Cholesterol

Oil Good for Cholesterol – Pick the Best Ones!

Parul Dube

December 31, 2022

When we talk about cholesterol, most say it is dangerous and one must always avoid it. But that is not true. On the contrary, some types of cholesterol surprisingly prove to be more helpful than not, and thus, need to ensure they are present in the blood in acceptable ranges. In us humans, generally, there are several variations of cholesterol. Like, LDLs, HDLs, LP(a), Triglycerides. 

As confirmed by the study and many more, HDL is the best cholesterol type. Thus, it promotes heart health. Besides, cholesterol plays a lot of activities in our body.

Such as helping us stay strong and active all day, maintaining our sugar levels between meals, giving us energy when we are fasting, making cells and producing hormones. However, we all know that the excess presence of LDLs, Triglycerides, the unhealthy cholesterol can lead to atherosclerosis, where the blockage of arteries happens.

To help mitigate such a crisis of atherosclerosis, you must follow a healthy diet. For example, it is a common myth that all kinds of cooking oil lead to excess LDLs. On the contrary, some oils promote good cholesterol, i.e., HDL. 

So, here is a list of the types of oil that are good for cholesterol.

Overview of Oils and Cholesterol

Cholesterol, nothing but lipids, is the product that every human body and animal body contains. As per this study, our body can make pure cholesterol daily that measures 1/8th to 1/4th teaspoon. And that small amount of cholesterol is ok for our body to perform its daily tasks. 

Usually, lipoproteins, like LDL, IDL, VLDL, HDL and Chylomicrons, are all the main factors in distributing cholesterol throughout a human’s body via blood or water-based solutions. However, unlike other lipoproteins, HDLs work the opposite way. That means, instead of accumulating the cholesterol in our small blood vessels, they absorb it from our body and carry it to the liver.

Read more: Cholesterol Lowering Oils – The Best And Worst

Later, our liver excretes it out of the body. Thus, they become good cholesterol. So now, how to increase the HDLs in our body? Well, for starters, we can consume a healthy diet with cooking oils that are good for the heart.

Food is the reason behind human well-being or disorder. A healthy diet rich in proteins, fibre and vitamins makes you stronger, healthier and happier. But when one consumes unhealthy or junk food, their body manifests negative consequences that make them ill.

For example, cholesterol can be good until it does not mess up with our arteries or blood circulation. Then, the build-up of plaque or atherosclerosis can lead to heart strokes and other chronic illnesses, putting us in a health hazard zone.

To reduce the chances of plaque build-up or atherosclerosis, we must have the proper good cholesterol, i.e., HDLs. And we must take appropriate measures to increase its production and levels. Therefore, we must ensure we continue eating right and consuming only nutrient-rich foods.

Today’s market has various variants of food, and there are many types of cooking oils present. And many of them surprisingly promote our heart health, thereby increasing good cholesterol levels. 

According to this study, safflower oil, coconut oil, rapeseed oil, canola oil, flaxseed oil, soybean, and peanut oil, are some popular kinds that bring a spike in our HDL levels. HealthifyPRO 2.0 is your guide towards a lifestyle that promises lesser LDLs and more HDLs. With our app, you are always closer to good cholesterol by putting bad cholesterol at bay.

The nutritionists work closely with you to understand how your body reacts to food. Besides basing the suggestions on dietary guidelines, they also study your body’s response to food through a CGM device.

BIOS, the wearable device, helps you and the nutritionists study fluctuations in your blood glucose levels. When you have processed or fried food, there is usually a spike. Thus, the readings help you to eliminate the wrong foods from your system. You only eat balanced and healthy food that keeps you metabolically healthy. As a result, you also eat the right fats. Therefore, your cholesterol levels are maintained. 

Oil Good for Cholesterol: Here’s What One Should Know

When purchasing oil, ensure it is Cold Pressed and Unrefined. It will ensure that most of its nutrients are intact, making it more beneficial for consumption.

Olive Oil

Many studies prove that more than any other plant-based oil, olive oil constitutes more HDLs. In addition, with its characteristic feature of having abundant polyphenols, this oil reduces the chances of increasing LDL levels.

Read more: Olive Oil – Benefits, Uses, Nutrition, Types and Ways to use

Now, one must ask what polyphenols are. These compounds are rich in antioxidants and significant other health benefits, among which good cholesterol production also depends. 

Peanut Oil

As per this study, peanut oil makes up for the large production of HDLs, the good cholesterol, by decreasing LDL levels. Therefore, peanut oil puts one at a lesser risk of cardiovascular disease.

Moreover, it consists of primary antioxidants and Vitamin E, polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, which enhance heart health.

Sunflower Oil

By having reduced traits of generating serum cholesterol, triglycerides and LDLs, sunflower oil becomes the best when it comes to oil good for cholesterol.

Read more: Sunflower Oil – Is it Good for You?

Furthermore, concerning its nutrient values, this oil has fat-soluble nutrients and major Vitamin E. Also, it comes with certain acids like linoleic and oleic acid, which are polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, respectively. 

Coconut Oil

Although there are conflicting debates on consuming coconut oil to lower bad cholesterol, one must not forget its nutritional value for a healthy lifestyle.

