Which healthy edible oils are available?

There are many healthy edible oils. Which of them are best suited depends strongly on the intended use (frying, cooking, salad dressing) of the oil. Some healthy oils are listed below.

Olive oil: This oil is available both cold pressed (not suitable for frying) and hot pressed (suitable for frying at medium temperatures). Olive oil contains many monounsaturated fatty acids and has a relatively favorable ratio of Omega 3 to Omega 6. Rapeseed oil: Rapeseed oil has a high proportion of Omega 3 fatty acids and alpha linolenic acid and is therefore considered very healthy.

In the kitchen it is considered an all-rounder and can be used for almost everything. However, it is not the first choice when frying over high heat. Linseed oil: This oil also has a good omega 3 to omega 6 ratio and has a positive effect on overall health.

It is mostly used in non-heated oil, for example in salad dressings. Avocado oil: This oil is very expensive, but has a very good heat resistance, a high smoke point and a relatively neutral taste, making it ideal for frying.Other healthy edible oils are walnut oil, grape seed oil, coconut oil, sunflower oil or black cumin oil. This topic might also be of interest to you: Healthy nutrition

Olive oil: This oil is available both cold pressed (not suitable for frying) and hot pressed (suitable for frying at medium temperatures).
Olive oil contains many monounsaturated fatty acids and has a relatively good ratio of Omega 3 to Omega 6.

Rapeseed oil: Rapeseed oil has a high content of Omega 3 fatty acids and alpha linolenic acid and is therefore considered very healthy. In the kitchen it is considered an all-rounder and can be used for almost everything.
However, it is not the first choice when frying under high heat.
Linseed oil: This oil also has a good omega 3 to omega 6 ratio and has a positive overall health effect. It is mainly used in non-heated oil, for example in salad dressings.
Avocado oil: Although very expensive, this oil has a very good heat resistance and a high smoke point, as well as a relatively neutral taste, making it ideal for frying.

There are two points that determine whether an oil is suitable for frying or not. One is its heat resistance and the other is its smoke point.

These two factors are particularly important from a health point of view and should therefore always be considered. If an oil is not heat-resistant, it can decompose at unsuitable high temperatures, sometimes producing substances harmful to health. It is similar with the smoke point.

If the temperature is too high, the oil starts to smoke (the smoke contains volatile components of the oil such as water, free fatty acids and other oxidation products), and the gases released in the process can have harmful effects on the organism when inhaled. When buying an oil, the intended use must therefore always be taken into account. Generally speaking, refined (hot-pressed oil) oils and fats with a high proportion of monounsaturated or saturated fatty acids and a smoke point above 200°C are the most suitable.

Usually it is already marked on the label whether oils are suitable for frying or not. Oils that are suitable for frying and at the same time healthy are for example rapeseed oil or avocado oil, as a cheaper alternative there are the so-called high-oleic oils (HO oils), these are obtained from specially cultivated sunflowers and thistle varieties. When cooking, as with frying, it is important that the oils used are heat-resistant and have a higher smoke point.

However, since the same high temperatures are often not reached during cooking as during frying, the selection of healthy oils available is correspondingly larger. Cold pressed oils, such as many olive oils, are less suitable for cooking as they only remain stable up to temperatures of about 130°C. The best for cooking is refined rapeseed oil, because it is heat resistant and neutral in taste. Peanut oil, coconut oil and sunflower oil are also healthy for cooking. It is important to make sure that also here the relationship of Omega 3 to Omega 6 fatty acids is good and that the oil is as far as possible built up from saturated or simply insatiated fatty acids.