Cooking oils are a significant part of the culinary experience of many people, where they
are used in the preparation for an array of dishes. For most cooks, oils are the special flavor to
food that makes them a must-use in any kitchen. However, in our current health-conscious
society, there is a major push towards using only the healthy oils and thus an intentional need to
differentiate between unhealthy and healthy cooking oils.

Healthy oils, such as MCT, olive oil, sesame oil, and a host of other vegetable and seed
oils, present several health benefits. The key is to ensure that these oils are not overly refined and thus not robbed of their nutrients, are not extracted using chemicals, and are stable under heat.
Olive oil is an ideal healthy cooking oil that has a good smoking point, which is the point that cooking oil becomes unstable and starts to release chemicals that may be unhealthy. It is also full
of oxidants, such as Vitamin E, which prevent cancer as well as inflammation. Besides, using
healthy oils leads to reduced risk of heart disease, diabetes, and obesity.

There are also several unhealthy oils, which, when used, can present adverse health risks
to individuals. These include animal fats and vegetable and seed oils made unhealthy by excess
refining, or hydrogenation, which leads to trans-fats, and using chemicals to extract them.

Not all oils are created equally.

Canola oil is generally unhealthy because it is highly refined using some apparently toxic chemicals. These unhealthy oils also contain many polyunsaturated fats, making them very susceptible to degradation and thus the release of harmful substances. Therefore, studies have linked unhealthy oils to cancer, obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and a host of other health complications.

In the use of cooking oils, it is best to choose healthy options. Healthy oils are mostly
plant-based rather than animal-based. They are more stable, less refined, and use no chemicals to
extract them, tending to offer much safer health benefits.