Healthy Oils & SmokePoints

When it comes to the cooking oil in your cupboard, there is a huge difference in healthfulness depending on how the oil is stored and how it will be used. First let’s get some definitions for commonly used terms on labels and discussions about oils. Term Definition

Cold Pressed Extracted without using heat.

Extracted using a screw-type machine that presses the oil out. Can be done Expeller Pressed slowly, with very little heat, or can be done quickly with lots of friction and high temperatures.

The first cold pressing which contains the best tasting and most healthful oils. Must contain less than 1% acids. By definition, this is cold-pressed and first Extra Virgin pressed, so don’t need to see these terms on the label. Must say 100% extra virgin, or may be a blend.

The first cold pressing, but can contain a little more acids than the extra-virgin Virgin (1-3 percent).

Seeds that have been genetically manipulated to decrease the amount of High Oleic essential fatty acids so that they have a longer shelf life.

Are left in their state after pressing – no filtering. These oils tend to be more Unrefined Oils flavorful and richer in nutrients, however they have a very low smoke point.

Oils have their impurities filtered out, to increase stability and allow for higher Refined temperature cooking. The processing can use toxic solvents, caustic soda, bleaches and phosphoric acid.

Smoke Point Stage at which a heated oil begins to smoke, just before it bursts into flames.

HEALTHY OILS & SMOKE POINTS PAGE | 1 © 2021 Health-Naturally.org Term Definition

Oil should smell and taste like the food it came from. It should be stored in glass and should have a date of manufacture/best used by date. Ideally pressing Buying Oil temperature is less than 115 degrees and pressed in absence of light and oxygen (omegaflo process). Store in refrigerator.

These terms can be applied to most oils, both healthy and unhealthy ones. As you’ve learned, inflammation is one of the biggest contributors to chronic disease. Our balance between omega-3 and omega-6 fats plays a major role in inflammation in our bodies, and consuming healthy fats high in these play a role in keeping us healthy. Many oils are rich in these omegas.

Healthy Oils Healthy oils include: • Apricot kernel oil • Hemp oil • Avocado oil • Lard • Butter • Macadamia nut oil • Coconut oil • Olive oil • Dairy fat (grass fed) • Pumpkin seed oil • Duck fat • Sesame oil • Flax seed oil • Sunflower seed oil • Ghee • Tallow (beef and lamb) • Hazelnut oil • Walnut oil While these oils are considered healthy, some should be consumed in moderation. Here are some guidelines:

Use Liberally Use in Moderation

Butter Coconut oil Dairy fat Almond oil Duck fat Avocado oil Ghee Flaxseed oil Lard Pecan oil Macadamia oil Sesame oil Olive oil Walnut oil Palm oil Tallow (beef and lamb)

HEALTHY OILS & SMOKE POINTS PAGE | 2 © 2021 Health-Naturally.org Unhealthy Oils Avoid industrial seed oils! Contrary to what we’ve been told, the highly processed oils extracted from industrial seeds such as soybean, canola, and corn oils are not “heart healthy” or otherwise beneficial for our bodies and brains; in fact, plenty of research indicates that these oils are making us sick.

Avoid

Canola oil Corn oil Cottonseed oil Grapeseed oil Peanut oil Rice bran oil Safflower oil Soybean oil Sunflower oil Wheat-germ oil

Smoke Points When cooking with oil, the smoke point must also be considered. The smoke point is the temperature at which both the nutritional integrity and the flavor of the fat or oil begin to break down. Oils that have passed their smoke point are likely to contain oxidized fats, which have been shown to damage cells and contribute to numerous inflammatory diseases. The smoke point typically ranges from 225 to 510 degrees Fahrenheit. When oil is overheated, its taste and nutritional value are altered. If it starts to burn, it releases free radicals into your food and toxic compounds into the air in your kitchen.

Smoke Notes Oil Point (F)

Algae Oil 485 Odorless and tasteless, and it’s great for cooking food at high temperatures.

Avocado oil is a monounsaturated fat extracted from the fruit of the avocado tree. It has a mild, buttery taste. The low-carbohydrate FODMAP Avocado Oil 520 diet, which helps reduce symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), makes extensive use of avocado oil.

