In the realm of culinary decision making, there are a variety of edible oils. Choosing the right one can be challenging. There is so much information available; an oils health properties, it’s manufacturing & sustainability, the price, its environmental impact and air miles. For some of us, it can be a learnt behaviour; ‘I use this oil because mum does and so did Nana’.
Naturopathically trained in nutrition I use oils and whole foods medicinally. I love how these can be blended together for their health and flavour benefits. I want to eat food that tastes good and food that feels good. A part of an oil’s health property is how it’s produced, where it has come from and then how it is used.
Understanding the Nutritional Landscape
Oils are more than flavour carries, they are an integral part of our diet, providing essential fatty acids (EFA’s) and fat-soluble vitamins, they also impact the body in different ways. To understand the health benefits of oils, these can be broken down into four categories of ‘fats’; trans fats, saturated fats, monounsaturated fats and polyunsaturated fats. Not all fats/oils are created equally or should be used in equal measure. As a rule of thumb, the difference between a fat and an oil is that a fat is solid at room temperature, while an oil is liquid. Both can be used to cook or bake with.
Different Fats – what are they?
Trans fats |
Saturated fats |
| Are an unsaturated fat that occurs naturally in milk and some meat products.
Trans fats are also created through an industrial process that adds hydrogen to vegetable oil, extending its shelf life. Hydrogenation binds extra hydrogen atoms to empty spaces along chains of carbon atoms that make up the fat. |
Are mainly found in meat or dairy and some plant sources.
A saturated fat is made up of chains of carbon atoms that are all bonded with hydrogen. NB. Saturated fats are solid at room temperature.
|
Monounsaturated fats |
Polyunsaturated fats |
| Are generally liquid at room temperature and contain one unsaturated carbon bond or double bond in the molecule. | Contain more than one double bond in their carbon chain, with empty spaces for hydrogen along the chain, making them unsaturated.
Polyunsaturated fats include omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, which are found in a variety of animal and plant-based sources.
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The Fats & Oils Traffic Light System
As a food source, this is what fats and oils look like in our diet.
| Trans fats
Margarine Shortening (solid vegetable oil used in baking) |
Saturated fats
Butter, Ghee Coconut Oil, Dripping |
| Monounsaturated fats
Olive Oil Avocado Oil Seed Oils Nut Oils |
Poly unsaturated fats (Essential Fatty Acids)
Omega 6 – soybeans & soybean oil, sunflower oil, sunflower seeds, walnuts & flaxseeds. Omega 3 – fatty fish; salmon, tuna, herring, mackerel & trout.
|
Here, I have used a traffic light system to code each category on usage.
Red – there is no health benefit to trans fats (margarines or vegetable shortening). Trans fats are found in long shelf life and frozen baked goods.
Orange – use in moderation. Saturated fats still hold the vibration of their origin and have been modified without interrupting their molecular structure; milk into butter or ghee, coconut into coconut oil, meat fat into dripping.
Green – be generous, but balanced (the recommended Omega ratio is 4:1 (omega 6: omega 3)).
Fruits (e.g., olives and avocados), nuts and seeds which have been pressed to extract their oil (omega 6). Or oils found in fatty fish (omega 3).
* Fats and oils are made up of a combination of saturated, monounsaturated and poly unsaturated fats. However, the higher the percentage of one over the other dictates its classification.
For a full list of oils and fats; The Concise New Zealand Food Composition Tables, 14th Edition 2021 https://www.foodcomposition.co.nz/downloads/concise-14-edition.pdf
How do oils and fats impact our health?
Quality oils and fats are an integral part of our physical health. ‘Fats and oils do not make us fat’ but have key parts to play at all levels through the body. What is important is how fats and oils are processed and how they are used within our diet.
Olive, avocado, seed and nut oils are (mainly made up of) monounsaturated fats. They have a positive impact on heart health by reducing LDL cholesterol levels (“bad” cholesterol) while maintaining (or even increasing) levels of HDL cholesterol (“good” cholesterol). They have anti-inflammatory properties that the body absorbs and distributes to joints, muscles, organs and areas of injury. Studies suggest that a diet rich in monounsaturated fats improves insulin sensitivity, potentially lowering the risk of type 2 diabetes. Improved insulin sensitivity helps regulate blood sugar levels more effectively. Monounsaturated fats are necessary in the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K). These are used within the immune system, for bone health and antioxidant protection.
Polyunsaturated fats (EFA)’s
Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs) or poly unsaturated fats, fall into two categories, Omega 6 and Omega 3. Omega 3 is obtained via food, specifically oily fish or as a supplement. In New Zealand, and most Western countries, Omega 6 (e.g., soybeans & soybean oil, sunflower oil, sunflower seeds, walnuts & flaxseeds) is easily available and consumed in high quantities for its health benefits. However, the omega balancing act is in its ratios – 4:1, Omega 6 to Omega 3 – something that we regularly get wrong.
Omega 3 and omega 6 are associated with cardiovascular health, lowering levels of LDL cholesterol and reducing the risk of coronary heart disease. Omega 3 is an anti-inflammatory (it is useful for joint inflammation or inflammatory conditions like rheumatoid arthritis) and can even be applied topically to the skin to move inflammation. Omega 3 components, EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid), are essential for brain health; specifically, the development and function of the central nervous system.
