The Impossible Guide to Oils

Here’s everything you need to know about oil (the edible kind!)

• What Are Oils?
• Benefits of Oils
• What Counts as Oil?
• Things To Pay Attention to
• Best Oils To Use
• Oils To Avoid
• Sources & References

What Are Oils?

Oil is technically not a food group but it does provide essential nutrients, which is why we’re including them in the Impossible Nutrition guides. Oils provide your body with a range of fatty acids that are essential to your health.

Benefits of Oils

Oils can help to regulate cholesterol levels and to normalize blood clotting. MUFAs (monounsaturated fatty acids) can help to regulate blood sugar and insulin levels as well.

What Counts as Oil?

There are two main types of oils. There are those you can consume and those used for flavorings. There are also fats, which are sometimes confused with oils (but which aren’t oils).

Types of Oils:

Consumed

These oils are commonly consumed:

• Canola oil
• Corn oil
• Cottonseed oil
• Olive oil
• Safflower oil
• Soybean oil
• Sunflower oil

Flavorings

The following oils are primarily used for seasoning and flavorings:

• Nuts
• Olives
• Some fish
• Avocados

Not Oils

The following foods are solid fats and not actually oils:

• Butter
• Milk fat
• Beef fat (tallow, suet)
• Chicken fat
• Pork fat (lard)
• Stick margarine
• Shortening
• Partially hydrogenated oil

Polyunsaturated Fats (PUFAs)

PUFAs are fatty acids with more than one double bond in their chains. These fatty acids are common PUFAs:

• Omega-3
• Omega-6

Monounsaturated Fats (MUFAs)

MUFAs are fatty acids with one double bond in their fatty acid chains.

Things To Pay Attention to

Oils are very calorically dense. So, if you’re trying to lose weight, you may not want to be throwing back shots of olive oil (approximately 120 calories per tablespoon). That said, if you’re trying to gain weight, consuming oil is a fast and easy way to boost your calorie intake.

Best Oils To Use

• Olive oil (73% MUFA, 3.5-21% omega-6 PUFA, 14% SFA)
• Coconut oil (6.2% MUFA, 1.6% PUFA, 92.1% SFA)
• Walnut oil (23% MUFA, 53% omega-6 PUFA, 10% omega-3 PUFA, 9% SFA)
• Fish oil
• Avocado oil (70% MUFA, 12% omega-6 PUFA, 1% omega-3 PUFA. 12% SFA)
• Mac nut oil (71% MUFA, 10% PUFA, 12% SFA)

Honestly, we could cut this list off after coconut oil. I mean, after olive and coconut oil, what else do you really need? Avocado oil can be great with a salad, but the other oils on this list tend to cost a pretty penny. Sure, you might want to try them out and keep some in the pantry, but I wouldn’t recommend cooking every meal in walnut oil (mostly for your wallet’s sake).

Oils To Avoid

• Corn oil
• Soybean oil
• Canola oil
• Peanut oil
• Flax seed oil

You should expect corn and soybean oil to be on this list. (Do you really want to be consuming oil from corn and soybeans?) Peanuts are a legume and a large number of people have allergies to them. Flax seed oil is a relatively inferior alternative to fish oil and doesn’t hold up well under heat, so there’s no need to keep it around.

Sources & References

• What Are “Oils”? – Choose My Plate
• The Definitive Guide to Oils – Mark’s Daily Apple
• If olive oil is high in fat, why is it considered healthy? – Mayo Clinic