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Here I examine some of the most common cooking oils available on the shelves of Supermarkets and Australia. The value of an oil should be judged by it nutritional content, levels of carcinogens (ie extraction solvents), trans-fat level and finally it's suitability for serving cold and for high temperature cooking.
Sunflower Oil:
The lesser of evils, sunflower oil is the processed oil that will probably do the least harm. Sunflower oil is reasonably stable when extracted as it is low in polyunsaturated fats containing more mono-unsaturated fats and saturated fats. If you can find cold-pressed unrefined sunflower oil then by all means use it, but needless to say the refined version more commonly found on the supermarket shelf is not as nutritional and may contain about 0.5% trans-fats from deodorising processes applied to it. If you must eat a packet of chips, those cooked in sunflower oil are probably the best you will find at the moment.
Limited use for cooking is advised as it is still an unsaturated fat. Excessive consumption of sunflower oil will supply the body with too much Omega 6 with respect to Omega 3.
Safflower Oil:
Not unlike sunflower oil in stability, and rich in natural antioxidants which may give it an edge over sunflower oil in stability and nutritional value. Quality varies with level of refinement. Trans-fat levels will vary from zero to 0.5% in the more processed varieties.
Unrefined safflower oil should only be consumed raw, ie as a salad oil due to it's high unsaturate levels.
Rice-bran Oil:
The latest fad oil, this oils is apparently very rich in vitamins and antioxidants. The high levels of the antioxidants apparently make it quite stable for cooking. The problem is that even antioxidants cannot protect an oil high in polyunsaturates from polymerising eventually after extensive use in cooking. Take-away outlets are being encouraged by some nutritionists to use this to replace animal fats or hydrogenated oils that they currently use.
With the wonderful promotion this oil is getting one question not being asked is: How is this oil extracted? It is very difficult to extract oil from rice bran and no doubt solvents like hexane are used to achieve this. I could be wrong but I would prefer to use high quality olive oil for my salads until someone can show me a simple natural method of extracting rice-bran oil!
However even with this question-mark over the safety of rice-bran oil, the use of it to replace hydrogenated oils will undoubtedly have health benefits to consumers of fast food.
Following some correspondence with Alfa-One I am pleased to publish some information about rice-bran oil see Rice Bran Oil.
To sum up, rice-bran oil is currently solvent extracted using hexane. They claim that the residual levels are too low to be of harm. Needless to say, no-one can know for certain how safe hexane is in these quantities.
Alfa-one are also proud of the high-levels of plant sterols in the oil, which help slow cholesterol absorption. Given the importance of cholesterol in the diet, I would not consider this an advantage!
The use of this as a replacement for hydrogenated oils in take-away foods is to be encouraged, however given this is a solvent extracted oil, I recommend that you take the hype with a grain of salt. Execessive use of this oil may also be detrimental to the bodies ability to absorb natural sources of cholesterol if the claims are true. The cholesterol lowering properties of unsaturated oils are generally short-lived as the body is forced to work harder to make it's own.
see The Cholesterol Myth
Canola Oil:
This is the second biggest menace on our shelves, it is cheap and nasty. High in polyunsaturated fats it is extremely unsuited for any cooking, and has very little nutritional value. The deodorising process of this oil produces a small amount of trans-fats but are apparently some of the nastiest!
The only thing going for it is the suggestion that the polyunsaturated fat can lower cholesterol, but more recent research shows that this effect is temporary at best, and has little effect on reducing heart disease.
Infact increases in consumption of highly polyunsaturated fats have a positive correlation with heart disease levels!
Soybean Oil:
No other oil has done more damage to human health than this wolf in sheeps clothing. Like canola oil it is high in unstable polyunsaturated oils that make it very inappropriate for cooking. To counter this, it is generally hydrogenated. Some soybean oils on the supermarket shelf are 5% trans-fats, the cheaper ones are generally unlabelled so it is anyones guess how much damage they do. The 'better' brands are generally 1-2% trans fat but are still a highly refined oil containing little nutrition. Like many refined oils, their extraction process may involve using industrial solvents.
Hydrogenated fats made from soybean oil contain up to 40% trans-fats and find their way into baked goods and confectionery, and are the most dangerous ingredient in foods today.
Makes a good slow acting poison! or may have potential as a bio-fuel for diesel engines.
Olive Oil:
All nutritionists agree on the value of olive oil, and its health properties are never disputed. Unfortunately they are talking about a product which might not be the what is found on our supermarket shelves. Cold-pressed (preferably first pressed) is extracted from the juice of the olive, and requires no additives or un-natural processes to extract. The product is high in antioxidants which not only protects the oil from going bad, but are very useful to the human body, in protecting against cancer and heart disease.
The supermarket offers a huge range of olive oils, but light olive oils should be avoided completely, they are often a mixture of canola, highly refined olive oil (solvent extracted) with maybe some real olive oil to give it colour. Look for locally produced oils to be safe and have accreditation from Australian or New Zealand Olive growers association. Real olive oil should not contain any trans-fats! The occurence of trans-fats in olive oils means it is a de-odirised product (light olive oils) and probably contains pomice oil or canola oil.