Why saturated fats are important
Butter, ghee (clarified butter) coconut oil and dripping or saturated fats are a concentrated energy source providing the body with approximately 9 calories per gram. This can be beneficial for people with high energy requirements, such as athletes or those with physically demanding jobs. They are also essential to cellular health; specifically, the building, structure and integrity of the cell membrane. Saturated fats are involved in the synthesis of hormones, particularly the psychological and reproductive hormones, testosterone and oestrogen. Like monounsaturated fats, saturated fats aid in the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K). Recently, my aunt and I have been reminiscing about her childhood and her parents. My grandmother would make a weekly roast, the best way to feed a large family, and nothing was wasted. The meat juice and fat were poured into a jar or cup, the fat settling on the top and solidifying into dripping. It was then dripping sandwiches for school lunches and granddad’s tea.
Creating a synthesis with oils and fats within our diet allows them to have a positive impact on our health. Too little means the body does not have the building blocks for cardiovascular health, to be used as anti-inflammatories, to ensure hormones are correctly manufactured and used appropriately, to support healthy brain function and development or to ensure cell membrane integrity.
When oils and fats are used inappropriately or consumed above or beyond their requirements, then the body is quick to respond. In my opinion, one of the biggest impacts to health is the over consumption of trans and saturated fats, particularly paired with a sedentary lifestyle. This has led to obesity, insulin resistance and compromised heart health. The balance between omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids (4:1) is crucial and yet misunderstood. The modern Western diet has an excess of omega-6 fatty acids, potentially contributing to inflammatory processes.
Origin & Processing
Oil quality comes down to the way the product has been grown and refined. When making a decision around the right oils and fats in your diet, the questions to ask are:
Has the original seed, nut or fruit come from a genetically modified crop?
How has the animal been raised (when considering dripping, butter or ghee)? Grass fed and/or organic?
Where has the fruit, nut, seed or animal travelled from? Local, national or international?
Has the product been stored properly?
What is the refining process that has taken place to produce the oil or fat? The processing procedure may have consequences on the oil’s quality, therefore it’s health benefits and how the body uses it.
Olive, avocado, nut and seed oils need to be processed gently; cold pressed. Heavily processed oils lose their nutritional value and are often propped up by with additives. Canola oil is heavily damaged through processing. Coconut oil is refined, bleached and deodorised. Organic virgin coconut oil is cold pressed. Omega 3 and omega 6 oils are prone to oxidation, as are our olive oils and their companions. When these oils oxidize, they produce free radicals, contributing to cell damage. Oxidisation can occur when oil travels long distances, if it is not stored correctly (dark glass bottles or containers, in cool temperatures) or it is past its shelf life.
New Zealand organic gardener and children’s illustrator, Tricia Legg remembers her first taste of olive oil, ”65 years ago, we had to take a teaspoon of it every day. It has a horrible medicine. What we didn’t know was, the oil was rancid, it had travelled all the way from Europe by boat. We’d never tasted it before. It wasn’t until the 1990’s that olive oil was properly introduced and readily available to New Zealanders and used with food.”
Processing Terms, what do they mean?
| Cold-pressed: Extracted by mechanical pressing with little or no heat and then filtered.
Darker colour, stronger natural flavour, high antioxidants. |
| Expeller-expressed/hot-pressed: extracted by squeezing the seed, fruit or nut at high pressure.
Retains most of their flavour, aroma, colour and antioxidants. |
| Refined: produced on a large scale (generally, canola, soya bean and grapeseed) using heat and a solvent, is then bleached, deodorized and distilled.
Less flavour, aroma, colour and fewer antioxidants. Cheaper & stable at high cooking points (deep frying). |
| Extra-virgin: The highest-grade oil. Fruit, nut or seed (generally olive) is pressed and has minimal processing.
High flavour, colour and levels of antioxidants. |
Smoking Point, the technicalities
The smoking point of an oil or fat is the heating point at which the oil starts to smoke. A burnt pan, a room filled with smoke and the release of free radicals from the oil. This compromises not only the flavour of the oil or fat, but also the integrity of its health benefits. Common Sense Organics have recently blogged on cooking oils and have used this quick reference chart on smoking points, https://commonsenseorganics.co.nz/blog/the-commonsense-guide-to-cooking-oils/
Every oil has its uses and its medicinal qualities. My rule of thumb; only heat an oil or fat which is solid at room temperature. If it is a liquid, use it as a dressing, as a dip or to dribble onto cooked food, like a mash or pasta. I use this rule for ease, most of us don’t realise how hot our pans are until the oil is at smoking point. I like saturated fats; butter, dripping, ghee and coconut oil. These products are close to their origins (when manufactured with care) and the body understands how to digest and utilise them. I do not use saturated fats in excess, there is no need, but they should feature in a balanced diet. Organic virgin coconut oil and butter are my cooking oils of choice. There is value in these traditional recipes. For salads, I love a local, cold pressed tangy olive oil.
Rendering Your Own Dripping: A Return to Tradition
Use high-quality animal fat; beef, lamb or pork fat. Slowly melt it down over low heat.
OR roast your meat and reserve the juices and fat. Filter out any solids.
What remains is a golden, versatile dripping that can add depth and flavour to your dishes (or sandwiches).
Rendering your own dripping provides a connection to culinary traditions and allows you to control the quality and source of the fat. A sustainable and mindful approach to cooking.