Olive. Canola. Corn. Walnut. Coconut. Flax Seed. Peanut.
There are dozens of cooking oils you can use to whip up your favorite dishes, dressings, and desserts. But which is best?
Well, consuming lots of olive oil lowers your risk for stroke, according to a recent analysis of more than 7,600 people conducted by French researchers. People who used olive oil for both cooking and as dressing for bread lowered their risk of stroke by 41 percent when compared to those who never used olive oil, according to the study.
Other research has shown that moderate olive oil consumption—defined as 2 tablespoons of olive oil per day—can improve your heart health by lowering LDL cholesterol, according to the FDA.

Olive Oil Healthy, But Beware of Calories
So, is olive oil’s healthy reputation well-earned? Yes, but there’s a catch, explains Bonnie Taub-Dix, R.D., a nutrition expert and author of “Read It Before You Eat It.”
“Apart from its association with heart health, olive oil is also a great source of cancer-preventing antioxidants,” Taub-Dix explains. “But just because olive oil is healthy for you doesn’t mean you should use it in unlimited quantities.”
Taub-Dix says olive oil has 120 calories per tablespoon, which people tend to forget when drizzling it over salads or dabbing it with a chunk of bread. “We feel like if something’s healthy we should just pour it on, but that could turn your 50-calorie salad into a 350-calorie salad, and that’s no good,” she says.
If you’re worried about consuming too much but don’t want to sacrifice on flavor, reach for a heavier oil. The darker the olive oil, the more intense the flavor, Taub-Dix says.
Taub-Dix also cautions that, as with any oil, the word “light” on the label doesn’t mean the oil is any less fattening. “Light olive oil is lighter in color and in flavor, but it has the same number of calories,” she explains.

Which Oils Are Best for Cooking?
Olive oil isn’t just healthy; it’s also great for cooking, explains Rania Mekary, Ph.D., a clinical nutritionist at the Harvard School of Public Health.
Mekary said all oils are either rich in monounsaturated fatty acids or polyunsaturated fatty acids. “This makes a huge difference when it comes to cooking,” she explains. The monos, like olive and canola oil, break down at higher temperatures than the polys, which can come into play whether you’re grilling, sautéing, or microwaving.
And oils—even healthy ones like olive oil—can become toxic when they break down, causing congestion of the arteries and joint disease, Mekary says. So you want to cook with those monosaturated oils that break down at higher temperatures.
If the oil itself starts to smoke, Mekary says, it’s too hot.

Canola Oil Good, Corn and Coconut Oils Bad
Both Mekary and Taub-Dix recommend canola oil as a healthy, less-expensive alternative to olive oil.
“The chemical structure is very close to that of olive oil, and it’s cheaper,” Mekary explains, adding that canola oil’s health benefits are also similar to olive oil, just less flavorful. She also says that most nut oils, such as walnut and almond oil, are healthy (though typically more expensive) options.
Which oils should you avoid?
“Corn oil,” Mekary says. “It’s cheaper, so it’s commonly used for cooking. But it degrades at a much lower temperature than olive oil.”