Robert’s Note
If you don’t have time to read this entire article, here’s the short version:
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) is the healthiest cooking oil.
That may surprise some people, especially because coconut oil, avocado oil, ghee, butter, beef tallow, lard, and various seed oils all have passionate supporters.
However, after reviewing the available research on heat stability, oxidation, polar compound formation, polyphenol content, antioxidant activity, cooking performance, and human health outcomes, extra virgin olive oil consistently rises to the top of the list. [1,5]
In fact, I have only one cooking oil in my home:
Extra Virgin Olive Oil.
If you’d like to understand why, keep reading.
This article will explain why smoke point may not be the most important factor when choosing a cooking oil, why food scientists often focus on polar compounds instead, and why extra-virgin olive oil remains my top recommendation based on current scientific evidence.
Important Note
There is no single study that can determine the “healthiest” cooking oil.
In this article, I use the term healthiest to refer to the combination of:
✓ Cooking Stability
✓ Resistance to Oxidation
✓ Polar Compound Formation
✓ Polyphenol Content
✓ Antioxidant Activity
✓ Cooking Performance
✓ The Broader Body of Human Health Research
When viewed through that lens, one oil consistently rises to the top.
What Is the Healthiest Cooking Oil?
Many people want to know:
“What is the healthiest cooking oil?”
Some people say olive oil.
Others say avocado oil.
Many people swear that coconut oil is the best choice because it is rich in saturated fat and highly resistant to oxidation.
Some prefer traditional fats such as ghee, butter, beef tallow, or lard.
And many people have concerns about seed oils such as safflower oil, grapeseed oil, soybean oil, corn oil, sunflower oil, and the various oils commonly found in vegetable oil blends.
The truth is that choosing a cooking oil is not as simple as looking at the label. Recent research suggests that the most important question may not be which oil you use, but what happens to that oil when it is heated. [1,2]
Let’s take a closer look.
The Problem with the Smoke Point Myth
For many years, consumers were taught to choose oils based primarily on their smoke point.
The smoke point is the temperature at which an oil begins to visibly smoke.
A common belief is:
Higher Smoke Point = Better Oil
But research suggests this idea is overly simplistic.[1]
Scientists have found that smoke point alone does not predict how stable an oil will be during cooking.[1]
Here’s why.
When oil is exposed to heat, it doesn’t simply sit there unchanged. The oil begins to undergo chemical reactions.
As cooking continues, some of the fat molecules can become damaged. They may react with oxygen, break apart, or combine with other molecules. Scientists refer to these changes as oil degradation. [2,3]
Think of it this way:
A fresh apple left on your kitchen counter eventually turns brown.
A piece of metal left outside eventually rusts.
And cooking oil, when exposed to heat, eventually begins to deteriorate.
The oil may still look normal, but its chemistry is changing.
As oils degrade, they can form compounds not present in fresh oil, including oxidation products and polar compounds. [2,3]
Researchers have linked some of these compounds to oxidative stress, inflammation, and other potential health concerns. [3,4]
This means that two oils could have similar smoke points, yet one may remain relatively stable during cooking while the other produces significantly more degradation products.
In other words:
Smoke Point Tells Us When an Oil Begins to Smoke.
It Does Not Necessarily Tell Us How Much the Oil Has Deteriorated.
And that deterioration may influence the types and amounts of compounds we consume when eating foods cooked in that oil. [2-4]
Why Most Consumers Have Never Heard of Polar Compounds
One of the most interesting parts of this discussion is that most consumers are familiar with smoke points, but very few have ever heard of polar compounds.
Yet many food scientists and regulators pay far more attention to oil degradation than smoke point alone. [2,6]
For decades, consumers have been taught to focus on:
🔥 Smoke Point
But scientists often focus on:
⚠ Total Polar Materials (TPM)
Because TPM reflects what has happened to the oil during cooking.
It tells us how much deterioration has occurred.
It tells us how many degradation products have accumulated.
And in many countries, TPM is used to determine when frying oil should be discarded.[6]
In other words:
Smoke Point Is a Consumer Concept.
TPM Is a Food Safety Concept.
Oil Quality Begins Before You Turn on The Stove
Many people assume that oil degradation begins when cooking starts.
In reality, oxidation can begin long before an oil reaches your kitchen. [2,3]
Factors that can influence oil quality before purchase include:
☀ Light Exposure
🌬 Oxygen Exposure
🌡 Heat During Storage
⏰ Time
🚚 Transportation
🏭 Manufacturing and Refining
This does not mean that every bottle of oil on a grocery store shelf is heavily damaged.
