Sarah: There are three important factors that affect an oil when you cook with it, which change its taste but also change potentially some of the health effects. Jonathan: As a general rule of thumb, it's good to pick oils that have a higher smoke point and avoid heating above 170 degrees centigrade or also 340 degrees Fahrenheit. Sarah: Extra virgin olive oil has more of these bioactive nutrients such as polyphenols, which are really special because they reduce the impact of free radicals caused by oxidation.Jonathan: refined oils usually have higher smoke points like I pointed out, but they often have less of the beneficial plant chemicals we find in olive oils.
We use it to fry, roast, or dress a salad. Cooking oil is a kitchen staple. But it's hard to know which is healthiest for each scenario.
In today’s short episode of ZOE Science & Nutrition, Jonathan and Sarah ask: what cooking oils should you use and when?
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Studies referenced in the episode:
- ‘Heated vegetable oils and cardiovascular disease risk factors’ from Vascular Pharmacology here
- ‘Does cooking with vegetable oils increase the risk of chronic diseases?: a systematic review’ from British Journal of Nutrition here
- ‘Culinary oils and their health effects’ from British Nutrition Foundation here
This podcast was produced by Fascinate Productions.