If you want to prevent heart disease, a healthy cholesterol number is key for success. What you eat greatly impacts your cholesterol. Many of the recipes and dishes that you love include some type of oil to add moisture and flavor. With so many oils to choose from, which oils will help keep your numbers under control? Let’s find out which oils you should keep on your pantry shelf!
How It’s Made
There’s no surprise that olive oil comes from olives that grow on the olive tree. Olive oil is extracted from pressed olives. There are three main types of olive oil: Extra virgin, virgin, and refined. Extra virgin olive oil is considered to be the top choice. If you compare it to the other olive oils, it is darker in color, has more flavor and aroma, and has more nutrients and antioxidants.
Extra virgin oil is made from pure cold-pressed olives. Virgin olive oil is made from a blend of cold-pressed and refined oil while refined oil is completely processed.
Impact on Cholesterol
Olive oil is made primarily of a monounsaturated fat called oleic acid. Studies show that eating foods and oils that are rich in monosaturated fat can help to improve your cholesterol and lower your risk for heart disease and diabetes.
Some studies have shown that olive oil improves the function of blood vessels, decreases inflammation, and decreases the breakdown of LDLs (bad cholesterol). This is the reason extra virgin olive oil is a big component of the Mediterranean diet.
How It’s Made
Coconut oil is made by pressing fresh coconut meat or dried coconut meat. Virgin coconut oil only uses fresh coconut meat while refined oil uses dried coconut meat. However, you won’t see the description “virgin” or extra virgin” on coconut oil labels. What you may see are the descriptions “expeller pressed” or “cold-pressed”.
Expeller pressing uses steam or heat to press the oil from the coconut and cold pressing removes the oil without using heat. Cold-pressed coconut oil is thought to retain more nutrients.
Impact on Cholesterol
Coconut oil is antibacterial and anti-inflammatory, but is it good for your cholesterol? Unlike olive oil, coconut oil is a saturated fat. This means that it is a solid at room temperature.
One study showed coconut oil to raise overall cholesterol and LDLs during a 5-8 week coconut oil diet. The American Heart Association advises replacing saturated fats like coconut oil with mono- and polyunsaturated fats.
How it’s Made
Avocado oil is made by cold-pressing avocado paste that is made from ripe avocados. The oil and water components are separated by equipment called a centrifuge.
Impact of Cholesterol
Avocado oil is high in oleic acid, which is the same monounsaturated fat found in olive oil. Its high smoke point makes it a good option to fry foods. Avocado oil is rich in antioxidants and is effective in increasing HDLs (good cholesterol).
How Is It Made?
The name Canola was invented by scientists who developed an edible version of the rapeseed plant. They named the plant Canola by combining, “Canada” and “ola” from oil. Over 90 percent of canola crops grown in the United States are GMO (genetically modified). Canola seeds are cleaned, flaked, cooked, and 50 percent of the oil is expeller pressed. The remainder of the oil is removed from the flakes by a chemical.
Impact on Cholesterol
Canola oil is not filled with an abundance of nutrients. It has small amounts of Vitamins E and K but does not offer other vitamins or minerals. Canola oil is high in omega- 6s, which are important for optimal health. However, the Western diets that many eat consists of too many omega- 6s and not enough omega-3s.
The canola oil in your grocery store is highly refined and studies show that it can lead to metabolic syndrome (conditions that increase your risk for heart disease, stroke, and diabetes). When compared to the saturated fats found in butter, canola oil may reduce your LDLs.
Selecting an oil that will lower your cholesterol can feel like an overwhelming task. Reading the nutritional labels on the oils that you purchase can give you more insight on what’s inside.
Remember, oils contain high calories so, take care to measure the oils that you use in your favorite dishes. Let’s make our hearts proud of healthy cholesterol!
Dr. Candace McMillon-Dantley is on a mission to inspire and educate women to health. She is the author of Woman, Take Off Your Cape!, a collection of stories that reflect the lives of real-women who put everything first, except themselves. She is the creator of The Doc Knows, a health and wellness site for women. Connect with Dr. Candace on Instagram @drcandace.
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