The more saturated a fat, the less likely it is to get rancid when it’s used for cooking. The term rancid refers to the chemical break of a fat, due to its oxidation. Ingesting these fats (once they’re rancid) increases the likelihood of cardiac diseases and atherosclerosis.  To avoid eating rancid fats we should cook with oils higher in saturated fat.

The problem is, contrary to what most people think, extra virgin olive oil can’t stand very high temperatures (only up to 320º F), so, it isn’t good for cooking at high temperatures. So, despite thinking olive oil is a good option for cooking, there are other oils that can withstand much higher

In order for us to make a good choice for a cooking oil, the table below shows the percentage of saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats in various types of oils. For example, coconut oil would be a good choice for cooking, since it’s 91% saturated fat, as a pose to safflower oil which has only 75% saturated fat.

SEE ALSO: MYTH-HYPERTROPHY TRAINING DOESN’T BURN FAT!

We shouldn’t let oils reach their boiling pont while we cook. The boiling point is when an oil reaches a temperature where it starts to break very rapidly. This way, the oil can become darker, thicker or even gain a bad smell. Obviously it’s best if we choose a cooking oil with a higher boiling point.

Oil	% monounsaturated fat	% polyunsaturated fat	% saturated fat	boiling point (ºF)
Avocado Oil	70	10	20	520
Almond Oil	78	17	5	420
Canola Oil	54	37	7	400
Coconut Oil	7	2	91	350
Flaxseed Oil	19	72	9	225
Grapeseed Oil	17	71	12	400
Macadamia Nut Oil	85	6	9	410
Peanut Oil	47	29	18	320
Hemp Seed Oil	12	80	8	330
Palm Oil	40	10	50	450
Rice Bran Oil	48	35	17	490
Safflower Oil	13	75	12	225
Sesame Oi	42	45	17	350
Sunflower Seed Oil	23	65	12	225
Nut Oil	25	56	18	320