Peanut Oil:.
Unrefined nut oils can be a good option for cooking. Levels of polyunsaturates are low to medium giving them reasonable stability. They generally contain more saturated fats than other vegetable oils giving them extra stability in cooking.
Sesame Oil:
When full of flavour you can be assured that it is a good source of natural antioxidants. These antioxidants also keep it stable naturally. A great cooking oil to be used in moderation, as it does contain moderate levels of polyunsaturated fats. Omega 6 levels are quite high as with respect to omega 3, so moderation is recommended.
Butter and Gee:
Dairy fats are ideal for cooking as they are very stable and can be considered to be trans-fat free. In fact they contain what is known as ruminant trans-fats which should not be mistaken for those produced by hydrogenation. Ruminant trans-fats make up about 2-3% of the oil, and are importantly shown to be play a part in protection against cancer . Whole-food nutritionists advise consumers to use butter from pasture fed cows and preferably organic. Butter contains compounds and fats that help protect the heart from heart disease, cancer and improve metabolism. Butter has a good balance between Omega 3 and Omega 6 fatty acids. Omega 3 levels are improved when sourced from pasture fed cows, and even higher again from clover fed cows (as in organic products).
Beef Tallow:
Similar in properties to butter and dairy fat, it use to be the main cooking oil in take-aways stores. It is generally high in saturated and mono-unsaturated fats. It is very stable and has many of the same healthy properties of butter and ghee. Bad press from modern-nutritionists about saturated fats have caused fast-food stores to change to vegetable oils and have resulted in the high levels of hydrogenated oil being consumed in Australia and New Zealand.
Beef fats are sadly missed in the diets of the lazy consumer who need these fats the most!
Coconut oil
Hard to find in New Zealand but maybe called copha in Australia, this oil is mentioned because of the amazing properties it has. Coconut oil is the most saturated fat available at about 90%.
The fat has been show to have remarkable abilities in fighting obesity by increasing metabolism. It also boosts the immune system, and tastes great!
Virgin coconut oil can be found in a few radical health stores and organic shops, but is very overpriced for a product that is used as a bio-fuel in Asia.
Proponents of coconut oil have demonstrated that it does not cause heart disease as claimed by modern nutritionists, infact populations that use it in cooking generally have very low levels of heart disease.
Great for cooking because of its stability as well.
Beware of hardened and or refined coconut fat, which may contain trans-fats from hydrogenation.
Correction: 13/12/2006 see comments below: |
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12 Comments
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Comment By: Rhys Jameson |
6:29PM 12/12/2006 |
G'day! Very good read, just letting you kow coconut oil is not called Copha in Australia. Copha is a product made of hydrogenated coconut oil and does not contain the beneficial properties that you mention on your page (because of the process of hydrogenation). We do have plain coconut oil that has a natural smokey taste to it and is yellow in colour, but is hard to find. I have also had coconut oil that was white and had little to no taste at all, which I prefer over the pure smokey type but I'm not quite sure what had been done to it to remove some of the aroma (definitely not hydrogenated though). Hope this helps a little.
Cheers from Aus
Rhys |
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Comment By: Gordon Rouse |
11:03AM 13/12/2006 |
Thanks Rhys
I guess I wont be eating chocolate crackles again!
Hydrogenated coconut oil does not contain trans-fats, as it is fully hydrogenated. Nethertheless, would never recommend it!! |
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Comment By: Gordon Rouse |
11:14AM 13/12/2006 |
| I believe the white coconut oil you mention is steam treated to de-odorise it. I find this very bland. In New Zealand Kaiora produce an expeller pressed full flavour coconut oil without the yellow colour or smokey flavour you mention. This is my favourite. |
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Comment By: Michelle Knight |
9:27AM 19/4/2007 |
Hi there, thought I could let you know that I get my Virgin Coconut Oil from Australia's branch of Tropical Traditions. It is Organic, unrefined, undeoderised, white and has a much better taste (no smokey) than any other one I've had. Comes in glass bottles and they ship to your door even to NZ which is where I am. I can highly recommend both their oil and their coconut cream (doesn't even compare to the canned supermarket stuff!) A bit expensive to get it shipped to NZ but I did it in bulk which saves a bit, and I know I won't run out for a while! Their website is a wealth of information also and worth checking out, address below.
