What to Use, What to Avoid, and Why
Most people worry about calories, carbohydrates, or cholesterol when thinking about heart health. But one of the most overlooked factors is the fat you cook with.
The oils used in modern kitchens can either support health or promote inflammation and oxidative stress. When fats are heated, unstable oils can oxidize and form harmful compounds that damage blood vessels and contribute to metabolic dysfunction.
Choosing the right cooking fats is one of the simplest ways to protect your health.
Below are the fats I personally recommend for cooking and the oils I recommend avoiding.
Why Cooking Fat Matters
Three factors determine whether a fat is healthy for cooking.
- Heat stability
- Smoke point
- Resistance to oxidation
When oils rich in unstable polyunsaturated fats are heated, they break down and form lipid oxidation products. These oxidized fats can promote inflammation and oxidative stress in the body.
Research has shown that the type of fat consumed influences lipid metabolism, inflammation, and cardiovascular risk markers. Studies examining fatty acid composition and cardiovascular outcomes emphasize the importance of choosing stable fats that resist oxidation during cooking.
Traditional cultures understood this instinctively. They cooked with animal fats, butter, coconut oil, and other naturally stable fats long before industrial seed oils appeared in the modern food supply.
Best Cooking Fats
The fats I recommend for cooking are stable, minimally processed, and have been used traditionally for generations.
Tallow
Tallow is rendered beef, bison, or other animal fat and one of the most stable cooking fats available.
It contains a mix of saturated and monounsaturated fats, including stearic acid. Stearic acid has been studied for its neutral effects on blood lipids compared with many other fatty acids.
Because of its high heat stability, tallow works extremely well for frying, sautéing, and roasting.
Tallow has been used in traditional cooking for centuries before the modern shift toward industrial vegetable oils. It resists oxidation and maintains stability even at higher temperatures.
Best sources of tallow include grass fed beef fat from regenerative farms or small ranches. Avoid industrial tallow sourced from heavily processed livestock.
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Butter
Butter is another traditional cooking fat that has nourished humans for thousands of years.
High quality butter contains beneficial compounds including butyrate, fat soluble vitamins, and conjugated fatty acids. Butyrate in particular plays an important role in gut health and inflammation regulation.
Observational research has shown that dairy fat consumption is not associated with increased cardiovascular risk and may even be protective in some populations.
Butter works well for sautéing vegetables, cooking eggs, and moderate heat applications. It also adds excellent flavor.
The best butter comes from grass fed cows. These animals produce milk richer in fat soluble nutrients and beneficial fatty acids.
Try to find raw butter, but at the least, pastured raised butter options,
Ghee
Ghee is clarified butter with the milk solids removed. This gives it a higher smoke point and longer shelf life compared with regular butter.
Because the milk proteins are removed, many people who are sensitive to dairy tolerate ghee very well.
Research examining ghee has shown potential benefits on lipid metabolism and reductions in markers of oxidative stress in experimental studies.
Ghee works very well for higher heat cooking and is commonly used in traditional Indian cuisine.
Look for grass fed ghee made using traditional preparation methods.
Coconut Oil
Coconut oil is another excellent cooking fat due to its high stability and resistance to oxidation.
It contains medium chain triglycerides, or MCTs, which are metabolized differently than many other fats and can be used efficiently by the body for energy.
Because coconut oil is highly saturated, it remains stable during cooking and resists oxidation.
Studies examining coconut oil show unique metabolic effects compared with other fats due to its medium chain fatty acids.
Coconut oil works well for baking, sautéing, and moderate heat cooking.
Choose organic, cold pressed, unrefined coconut oil whenever possible.
Palm Oil
Palm oil is a traditional tropical fat used for cooking in many parts of the world.
It contains a balanced combination of saturated and monounsaturated fatty acids, which contributes to its stability during cooking.
Palm oil has been widely studied among dietary fats and its effects on lipid metabolism and cardiovascular health markers.
The most nutrient rich form is red palm oil, which contains carotenoids and vitamin E compounds known as tocotrienols.
Choose sustainably harvested red palm oil that has not been heavily refined.
Best Oil for Salads and Cold Use
Olive Oil
Extra virgin olive oil is the gold standard oil for cold applications such as salads, dressings, and drizzling over food.
Olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fat, particularly oleic acid, as well as polyphenols that have powerful antioxidant and anti inflammatory effects.
Research has shown that olive oil consumption improves endothelial function and cardiovascular risk markers, including blood pressure and lipid levels.
Large population studies have also found that higher olive oil consumption is associated with lower cardiovascular and overall mortality.
Choose high quality extra virgin olive oil that is cold pressed and minimally processed.
Avoid refined olive oil blends that dilute the beneficial polyphenols.
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Cooking Fats to Avoid
Modern industrial seed oils are a major departure from traditional cooking fats.
These oils are typically extracted through chemical processing and high heat and are rich in unstable polyunsaturated fatty acids.
Examples include
- Soybean oil
- Corn oil
- Canola oil
- Cottonseed oil
- Refined sunflower oil
- Refined safflower oil
When heated, these oils oxidize easily and produce harmful lipid oxidation products.
Industrial seed oils are also extremely high in omega 6 fatty acids, which can contribute to an imbalance between omega 6 and omega 3 fats in the diet.
The biggest concerns with these oils include heavy processing, oxidation during cooking, and repeated heating in restaurant fryers.
Choosing better fats for cooking is a simple way to reduce exposure to these harmful compounds.
How to Choose the Best Cooking Fats
When choosing fats for your kitchen, follow a few simple principles.
Choose traditional fats that humans have used for generations.
Avoid highly refined industrial oils.
Look for cold pressed or minimally processed oils.
Choose animal fats from grass fed or regenerative farms.
Store oils away from heat and light to prevent oxidation.
Small changes in your kitchen can have a big impact on long term health.