Read more: Coconut Oil: An Effective Remedy to Lose Body Fat

This oil, derived from coconut, has reasonable amounts of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. However, it still contains saturated fats, but in lower quantities as compared to the level of unsaturated fats. Thus, it is suitable for cholesterol. 

Flaxseed Oil

We all know that omega-3 fatty acids are huge promoters of good cholesterol, i.e., HDLs. Now, this flaxseed oil, which comes from flaxseeds, is packed with omega-3 fatty acids. But, apart from that, it also has alpha-linolenic acids.

Read more: Flaxseeds and Flaxseed Oil for Diabetes

Thus, it is rich in unsaturated fats that lower the levels of LDLs in our bodies. Besides, it works on bringing a decline in triglycerides which is the bad cholesterol found in the arteries.

Soybean Oil

Soybean is famous among people who are suffering from cardiovascular conditions. Besides, it would help if you remembered that inflammation could cause increased levels of LDLs, and a decline in the HDLs.

But with soybean oil, one can bid adios to that spike in inflammation. Moreover, due to the presence of omega-3 fatty acids, it has good levels of ALAs necessary for promoting good cholesterol by lowering the bad ones. 

The HealthifyMe Note

It would help if you took the necessary measures to keep your health in check. One must remember that a healthy lifestyle promotes overall well-being by reducing the chances of illness and other disorders. The world today is facing some common and significant health conditions that are chronic. And for all that, bad cholesterol stands like a pillar, either directly or indirectly. Thus, it is essential to follow all measures possible and available to push the bad cholesterol out of our system by producing more and more good cholesterol. And for that, we must include essential cooking oils of particular kinds in our diet. 

The Nutritionists Advice

One must always ensure that they consume only the best food that satisfies their hunger pangs and promotes their health. Therefore, we present to you the best nutrition that marks more HDLs in your body and lessens the chance for LDLs. 

Have a glimpse at the below foods that are low in saturated fats:

Vegetables

  • Broccoli
  • Cauliflower
  • Cabbage
  • Cress
  • Spinach
  • Arugula
  • Pumpkin
  • Kale
  • Swiss Chard
  • Sweet Potato
  • Turnips
  • Garlic
  • Mushrooms

Fruits

  • Apples
  • Berries
  • Watermelon
  • Kiwifruit
  • Peaches
  • Apricot
  • Nectarine
  • Plum
  • Passion Fruit
  • Grapefruit
  • Rhubarb

Whole Grains

  • Quinoa
  • Lentils
  • Millets
  • Brown Rice
  • Millets
  • Oatmeal
  • Rye
  • Corn
  • Buckwheat

Legumes

Non-Veg

  • Egg White
  • Chicken Breast
  • Salmon
  • Lean fish
  • Haddock
  • Perch
  • Cod
  • Pollock

Nuts and Seeds 

Oils

  • Soybean Oil
  • Olive Oil
  • Peanut Oil
  • Safflower Oil
  • Flaxseed Oil
  • Coconut Oil
  • Rapeseed Oil
  • Sunflower Oil
  • Canola Oil

The Final Word

Oils have played a significant role in household cooking since 250,000 BC. But now, only some oils bring the composition of good cholesterol into our bodies. And it is, thus, crucial to understanding which cooking oils reserve a spot in our kitchens. LDLs, the agents of bad cholesterol, develop and persist when there is inefficient production of HDLs.

So, to lower bad cholesterol levels and create more good cholesterol, one has to pick certain cooking oils. Opt for the cold-pressed, unrefined cooking oils available in the market.

Reach out to HealthifyMe Experts, who will guide you on the dos and don’t of cooking oils and enable you to improve your heart health more sustainably.

About the Author

Parul holds a Masters of Medical Science in Public Health Nutrition from the University of Glasgow, Scotland, and has worked across the globe from the U.K to New Zealand (NZ) gaining her License with the Health Professionals Council (HPC, UK) and the NZ Nutrition Council. From being a Gold medalist in Clinical Nutrition to being awarded an internship with World Health Organisation (WHO, Cairo, Egypt) and Contracts with CDC Parul has had a wide spectrum of work experiences. She is very passionate about Nutrition and Fitness and holds strong to her guiding mantras ‘ Move more’ and ‘Eat Food that your grandmother can recognize’!


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4 responses to “Oil Good for Cholesterol – Pick the Best Ones!”

  1. A fantastic preview of nutritional aspects especially with preference to oils and chicken meat there again well distinguished between their organ parts. A thorough understanding of the aforesaid article will be well appreciated. Especially in my personal case of cardiovascular problem which I have successfully managed for over 22 years.

  2. It was an interesting article. But, why is palm oil not analysed. Its also a vegetable oil and popularly used in Malaysia and Indonesia. I hope you are not biased against palm oil based on the negative narrative by the West.

    • Yes, palm oil is definitely a good option among vegetable oils and does offer nutrients like Vitamin A. having said that, we should also be aware, that regular consumption of palm oil leads to higher levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol which is not healthy for those with cholesterol, blood pressure or heart-related issues. Coming to your concern, we would like to inform you that we do our own medical-backed analysis before publishing any content. Hope this helps.

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