This story has been updated since it was originally posted on 8/12/22 to include more expert insight
Whether you’re sautéing vegetables or making a pasta dish, using one type of cooking oil can sometimes make or break an otherwise healthy meal, experts say. By inadvertently adding in more calories or other fattening elements, you could even notice the possibility of weight gain or a slowed metabolism over time.
With that said, we reached out to health experts to learn more about one cooking oil they recommend avoiding for a faster metabolism and healthy digestion, and what to replace it with instead. They told us that replacing corn oil with avocado oil spray is a good idea. Read on for tips and suggestions from Trista Best, MPH, RD, LD, registered dietitian at Balance One Supplements and Lisa Richards, registered nutritionist and creator of The Candida Diet.
Corn oil may slow your metabolism and cause indigestion
Corn oil, Best says, is "relatively cheap and has a high smoke point," which often makes it a popular option for frying foods. This oil, she warns, is often linked to "chronic, low-grade inflammation," which is "the root cause of many diseases common to Western society." Apart from a slower metabolism and weight gain, corn oil can also cause painful indigestion, she says.
Low-grade inflammation, she adds, is the result of, in part, "to an imbalance in omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids." Both are essential fatty acids, she explains, but omega-6 is "highly inflammatory when it outnumbers omega-3's and it is consumed in large amounts in the standard American diet." One oil in particular has created this imbalance, she stresses, and that is corn oil. After all, this oil is "57 percent omega-6 and 29 percent omega-3 fatty acids," with saturated and omega-9 fats making up the rest, Best notes. Yikes!
Richards points out that in addition to avoiding corn oil itself while cooking, Richards points out that you should consider limiting your intake of foods containing this oil. "Foods that often contain corn oil include fried foods like French fries, potato chips, and fried chicken, as well as some baked goods, margarines, and processed snacks," she says.
Choose anti-inflammatory avocado oil instead
By replacing your traditional cooking oil with avocado-based products, Richards says you are "enhancing the health benefits of your meal" through heart healthy and anti-inflammatory essential fatty acids. Traditional cooking oils and sprays contain additives, she notes, that are "not natural to the main ingredient such as lecithin," which acts as an emulsifier and dimethyl silicone which is an anti-foaming agent.
These, she adds, are not included in avocado oil sprays. An added benefit to using avocado oil spray for cooking in place of traditional oils, Richards suggests, is its high smoke point, 520 degrees Fahrenheit. "This allows you to cook at higher temperatures and even to be used in grilling," she says. Plus, avocado oil is packed with health benefits.
Ultimately, Richards concludes, "Moderation is key, and incorporating a variety of fats from sources like olive oil, nuts, seeds, and fatty fish can help maintain a balanced diet and support metabolic health." Got it!
READ MORE: How To Boost Your Metabolism Over 50, According To Experts
