When you are grocery shopping there are a lot of options for you to choose from when it comes to cooking oils. Figuring out which are best for what you want to make in the kitchen and for helping optimize your overall health and wellness can be tricky! This article will help break down the best cooking oils to help support your heart and brain health with ease and efficiency.
When selecting an oil, you want to make sure you are selecting ones that are rich in unsaturated fat and lower in saturated fat, which are essential for helping you lower your risk from heart attack or stroke. We also want to consider what the smoke point of your oil is, especially when you are sautéing up veggies for a stir fry or browning a piece of fish. Smoke point refers to the temperature in which the cooking oil starts to smoke and burn, which can make your food have an unpleasant burnt taste and may destroy beneficial nutrients.
Let’s dive into the list of best cooking oils below for your heart and brain health!
Olive Oil
Olive oil is an essential pantry staple for your Mediterranean style cooking. Olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fatty acids which can help reduce your cholesterol and thus risk of heart attack or stroke. It also has anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties like polyphenols, which can help reduce oxidative stress and support healthy brain function, cognition and memory. Incorporating olive oil into your diet can contribute to a Mediterranean-style eating pattern associated with better heart and brain health outcomes.
When cooking with olive oil, use extra virgin olive oil for lower-heat cooking methods like sautéing and drizzling over salads. For high-heat cooking like frying or roasting, opt for regular olive oil which has a higher smoke point to prevent the oil from breaking down.
Grapeseed Oil
Grapeseed oil is another wonderful option to use when cooking for your heart and brain health. This cooking oil is made from the fats inside the seeds of grapes, and is rich in unsaturated fat and Vitamin E. Grapeseed oil is great for lowering cholesterol and is high in antioxidants that may help reverse your brain aging.
This cooking oil is a versatile option for many recipes whether you are roasting, grilling, frying or sautéing or vegetables and protein as it has a very neutral flavour. It can also be used in salad dressings
Avocado Oil
Avocado oil offers numerous health benefits, including helping to improve cholesterol levels and support a healthy cardiovascular system. This oil has a mild, buttery flavour with a relatively high smoke point to enhance perfect making dips, marinades and dressings and is an excellent option for sautéing, grilling or roasting.
We hope you enjoyed learning about the best cooking oils for your heart and brain health. If you want to learn more about how to optimize your diet to support your health naturally, we’d love to work with you!
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