15 Good Oils To Use As Food.

Fats and oils are one of the three macronutrients needed by our bodies for energy and some body functions like cell growth support. They help in the absorption of some nutrients like vitamins and in the production of some hormones.

Due to the fact that our bodies need fats for functioning well, we need to consume some on a daily basis, so it is important to understand the oils and fats that will benefit the body by promoting health. Oils and fats are made up of fatty acids.

3 main kinds of fatty acids found naturally:

1. Monounsaturated fats are liquid at room temperature and are relatively stable to heat and light. They are good for cooking at low to medium temperatures. These have one double bond.
2. Polyunsaturated fats are also liquid at room temperature, least stable to heat and prone to oxidation easily because of their two or more free double bonds. Oxidation produces free radicals. They are best used raw or added to already cooked food.
3. Saturated fats are solid at room temperature, very stable at high temperatures because they have single bonds. They are ideal for cooking at high heat.

When cooking it is important to know that not all oils are ideal for cooking because heat can cause changes which are sometimes undesirable.

Below is a table of 15 oils for food and their fatty acids composition.

Oil Source	Monounsaturated fatty acids %	Polyunsaturated fatty acids %	Saturated fatty acids %
Red Palm	40	10	50
Coconut	6	2	92
Ground nut	48	3	18
Virgin Olive	78	8	14
Sunflower	14	79	7
Wheat germ	22	61	7
Almond	65	28	7
Canola	62	31	7
Flaxseed	18	75	57
Avocado	65	18	17
Walnut	24	67	9
Sesame	41	44	15
Safflower	15	77	8
Soybean	25	60	15
Grapeseed	17	73	10

The oils that are high in unsaturated fatty acids are good but are not ideal for cooking with heat. Omega-3 fatty acids are monounsaturated fatty acids. Other oils are hempseed oils, hazelnut oils. Real butter is an animal fat that has been given a bad name but is in fact nutritious and healthier than a lot of its hydrogenated fat replacements. Butter is made up of 28% monounsaturated fatty acids, 4% polyunsaturated fatty acids and 68% saturated fatty acids.

Choose natural oils and do away with most of the oils whose sources are questionable. Good food is good medicine, so good oil will also be good medicine.

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