We've Been Wrong About Healthy Cooking Oils.

TLDR; — A study heated the ten most common cooking oils and found that Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) contained the fewest toxic compounds at the end, even though it has one of the lowest smoke points.

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The Prevailing Theory of Cooking Oils

For years, my oil selections in the kitchen have followed the standard guidelines passed around in health-focused circles. These consist of:

1. Use extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) or butter for dressings or low-heat applications.
2. Use regular/refined olive oil for medium heat.
3. Use coconut oil, avocado oil, or ghee for high heat.

The core principle behind these guidelines was to constantly balance the applied heat with the oil's smoke point. Once oil hits its smoke point, it starts oxidizing, breaking down, and releasing toxic compounds and free radicals into your food.

The theory was that EVOO, being largely unfiltered, contained a more significant number of compounds that the high heat would damage, and thus, its health value would drop off rapidly when used for cooking.

Conversely, it was assumed that heavily processed oils such as canola oil, grapeseed oil…