However, it does mean that some degree of oxidation may occur before the consumer ever opens the bottle. [2,3]
Some oils also contain naturally occurring compounds that help protect them from oxidation.
One example is extra virgin olive oil, which contains polyphenols and antioxidants that contribute to its stability.[5]
This is one reason many premium olive oils are packaged in dark glass bottles rather than clear containers.
What Happens When Oil Is Heated?
When cooking oils are exposed to:
🔥 Heat
🌬 Oxygen
☀ Light
♻ Repeated Use
They begin to break down. [2,3]
As oils degrade, they form polar compounds.[2]
Scientists often measure these degradation products using a test called:
Total Polar Materials (TPM)
Think of TPM as a report card for cooking oil.
Low TPM generally means less degradation.
High TPM generally means more degradation.
The more an oil is heated and reused, the higher the TPM tends to become. [2,3]
What Are Polar Compounds?
Many people hear the phrase “polar compounds” and assume it refers to a single chemical.
It does not.
Polar compounds are a collection of breakdown products that form as oils deteriorate. [2,3]
Examples include:
Aldehydes
- 4-Hydroxynonenal (4-HNE)
- Malondialdehyde (MDA)
- Acrolein
Oxidized Fatty Acids
- Lipid Hydroperoxides
- Oxidized Linoleic Acid Products
Polymerized Fats
- Triglyceride Dimers
- Triglyceride Polymers
Free Fatty Acids
- Formed as triglycerides break apart
Scientists do not usually focus on one compound.
Instead, they often measure the overall accumulation of degradation products using TPM. [2,6]
Why Polar Compounds Matter
Researchers have linked heavily degraded cooking oils to:
- Increased Oxidative Stress
- Increased Inflammation
- Cellular Damage
- Endothelial Dysfunction
- Increased Cardiovascular Risk [3]
Some degradation products formed during repeated heating have also demonstrated mutagenic and carcinogenic properties in laboratory and animal studies.[4]
This does not mean every fried food causes cancer.
However, it does suggest that limiting exposure to heavily degraded oils may be a wise health strategy. [3,4]
Why Some Fats Are More Stable Than Others
The primary factor is the number of double bonds.
Every double bond creates a location where oxidation can occur.[3]
The more double bonds present, the more vulnerable a fat becomes to heat damage.
Saturated Fats
Examples:
🥩 Beef Tallow
🐖 Lard
🧈 Butter
🥄 Ghee
🥥 Coconut Oil
Contain no double bonds and are generally highly resistant to oxidation.[3]
Monounsaturated Fats
Examples:
🫒 Extra Virgin Olive Oil
🥑 Avocado Oil
Contain one double bond and are generally very stable. [1,3]
Polyunsaturated Fats
Examples:
🌽 Corn Oil
🫘 Soybean Oil
🍇 Grapeseed Oil
🌻 Conventional Sunflower Oil
Contain multiple double bonds and are generally more susceptible to oxidation.[3]
What About Seed Oils?
The concern is not simply that an oil comes from a seed.
The concern is the degree of oxidation, degradation, repeated heating, and the formation of undesirable byproducts that may occur during manufacturing, storage, and cooking.
In other words, the conversation should focus less on whether an oil comes from a seed and more on what happens to that oil before and during cooking.
What About Coconut Oil?
Coconut oil supporters are correct that coconut oil is highly stable because it contains mostly saturated fat.
However, this article ranks oils based on more than stability alone.
The ranking also considers polyphenols, antioxidant content, polar compound formation, and the broader body of research on human health.
From a cooking stability perspective, coconut oil performs very well.[3]
The Olive Oil Surprise
One of the biggest myths in nutrition is:
“Olive Oil Should Not Be Used for Cooking.”
Research suggests otherwise.
Extra virgin olive oil has demonstrated excellent stability during cooking and low levels of polar compound formation.[1]
It also remained stable during deep frying and outperformed a commercial vegetable oil blend in one study.[5]
What Makes Extra Virgin Olive Oil Different?
Extra virgin olive oil contains compounds called polyphenols.
Polyphenols are not fats.
They are naturally occurring plant compounds.
Researchers believe these compounds help protect the oil from oxidation while also contributing to many of the health benefits associated with olive oil consumption.[5]
Not all extra virgin olive oils contain the same number of polyphenols.
Polyphenol content varies based on olive variety, harvest timing, processing methods, storage conditions, and age.[5]
Think of polyphenols as part of olive oil’s built-in defense system.
What About Restaurants?
Many people assume restaurants are legally required to change frying oil every few days.
In most cases, that is not true.
