COOKING TECHNIQUES

The best oil for frying according to science is not seed oil

Do you know which oil has been voted the best to use? We are not talking about seed oil, but another type. Let's find out together which oil is the best for frying without harming your health!

Not all oils are the same, and this is something we should all consider carefully, especially when it comes to frying. Many people are convinced that seed oil is the best choice for frying, but this belief is completely wrong.

In the past, many of us thought that seed oil was the right option for frying, as it was considered lighter. However, this common conception has been completely overturned by an investigation conducted by the 'Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry', a scientific journal of the American Chemical Society. And now, let's find out what emerged from this research: it may surprise you, but it is the truth!

Barbara Vellucci
The survey of the best oil for frying
In the past, many of us thought that seed oil was the right option for frying, as it was considered lighter. However, this common conception has been completely overturned by an investigation conducted by the 'Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry', a scientific journal of the American Chemical Society. And now, let's find out what emerged from this research: it will surprise you, but it is the truth!
Freepik
The study
A study conducted by the 'Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry', the scientific journal of the American Chemical Society, has definitively clarified which is the best oil for deep-frying. The research, entitled 'Monitoring of Quality and Stability Characteristics and Fatty Acid Compositions of Refined Olive and Seed Oils during Repeated Pan and Deep Frying', was conducted by comparing four types of vegetable oils. Specifically, the following oils were analysed: olive; soybean; maize and sunflower.
freepik
The test
The four types of oil were subjected to extremely high temperatures, reaching 160°-180°C, and then each of them was reused about ten times. The result of this test surprised everyone: the best oil for frying turned out to be the least predictable.
freepik
The goal
The aim of the analysis conducted by the 'Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry' was to determine which oil was able to retain its properties intact even after being repeatedly reused at very high temperatures.
freepik
The result
And do you know which oil turned out to be the best? None other than olive oil, the only one of the four analysed that was able to maintain superior stability and excellent resistance to high temperatures, as well as avoiding oxidation and deterioration. The results of the other oils analysed in the study were extremely low. The experts stated that the reaction of the other types of oils is different and, after being heated repeatedly, they can produce compounds that are harmful to health. These compounds significantly reduce the nutritional value of food. Of the oils tested, sunflower oil proved to be the worst and least suitable for frying.
freepik
Olive oil is the healthiest
The study analysed the behaviour of different oils and specifically monitored that of olive oil. The result? It is simple: olive oil is best suited to frying, giving pride of place to a condiment widely used to make dishes tastier. Therefore, olive oil is undoubtedly healthier than many other oils that we have so far wrongly assumed to be suitable, such as sunflower oil. But why is olive oil the best for healthy fried food? This is because it is a vegetable fat with a particularly high smoke point of around 240°C, which makes it suitable for both light and heavy frying.
Informativa ai sensi della Direttiva 2009/136/CE: questo sito utilizza solo cookie tecnici necessari alla navigazione da parte dell'utente in assenza dei quali il sito non potrebbe funzionare correttamente.