On good and bad oils

These days, you can pick any food off the shelf in a supermarket, and there's a good chance it will contain some sort of cheap oil, usually in ultra-processed food. Try it - pizzas, bread, sausages, ready made meals, sauces, snacks, cereals, chocolate and even some drinks. You name it.

They are a common ingredient due to their affordability (of course) and have a neutral flavor that won't affect the taste of the main food they are selling you. But they do contribute to making foods hyperpalatable - promoting overconsumption. Look out for these on the ingredient list, they can be called:

Sunflower oil

Corn oil

Soybean oil

Sesame oil

Grapeseed oil

Vegetable oil (which is a blend of Rapeseed, corn or soybean oils)

And of course, the most popular of all - Rapeseed oil, or sometimes listed as Canola oil.

Seed oils have historically been considered healthy, but although there is mixed evidence and a few experts fighting over data, recent studies have raised concerns about the high omega-6 content compared to omega-3, suggesting they contribute to inflammation. Rapeseed, in particular, was linked to heart issues in animals, so its processed further to make it safe for human consumption.

There are health experts who claim seed oils are responsible for the decline in health, as the graph line for disease and obesity matches that of seed oil consumption. However, correlation is not always causation, and there are many other factors to consider, like UPFs and sugar in general.

In fact, new emerging data shows them as ok and in some cases even better that Olive oil.

So it's not to say you shouldn't use or eat anything that has seed oils in the ingredients. It 'might' be OK. But as the Longevity Plan is about zero risk, and they tend to be in UPFs, I suggest you try to avoid foods with these oils in the ingredients list if at all possible.

Remember, if in doubt, leave it out.

Here are some better choices among others (but still in moderation):

Extra virgin olive oil (ideally cold pressed)

Coconut oil

Avocado oil

Cold pressed or Non chemical / non high heat produced oils (Opt for cold pressed oils using traditional methods or mechanical means only)

These oils contain more stable fats (like monounsaturated and saturated fats), which are less prone to oxidation. Olive oil, in particular, is well-studied for its health benefits.

The issue with some of these oils is they have flavours to them, which can affect the main dish, unless you want it to. For me, I tend to use olive oil when cooking any type of European dish (or drizzling on a salad) or coconut oil for anything Asian.

Olive oil and Coconut oils smoke at lower temperatures, meaning they are not really any good for frying. However, Avocado oil has a high smoke temperature making it a good choice for shallow frying if you really want to.

Whatever oil you use, it should be consumed sparingly and only if necessary. Poaching, boiling and steaming is always a better option to retain nutrients.