What Type of Cooking Oil is Healthiest?

This is something I never even thought to ask when I was younger. My mom always used vegetable oil and I never thought much of it. When I was in college, I started using olive oil because that is what was promoted as the healthier oil at the time.

Olive oil is great, but as a salad dressing, not a cooking oil. Its chemical structure makes it susceptible to oxidative damage when heated.

Over the last few years, I’ve really started paying attention to what I put in my body, and what goes into my family’s bodies. I’ve done a lot of research on health and nutrition to come to these conclusions. Of course, I always recommend reading multiple sources when making any decision, especially when it comes to your health.

My preferred cooking oil is coconut oil. I never even knew it existed until a couple years ago. At first it seemed weird because it turns to a solid when it’s cold out, but that’s because of the saturated fats in it.  Saturated fats get a bad rap, when it’s trans fat and hydrogenated oils that we have to worry about.

You only have to use a little coconut oil… it goes a long way. It has a nice, rich flavor that tastes good with just about everything. So, what makes it best to cook with?

Due to its chemical structure, coconut oil is able to resist heat-induced damage. Some other health benefits touted for coconut oil include promoting heart health, maintaining normal cholesterol levels and stimulating your metabolism.

One natural health website I follow is Mercola.com. He has a great overview of coconut oil here. He sells coconut oil from his site, but it’s pricy. This is the type I typically buy: Spectrum Naturals – Coconut Oil Unrefined.

Have you used coconut oil before? What do you think of it?