Comparison
Oils are used every day to prepare and cook food. How do we choose an oil that is the healthiest? The type of oil in the diet can have a positive or negative effect on our health depending on the following factors; the source of the oil, the amount of antioxidants found in the oil, the fat profile of the oil; is it mainly saturated or unsaturated fat or does it contain trans fats? And lastly, what types of cooking methods or meal preparation is a particular oil most suitable for. This Oil Comparison section is designed to help you choose the most suitable oil for your health.
Select the oils you want to compare. (maximum of four)
EVOO
Virgin olive oil
Olive Oil
Canola Oil
Virgin coconut oil
Grapeseed Oil
Peanut Oil
Coconut Oil
Sunflower Oil
Soybean Oil
Rice Bran Oil
Cottonseed Oil
oil
Production method/ Extraction process
Polyphenols (Biophenols*)
α-tocopherol mg/kg (Vitamin E)
Fatty acid Profile
trans fatty acids (TFAs)
Stability when Heated
EVOO
Production method/ Extraction process
The highest grade of olive oil mechanically extracted from the fruit of the olive tree. This process is done via mechanical/centrifugal pressing at ambient temperatures and without chemicals.(7)
Polyphenols (Biophenols*)
80 – 1200ppm*
α-tocopherol mg/kg (Vitamin E)
80-200mg/kg (8)
Fatty acid Profile
53%-85% monounsaturated fat
<3.0%-23.5% polyunsaturated fat
7%-20% Saturated Fat
(8-10)
trans fatty acids (TFAs)
Naturally occurring TFAs in EVOO are always below 0.1% (11-13)
Stability when Heated
EVOO is a highly heat stable oil when heated. A 2017 Australian study that tested heat stability of ten main supermarket oils showed that EVOO was the most stable oil to cook with produced the least (8.74%) amount of polar compounds when heated (3)
Virgin olive oil
Production method/ Extraction process
Mechanically extracted from the fruit of the olive tree. Virgin olive oil is a lower quality oil than EVOO. This is related to its chemical and sensory characteristics (7)
Polyphenols (Biophenols*)
80 – 1200ppm*
α-tocopherol mg/kg (Vitamin E)
70-150 mg/kg (8)
Fatty acid Profile
53%-85% monounsaturated fat
<3.0%-23.5% polyunsaturated fat
7%-20% Saturated Fat
(8-10)
trans fatty acids (TFAs)
Naturally occurring TFAs in VOO are always below 0.1% (11-13)
Stability when Heated
Virgin olive oil is a lower quality olive oil compared to EVOO in terms of sensory and chemical parameters. Virgin olive oil is less stable when heated compared to EVOO due to its higher level of free fatty acids.
Virgin olive oil has been shown to produce 1.26 times more polar compounds when heated compared to EVOO. (3)
Olive Oil
Production method/ Extraction process
Mechanically extracted then further refined through processes of bleaching, neutralising, deodorising and/or degumming.
Olive oil is a blend of refined olive oil EVOO and/or VOO (7). The percentage of virgin oil in the blend is typically low ranging between 2 and 20%.
Polyphenols (Biophenols*)
10-150 ppm (8, 11, 12)
α-tocopherol mg/kg (Vitamin E)
70-150 mg/kg (8)
Fatty acid Profile
53%-85% monounsaturated fat
<3.0%-23.5% polyunsaturated fat
7%-20% Saturated Fat
(8-10)
trans fatty acids (TFAs)
Contains some level of TFAs due to the oil being refined (11-13) but typically below 0.5%.
Stability when Heated
Contains some level of TFAs due to the oil being refined (11-13) but typically below 0.5%. Olive oil is less heat stable than EVOO and has been shown to produce 1.38 times more polar compounds than EVOO when heated. (3)
Canola Oil
Production method/ Extraction process
Typically extracted through screw press, solvent extraction or a combination of both methods and then refined (9, 14)
Polyphenols (Biophenols*)
<10 ppm(8, 14)
α-tocopherol mg/kg (Vitamin E)
100-380mg/kg (8)
Fatty acid Profile
62% monounsaturated fat
25% polyunsaturated fat
7% saturated fat (8-10)
trans fatty acids (TFAs)
Contains some level of TFAs due to the oil’s extraction process and/or being refined (10, 15). Levels of TFAs typically between 0.1% and 1.0% depending on the production methods.
Stability when Heated
Canola oil is much less heat stable than EVOO and has been shown to produce 2.65 times more polar compounds when heated compared to EVOO(3)
Virgin coconut oil
Production method/ Extraction process
Mechanically extracted – The oil is extracted from the copra or milk of the coconut using wet processing methods where a manual press is used to extract the oil. (9)
Polyphenols (Biophenols*)
<10 ppm (8)
α-tocopherol mg/kg (Vitamin E)
0-17mg/kg (8)
Fatty acid Profile
91% saturated fat
2% Polyunsaturated fat
7% Monounsaturated fat (8, 9, 18)
trans fatty acids (TFAs)
Free from trans fats (15)
Stability when Heated
Similar to EVOO, Virgin Coconut oil is very stable to cook with at high temperatures due to its high saturated fat content and has been shown to produce less polar compounds then refined Coconut oil.(19). However, it only contains trace amount of antioxidants. Antioxidants have been shown to be a key factor that impact an oils ability to withstand heat and prevent an oil from breaking down and forming harmful compounds when heated.(3)
Grapeseed Oil
Production method/ Extraction process
Typically extracted through screw press, solvent extraction or a combination of both methods and then refined (9, 14)
Polyphenols (Biophenols*)
1-2ppm*
α-tocopherol mg/kg (Vitamin E)
16-38mg/kg (6)
Fatty acid Profile
11% saturated fat
73% polyunsaturated fat
16% monounsaturated fat (7,8)
trans fatty acids (TFAs)
Contains some level of TFAs due to the oil’s extraction process and/or being refined (10, 15). Levels of TFAs typically between 0.1% and 1.0% depending on the production methods.