Many countries instead focus on oil quality using TPM measurements. [2,6]
Several countries consider frying oil unacceptable when Total Polar Materials reach approximately 24–27%.[6]
Oil degradation depends on:
- Temperature
- Hours of Operation
- Amount of Food Cooked
- Frequency of Reuse
- Oxygen Exposure
- Filtration Practices
The calendar does not determine oil quality.
Oil Degradation Determines Oil Quality.
Why Should You Care?
The goal isn’t simply to avoid smoking oil.
The goal is to minimize your exposure to degraded oils and the compounds they can create during cooking.
This shifts the conversation from:
“What Oil Should I Buy?”
to
“What Oil Remains Stable During Cooking and Produces Fewer Harmful Degradation Products?”
Ranking Based on the Current Scientific Evidence
Based on:
✓ Heat Stability
✓ Resistance to Oxidation
✓ Polar Compound Formation
✓ Polyphenol Content
✓ Antioxidant Content
✓ Cooking Performance
✓ Human Health Research
The current evidence supports the following ranking:
🥇 Extra Virgin Olive Oil
🥈 Avocado Oil
🥉 Coconut Oil
🏅 Traditional Fats Such as Beef Tallow, Lard, Butter, and Ghee
Supporters of beef tallow, lard, butter, and ghee are correct that these fats can be highly stable during cooking.
However, stability is only one factor considered in this article.
Why Extra Virgin Olive Oil Earns the Top Spot
Extra virgin olive oil is unique because it combines several advantages:
✓ Rich in Monounsaturated Fats
✓ Rich in Polyphenols
✓ Rich in Antioxidants
✓ Excellent Oxidative Stability
✓ Low Polar Compound Formation
✓ Strong Human Health Research [1,5]
While other fats may be highly stable, extra virgin olive oil offers something many other fats do not:
Stability Plus Protective Compounds.
A Note About Different Opinions
Reasonable people may disagree about the ranking of cooking oils.
Some individuals prioritize heat stability above all else and may therefore prefer coconut oil, beef tallow, lard, butter, or ghee.
Others may place greater emphasis on polyphenol content, antioxidant activity, cooking performance, and the broader body of research on human health.
My goal is not to tell you what to think.
My goal is to help you understand the factors that influence oil quality so you can make an informed decision.
Practical Tips to Reduce Oil Damage
✓ Cook More Meals at Home
✓ Avoid Reusing Oil
✓ Store Oils Away from Heat and Light
✓ Choose Oils in Dark Containers
✓ Limit Deep-Fried Foods
✓ Avoid Overheating Oils
✓ Focus on Oil Quality, Not Just Smoke Point
Final Conclusion
The healthiest cooking oil is not necessarily the one with the highest smoke point.
The healthiest cooking oil is likely the one that remains stable during cooking while producing fewer harmful degradation products.
Smoke point tells us when an oil begins to smoke.
Polar compounds help tell us how much deterioration has occurred.
Consumers have spent decades learning about smoke points.
Perhaps it is time we spent more time talking about polar compounds.
Based on the current scientific evidence—and considering cooking stability, resistance to oxidation, formation of polar compounds, polyphenol content, antioxidant activity, and the broader body of human health research—extra virgin olive oil appears to be the strongest overall choice. [1,5]
For that reason, it is the only cooking oil I keep in my home.
References
-
- De Alzaa, F., Guillaume, C., & Ravetti, L. (2018). Evaluation of chemical and physical changes in different commercial oils during heating. Acta Scientific Nutritional Health, 2(6), 2–11.
- Eyres, L. (2015). Frying oils: Selection, smoke points and potential deleterious effects for health. Food New Zealand, 15(1), 30–31.
- Choe, E., & Min, D. B. (2007). Chemistry of deep-fat frying oils. Journal of Food Science, 72(5), R77–R86.
- Guillen, M. D., & Uriarte, P. S. (2012). Aldehydes contained in edible oils of a very different nature after prolonged heating at frying temperature. Food Chemistry, 131(3), 915–926.
- Casal, S., Malheiro, R., Sendas, A., Oliveira, B. P. P., & Pereira, J. A. (2010). Olive oil stability under deep-frying conditions. Food and Chemical Toxicology, 48(10), 2972–2979.
- Firestone, D. (2007). Regulation of frying fats and oils. Journal of the American Oil Chemists’ Society, 84(11), 1011–1015.
__________
Robert Ferguson is a California- and Florida-based single father of two daughters, clinical nutritionist, Omega Balancing Coach™, researcher, best-selling author, speaker, podcast and television host, health advisor, NAACP Image Award Nominee, creator of the Diet Free Life methodology, and Chief Nutrition Officer for iCoura Health. He also serves on the Presidential Task Force on Obesity for the National Medical Association and the Health and Product Advisory Board for Zinzino, Inc.
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