Cheers, Michelle
http://www.tropical-traditions-australia.com/ |
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Comment By: Shintaro Fume |
5:59PM 20/11/2007 |
| I have seen the Ceres brand of coconut oil here in NZ, which has no odour or coconut taste, is this because it is hydrogenated? |
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Comment By: Gordon Rouse |
5:12PM 21/11/2007 |
No, it is deodirised (with steam). This does not damage coconut oil like it
does with polyunsaturated oils, so it is still a healthy oil, but my
preference is for the non deodirised coconut oil, for the flavour. |
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Comment By: Yee Chin Yeoh |
11:24PM 29/12/2007 |
| Michelle, may I know how to order the Tropical Tradition virgin coconut oil online from the Australian website? I entered all the details but the site told me that there is an error --- selected destination cannot be reached by sea. I am in Otago. --- Jean |
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Comment By: Rachael Barker |
1:05PM 4/1/2008 |
Michelle, I would also like to know how you managed to order the coconut oil from the website you mentioned (http://www.tropical-traditions-australia.com/). It mentions on the website that delivery is to Australia only - maybe this is a recent change.
If they do actually still deliver to NZ, can you tell me Michelle which coconut oil you get - is it the virgin coconut oil, or the expeller pressed non-aromatic one?
Also, in the meantime, I have just bought a jar of the Kaiora virgin coconut oil to try out. Just wondering if anyone can tell me how you include it in your diet, without using it to cook with. I thought I read somewhere that some people eat coconut oil straight from the spoon. Maybe some are really nice tasting, however I had a tiny taste of the Kaiora one and there is no way I could eat it like that - it would've made me totally sick. It wasn't really the taste that put me off but more the texture (I don't think I could eat straight butter from the spoon either). So I spread all of it (1 tablespoon) on to 2 thick corn wafers then put a bit of vegemite on top - I made myself eat it all, though it was not a pleasant experience at all!
So does anyone have any ideas? I would prefer to have the coconut oil with my breakfast and lunch (1 tablespoon with each meal).
I do plan though to buy a bulk amount of another brand from one of the Australian websites recommended on this website (another one someone mentioned is: http://www.elaeisorganic.com/) as I think it works out cheaper, even taking into account postage costs. Maybe these other coconut oils taste good enough to eat straight from the spoon? |
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Comment By: Tammy Robinson |
1:00PM 3/2/2008 |
| Hey Rachael, I have been taking the Kaiora coconut oil for about 3 weeks. I also couldn't take it straight from the spoon so what I do is put a tablespoon in a glass then fill it a third with hot water to melt the oil, stir it until it's melted, then put a bit of cold so it's drinkable, hold my nose and down it! I have to say that I haven't lost any weight though, and no increased energy. Has anyone else had no effect from it? I have noticed my skin is softer which is great and I got asked for ID (I'm 31) which made me happy! |
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Comment By: Gordon Rouse |
3:49PM 3/2/2008 |
Although I have mentioned that coconut oil does help with weight loss, the studies that found this were looking at people who were reducing calories overall, those who took coconut oil with their diet regime on average I recall had 25% more weight loss. (let me know if you want the reference)
The reason could be the lauric acid or the iodine could have been important.
So I will stress, it is not a magic bullet, by itself it does not cause weight loss as far as I know - only assists. Of course I am also assuming there is excess weight to lose! Aids patients who use coconut oil actually put on much needed weight!
If you find the the process so offensive I would suggest you abandon the oil straight, and try to use fall cream coconut cream in your cooking regularly.
A coconut curry chicken (free range of course) with whole grain rice (soaked first of course) cannot be beat! |
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Comment By: Michelle Knight |
6:05PM 13/2/2008 |
| Hi There, Sorry I haven't responded earlier, I've been overseas and haven't looked at this site in a while. I went to www.tropical-traditions-australia.com and click on "order oil" from the menu on the left side I see that it says delivery to Australia (not sure why I phoned them and they do send to NZ) DON'T click on "click here to order" I go ahead and click on the product I want my order anyway, I use the Coconut cream concentrate and the regular Organic virgin coconut oil, haven't tried the expeller pressed as I don't think it was available when I ordered a while ago (I see now that Tropical traditions USA has changed the whole range with various levels of quality and gold labels etc). This will take you to your shopping cart on another website called "ion life" who process the purchasing for TT Aus, click "proceed to checkout" and you will be given the option of choosing country within your details. you will get an email with final shipping cost which I warn are expensive because it is airmail only by Australia Post (a dozen 1litre glass bottles cost over $100 to send). Anyway if this all sounds too hard just give them a call at +61 2 6685 6471 and they can process your order by phone. Hope this has helped a little, best wishes. |
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Comment By: david parkin |
4:08AM 2/3/2008 |
| i can only say thaks for the imformation alfa 1 rice bran oil what damage can the way they extract it further imfomation would be handy as i know a lot of people that have switched to it the extraction of the oil is intresing could you send me some email on this so i can pass this oto the people that hav switched to this oil please |
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Current Poll Results
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The milk I consume most is: |
Naturalea 4% unhomogenised (
13 %)
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Farmhouse (4%) unhomogenised (
5 %)
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Standard (3.3%) homogenised (
8 %)
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Low Fat Milk Homogenised (
33 %)
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Real Farm Milk - non pasteurised (
41 %)
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