolenic Acid ω−3 unsaturated 0.3 to 1%
Palmitoleic acid
(9-Hexadecenoic acid) ω−7 unsaturated 0.5 to 0.70%

 

[Captain FT]

I like virgin coconut oil but I don't use it all the time.

Coconut oil is not destroyed by heat. The medium chain fatty acids are very resistant to heat and even commercial oils heated to very high temperatures retain their MCFA's. Coconut oil is one of the best and safest oils to use in cooking.

Numerous studies now show that the high lauric acid content of coconut oil is very beneficial in attacking viruses, bacteria, and other pathogens, and that it builds the body's immune system.

*EDIT* I chose "Other" since most coconut oil is different from organic virgin coconut oil.

 

[mikearama]

Coconut oil here too. No higher source of MCT's available.

 

[Sartene]

sesame oil is a cure for high blood pressure

 

[1999TL]

I use a lot of olive oil when I cook (I cook with stainless steel, none of this Teflon coating crap). The thing to remember with olive oil is extra virgin will smoke at a lower temperature, so if you're cooking with high heat, get regular olive oil and not virgin or extra virgin. For once, virgins are a bad thing!

I learned this first hand! Pan was on fire like I was doing a magic trick.