Stability when Heated
Grapeseed oil is a less stable oil to cook with at high temperatures compared to EVOO. It has been shown to produce 2.34 times more polar compounds when heated compared to EVOO.(3)
Peanut Oil
Production method/ Extraction process
Typically extracted through screw press, solvent extraction or a combination of both methods and then refined (9, 14)
Polyphenols (Biophenols*)
<10ppm*
α-tocopherol mg/kg (Vitamin E)
49-373mg/kg (8)
Fatty acid Profile
36-68% monounsaturated fat
14-43% polyunsaturated fat
2-14% saturated fat (8, 9)
trans fatty acids (TFAs)
Contains some level of TFAs due to the oil’s extraction process and/or being refined (10, 15). Levels of TFAs typically between 0.1% and 1.0% depending on the production methods.
Stability when Heated
Peanut oil is a less stable oil to cook with at high temperatures compared to EVOO. It has been shown to produce 1.26 times more polar compounds when heated compared to EVOO.(3)
Coconut Oil
Production method/ Extraction process
Mechanically extracted from the fruit of the coconut, called the copra. Further refining by removal of free fatty acids and processes such as bleaching, neutralizing, deodorizing and degumming. (9)
Polyphenols (Biophenols*)
<10 ppm (8)
α-tocopherol mg/kg (Vitamin E)
0-17mg/kg (8)
Fatty acid Profile
91% saturated fat
2% polyunsaturated fat
7% monounsaturated fat (8, 9)
trans fatty acids (TFAs)
Contains some level of TFAs due to the oil’s extraction process and/or being refined (10, 15). Levels of TFAs typically between 0.1% and 1.0% depending on the production methods.
Stability when Heated
Similar to EVOO, Coconut Oil is very stable to cook with at high temperatures due to its high saturated fat content. However, it only contains trace amount of antioxidants which is likely the reason coconut oil produced 1.10 times more polar compounds when heated compared to EVOO.(3)
Sunflower Oil
Production method/ Extraction process
Typically extracted through screw press, solvent extraction or a combination of both methods and then refined (9, 14)
Polyphenols (Biophenols*)
<10ppm*
α-tocopherol mg/kg (Vitamin E)
90-450mg/kg (6, 8)
Fatty acid Profile
19% monounsaturated fat
69% polyunsaturated fat
12% saturated fat (8, 9)
trans fatty acids (TFAs)
Contains some level of TFAs due to the oil’s extraction process and/or being refined (10, 15). Levels of TFAs typically between 0.1% and 1.0% depending on the production methods.
Stability when Heated
Sunflower oil is a less stable oil to cook with at high temperatures compared to EVOO. It has been shown to produce 1.84 times more polar compounds when heated compared to EVOO.(3)
Soybean Oil
Production method/ Extraction process
Typically extracted through screw press, solvent extraction or a combination of both methods and then refined.(9)
Polyphenols (Biophenols*)
<10ppm (8)
α-tocopherol mg/kg (Vitamin E)
9-350mg/kg(8)
Fatty acid Profile
23% monounsaturated fat
61% polyunsaturated fat
15% saturated fat(8, 9)
trans fatty acids (TFAs)
Contains some level of TFAs due to the oil’s extraction process and/or being refined (10, 15). Levels of TFAs typically between 0.1% and 1.0% depending on the production methods.
Stability when Heated
Soybean oil is a less stable oil to cook with at high temperatures compared to EVOO. Soybean oil is predominantly polyunsaturated fat, making it more susceptible to oxidation and producing polar compounds when heated compared to oils with lower levels of polyunsaturated fat.(17)
Rice Bran Oil
Production method/ Extraction process
Typically extracted through screw press, solvent extraction or a combination of both methods and then refined (9, 14).
Polyphenols (Biophenols*)
<10 ppm (8, 10)
α-tocopherol mg/kg (Vitamin E)
30-600mg/kg (8)
Fatty acid Profile
42% monounsaturated fat
38% polyunsaturated 18% saturated fat
(8, 9)
trans fatty acids (TFAs)
Contains some level of TFAs due to the oil’s extraction process and/or being refined (10, 15). Levels of TFAs typically between 0.1% and 1.0% depending on the production methods.
Stability when Heated
Rice Bran oil is a less heat stable oil than EVOO and has been shown to produce 1.69 times more polar compounds when heated compared to EVOO(3)
Cottonseed Oil
Production method/ Extraction process
Typically extracted through screw press, solvent extraction or a combination of both methods and then refined. (9)
Polyphenols (Biophenols*)
<10ppm (8)
α-tocopherol mg/kg (Vitamin E)
136-674mg/kg (8)
Fatty acid Profile
14-22% monounsaturated fat
46-59% polyunsaturated fat
21-27% saturated fat (8, 9)
trans fatty acids (TFAs)
Contains some level of TFAs due to the oil’s extraction process and/or being refined (10, 15). Levels of TFAs typically between 0.1% and 1.0% depending on the production methods.
Stability when Heated
Cottonseed oil is a less stable oil to cook with at high temperatures compared to EVOO. Cottonseed oil is predominantly polyunsaturated fat, making it more susceptible to oxidation and producing polar compounds when heated compared to oils with lower levels of polyunsaturated fat.(16)
View References
References
