Oils & fats
Early researchPerilla oil
In a double-blind trial following 52 people for 12 months, a bone resorption marker fell. But what was measured was not bone mineral density — it was a heel ultrasound — and there were 52 participants.
Oils & fats
A tablespoon is 120 kcal. What decides the outcome is not how much, but what you replace.
7 ingredients
Search within this categoryWhat this category is strong in
The nutrients most often listed as a key nutrient among these ingredients.
Oils & fats
Strong evidenceButter
Saturated fat runs 50.5 g per 100 g. Yet the evidence on dairy fat and cardiovascular disease is less tidy than the theory predicts.
Oils & fats
Strong evidenceCanola oil
Across 42 trials it lowered LDL by 0.23 mmol/L against other cooking oils — and dropped total cholesterol further than olive oil did.
Oils & fats
Strong evidenceCoconut oil
Pooling 16 clinical trials, LDL rose 10.5 mg/dL against other vegetable oils. The 'healthy saturated fat' story did not survive testing.
Oils & fats
Strong evidenceCod liver oil
A teaspoon carries 11 µg of vitamin D and 0.8 g of omega-3. It also carries 1,350 µg RAE of vitamin A — 45 % of the adult upper limit.
Oils & fats
Strong evidenceOlive oil
Cardiovascular events were 31 % lower in a randomised trial of 7,447 people. Against other vegetable oils, though, there was no difference.
Oils & fats
Nutrition dataSesame oil
Saturated fat sits at 14.2 g, mid-range for a vegetable oil, and vitamin E at 1.4 mg is a tenth of olive oil's. Sesame oil earns its place on flavour.
Recipes
- 35 min · 3 servingsPotato and kale soupPotatoes go in with their skins and the broth gets eaten. Potassium leaches into the water — but if you do not pour the water away, nothing is lost.
- 20 min · 2 servingsCorn sautéed with garlic butterThe butter is not only for flavour. Corn's lutein is fat-soluble and absorbs poorly without it.
- 30 min · 3 servingsCoconut chickpea curryThere are places where coconut oil cannot be replaced. This is one of them — and one tablespoon is enough.
- 25 min · 2 servingsBoiled soybean and tomato saladThe beans need more than 30 minutes at a hard boil. The tomatoes are not only for flavour — they are there to pull the iron out of the beans.