There are a-lot of cooking oils: Coconut, Avocado, Grapeseed, Olive, Canola, Vegetable, Peanut, Sesame, Butter etc. Most cooking oils go though an incredible amount of chemical processing(solvents, de-waxers, bleach, deodorizers and even steamers) before they end up in the bottle you are holding. What you might not be aware of is that your oil, even the healthy oils, can have Hexane in them-the solvent used to extract the oil from its original source (ie the olive, coconut, seed or flower). Hexaneis used as its a very inexpensive and readily available (its a byproduct from producing gasoline.)

According to the FDA some hexane remains in the oil as “residue” and in 2009 the Cornucopia Institute fond that hexane residues are in Soybean, Canola, Peanut and other oils. Mazola and Crisco brands openly admit to using both GMO ingredients and hexane extraction in their processing. Wesson has confirmed they do use GMO canola oil but has not clearly stated if they do/do not use Hexane-so its safe to assume they do! Spectrum Organics is the only brand that does not use Hexane but don’t be fooled to think that makes their vegetable oils safe-all classic vegetable oils should be avoided!

Most Toxic Oils You Need To Trash Immediately

Canola Oil: Canola oil is extracted from rapeseed flower seeds, that have been genetically modified to have low levels of erucic acid (thus the name Canadian Oil Low Acid). Before it was genetically modified it was called Rapeseed Oil and used only for industrial purposes because the erucic acid caused heart damage in animal studies. It was renamed to “canola”, but just know still contains trace amounts of erucic acid (up to 2% by volume!)

Cotton Seed Oil: This oil is the worst, even more so than Canola. It’s a byproduct of the cotton cropping and is flooded with pesticides and chemicals because cotton is a textile crop–not food! Cotton farming has almost exclusively gone GMO so the oil is highly toxic. It’s used less today, as Canola has become the “king” of oils-but you will still see it in processed/packaged foods.

Soybean Oil: 94% of soybeans are GMO and this oil is the most common source of oil for “Wessen Vegetable Oil.” Wessen is owned by Conagra Foods which is known for fighting healthy label campaigns and consumer education. Soybean oil is high in omega-6 fatty acid which create inflammation, cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, thyroid issues and autoimmune diseases. Avoid soybeans, soy products and most certainly soy-oils.

Corn Oil: Mazola corn oil is highly refined, hexane – extracted from GMO corn and full of inflammatory omega – 6 fats that are unstable when exposed to heat. This instability causes oxidation, a process that generates free radicals/trans fat formation. While it may be “free from trans fat” at room temperature, once heat is applied the oil transforms to damage cells, triggering a host of diseases from organ damage and even cancer.

The Only Oils You Should Use In Your Kitchen

Coconut Oil: Native and Dr. Bronner’s virgin coconut oil is organic, expeller cold-pressed, unrefined and never deodorized, bleached or hexane extracted. Coconut tolerates up to 350F degrees so its perfect for cooking. Nutiva offers a steam refined “high heat” version(no chemicals) that you can use for cooking up to 400 degrees, so this is my go-to oil for high heat stir fry’s.

Avocado Oil: Cold pressed avocado oil is an exceptional oil for cooking, perhaps better than coconut as it can withstand up to 500F degrees! Avocado oil is high in oleic acid and Lutein which have been shown to reduce cholesterol and benefit skin, hair, nails and eye health. Don’t like the taste of avocado? No worries, the oil has almost no “avocado” taste.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Warning-do not cook with olive oil-its not designed to sustain heat very long and most people overcook their olive oil-releasing acrylamide and creating a trans fat. Also note, there’s a large “olive oil fraud” still going on where some companies are mixing cheaper vegetable oils (soybean/canola) with olive to dilute the oil but not declaring the added oils.

Hemp Oil: Like Olive Oil, hemp is only for cold applications like salad dressings, dips or into smoothies. Hemp oil contains more essential fatty acids than any other nut or seed oil, with theomega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids in the optimal ratio. Hemp is an extremely sustainable crop so you don’t have to worry about the economic impact like you do other oils. Note: it’s a fragile oil and only lasts for about 3 months after opening and mixes well with other seed oils (walnut, flax etc.)

Butter / Ghee: Don’t knock the original cooking oils-good old butter/ghee. Rich in vitamins, antioxidants, and healthy fats like CLA which can strengthen your immune system! Just don’t “brown” the butter or ghee when heating it.