Tallow is made by rendering suet which is the fat of cattle or sheep, typically the fat that surrounds the animals organs. The result is a pure fat Beef Tallow 400 that once cooled, is solid at room temperature. It can withstand high cooking temperatures without oxidizing and becoming rancid.

HEALTHY OILS & SMOKE POINTS PAGE | 3 © 2021 Health-Naturally.org Smoke Notes Oil Point (F)

Butter is a fat made by churning the cream of milk, most often from cows. Due to its rich, creamy mouthfeel and sublime flavor, which no other Butter 302 product can come close to matching, butter is by far the preferred fat to use for many cooking applications, including everything from sauce making to baking.

Duck fat when used alone or in combination with other high smoke point Duck Fat 375 oils, makes for fabulous deep-frying. Duck fat adds extra-oomph to fried chicken.

Expeller- Coconut oil is extracted from coconut flesh. Refined (expeller pressed) Pressed 450 coconut oil has a neutral flavor and can even be used in place of butter on (Refined) (refined) vegetables and in baking. Studies have found that, despite being 92 percent Coconut Oil saturated fat, this oil has excellent health properties.

Light or extra light refers to the color and flavor of the olive oil, not its calorie content, and the label on the bottle should say something to this Extra-light 390-470 extent. Extra-light olive oil is often pale and mild, as it's been ultra-refined. Olive Oil It is best suited for use in baking, or types of cooking where a neutral- tasting oil is needed.

EVOO comes from olives and contains mostly monounsaturated fat. “Extra virgin" means it's an unrefined oil in a natural state, not treated with Extra Virgin chemicals or heated. EVOO has a rich, distinctive flavor. Extra virgin olive Olive Oil 250 oil contains the highest amount of health-protecting monounsaturated fatty (EVOO) acids of any oil, along with vitamins A, D, E, K, and beta-carotene. It's rich in polyphenols, a type of antioxidant. Some studies have found that the compounds in EVOO have anti-cancer properties.

Ghee is clarified butter, a.k.a. butter that has been simmered and strained to remove all water. Clarifying butter by removing water creates a higher Ghee smoke point—about 465º F compared to butter’s 350º F. The clarifying (Clarified 482 process also removes casein and lactose, making ghee suitable for the dairy- Butter) sensitive. The absence of water even makes ghee shelf-stable, meaning it can be stored without any refrigeration for extended periods of time.

Once the world's most expensive nut, has become popular as a healthy cooking oil. It can be used for high-temperature cooking because of its very Macadamia 410 high smoke point (410 degrees F). Macadamia nut oil contains low amounts Nut Oil of essential fatty acids and equal amounts of Omega-3 to Omega-6 fatty acids.

HEALTHY OILS & SMOKE POINTS PAGE | 4 © 2021 Health-Naturally.org Smoke Notes Oil Point (F)

Palm fruit oil, also known as palm shortening, has one of the highest smoke points among cooking oils and because it doesn't have a strong flavor, it is so versatile that it can be used in everything from appetizers to desserts. (Virgin palm oil, on the other hand, is red in color and has a very distinctive Palm 455 flavor and is not suitable for high-heat cooking.) One concern people have Shortening about palm oil is that the harvest of some brands result in destruction of our rain forests. There are palm oils that are sustainably farmed. One in particular can be purchased at https://healthytraditions.com/collections/palm-shortening

350 Made from sesame seeds, this nutty oil has an extremely high antioxidant Sesame Seed capacity, meaning it's good at fighting free radicals. It's also higher omega-6 Oil 450 content than some other oils, so use it in moderation. (refined)

The following oils should only be used raw: Cold or room temperature (no cooking): • Almond Oil • Hemp Seed Oil • Apricot kernel Oil • Pumpkin Seed Oil • Flax Seed Oil • Sunflower Seed Oil • Hazelnut Oil • Walnut Oil

Now that you have the skinny on oils and cooking with oils, be sure and check your cupboards for any unhealthy or rancid oils you want to toss, move your oils to better storage, and when using recipes, substitute healthy oils for unhealthy ones!

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HEALTHY OILS & SMOKE POINTS PAGE | 5 © 2021 Health-Naturally.org