Common question: Is cooking oil bad for diabetes? Do you know that around 34.2 million Americans have diabetes? With such a vast number of people suffering from the same disease, people wonder what foods trigger it.
You may think that because cooking oils contain calories, it may spark a sudden rise in blood sugar levels. It is not necessary. Studies often recommend using cooking oil’s recommended amount to normalize your blood sugar levels and get a daily intake of nutrients.
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What is Diabetes?
Diabetes occurs when blood sugar levels in the body stay high. There is no cure for diabetes, but you can take necessary precautions to control it.
If you don’t take necessary precautions, diabetes may result in more diseases such as heart illness, stroke, nerve damage, foot and eye infections, and much more.
There are three main types of diabetes; type 1, type 2, and gestational. Type 1 diabetes is common in children and younger people but can happen at any age. This occurs when the body stops making insulin, and diabetic patients need insulin every day to survive.
Type 2 diabetes is common in middle and old-age people but can happen at any age. This occurs when the body does not properly produce or use insulin.
What has Diabetes to Do With Cooking Oil?
To overcome the daily need for calories, you need to consume food cooking in or drizzled with cooking oil. Cooking oil which is ideal for diabetes, is the one that won’t spike up your blood-glucose level along with providing you all the essential vitamins and fatty acids.
What Makes People Think that Cooking Oil is Harmful?
Cooking oil contains saturated, unsaturated, and trans-fats. Saturated fats have a large amount of LDL (bad) cholesterol and are solid at room temperatures. Oils with more percentage of saturated fats are usually harmful.
There are two types of unsaturated fats; monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids. These unsaturated fatty acids are liquid at room temperature and have many HDL (good) cholesterol.
Trans fats are usually artificially produced and harmful. Eating them can result in weight gain, obesity and is responsible for liver function.
Benefits of Consuming Cooking Oil
Cooking oil helps your body in the following ways:
- Increases good cholesterol and decreases bad cholesterol.
- Improves brain function.
- Reduces inflammation.
- Provides vitamin A, D, E, K.
- Glows the skin.
- Provides energy.
Also, read our guide: Is cooking oil bad for dogs?
Best Cooking Oils for Diabetes
We have compiled a list of the best cooking oils you should use if you are a diabetic patient. Remember, we do not recommend you to use refined oils. For best results, use cold-pressed cooking oils.
Mustard Oil
Mustard oil contains PUFAs and MUFAs, omega-3 and omega-6, and vitamin E. These fatty acids help fight cancer, boosts metabolism, promote digestion.
Also, they improve blood circulation and have anti-inflammatory properties, which makes them ideal for diabetes.
Mustard oil has a smoking point of 480℉ which makes it ideal for high-heat cooking.
Sunflower Oil
Sunflower oil contains polyunsaturated fatty acids and low levels of trans fat, which helps reduce bad cholesterol and the risk of cardiovascular diseases. It is also known to slow aging procedures, fight free radicals, boost immunity and maintain a healthy nervous system.
With a smoking point of 450℉, it is suitable for high-heat cooking.
Sesame Oil
Sesame oil is known to be ideal for heart diseases and diabetes. It helps fight malignancy, memory loss and is suitable for pancreatic, gum, and dental health. Additionally, it prevents plaque from building up and helps fight against atherosclerosis.
We recommend using it with rice-bran oil to help normalize blood-sugar levels and rising cholesterol in type-2 diabetics. With a smoke point of 350°F, it is ideal for high-heat cooking.
Soybean Oil
Soybean oil is rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids and vitamin E. It helps control blood-sugar levels and lowers the risk of heart and other chronic diseases. However, you should not use it if you have hypothyroidism.
It has a smoking point of 453℉. Hence you can use it for high-heat cooking.
Peanut Oil
Enriched in polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fatty acids, peanut oil is known to fight free radicals, reduce harmful cholesterol levels, and is suitable for heart health. It contains vitamin E and is ideal for people with diabetes. Also, it helps cell growth.
Peanut oil has a smoking point of 450℉ which makes it ideal for high-heat cooking.
Rice Bran Oil
Rice bran oil contains monounsaturated fatty acids and has anti-inflammatory properties which control healthy blood sugar levels. Also, it helps fight cancer.
It has a smoking point of 450℉ which makes it useable for high-heat cooking.
Coconut Oil
Coconut oil helps abdominal fat reduction, weight management, reduces appetite, and helps burns additional fats on our body. All of these qualities make it suitable for people with diabetes. Also, it helps raise good cholesterol levels.
It is helpful to boost brain functioning, heart health, and seizures. Unlike other oils, if it is kept for a long time, it won’t damage or stink.
Unrefined coconut oil has a smoking point of 350℉, so you can only use it for low heat cooking.
Olive Oil
Olive oil is one of the most nutritious cooking oils. It has antioxidants, anti-inflammatory properties, and monounsaturated fatty acids, which help raise HDL (good) cholesterol levels, manage blood pressure and decrease stroke and other heart diseases.
Additionally, it does not increase weight or trigger obesity. Olive oil is rich in tyrosol, which improves insulin resistance helping diabetic patients. We recommend you using extra virgin olive oil.
With a smoking point of 410℉, you can use virgin olive oil for high-heat cooking.
Flaxseed Oil
Flaxseed oil is high in omega-3, which helps slow down cancer growth, heart diseases, prevents diarrhea and constipation, improves skin, and reduces inflammation.
Additionally, it contains mucilage which helps the slow digestion process. In turn, glucose gets more time to digest, preventing a sudden rise in blood glucose levels.
As it has a smoking point of 225 °F, it is not suitable for high-heat cooking. You can use it for salad dressing and preparation of different sauces.
Canola Oil
Canola oil is high in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, which help reduce overall cholesterol and increase good cholesterol levels. Also, it contains omega-3, omega-6, vitamin E, and vitamin K, which helps improve skin and slows down the aging process.
Additionally, it helps weight management, reduces inflammation and joint stiffness. It also lowers blood glucose levels, which is beneficial; for diabetic patients.
Unrefined canola oil has a smoking point of 225℉, so you cannot use it for high heat cooking. You can drizzle it onto salads and use it in sauces. However, if you choose expeller-pressed cooking oil, which has a smoking point of 450℉, you can use it for high-heat cooking.
How to Choose a Cooking Oil?
Below are the tips that will help you choose a cooking oil:
- You should prefer using cold-pressed oils over refined ones.
- Don’t eat ready-to-eat foods as they contain a dangerous amount of cooking oils.
- Choose a cooking oil with a high smoking point. Else, it will break down to a carcinogenic substance.
Also, read our guide: is cooking oil a renewable resource?
How to Store Cooking Oil?
Cooking oils are sensitive to heat and light, so you better keep them in a cold, dark, and dry place. Don’t keep it for too long. Else, it will damage and stink. Remember, the oils which are high in polyunsaturated fatty acids spoil quicker.
Is cooking oil a fossil fuel? Read it here.
FAQs – Is Cooking Oil Bad for Diabetes?
These frequently asked questions will help you dive deeper into cooking oil’s impacts on diabetic patients.
How Much Cooking Oil Should a Person Consume?
On average, a person should consume 1-2 tablespoons of cooking oil every day. Make sure it has enough nutrients to overcome your daily nutrition needs. To keep your diet balanced, use a mixture of oils mentioned above.
Read this list of foods high in oil content.
Which Cooking Oil is Best for High Blood Pressure?
Olive oil is the best cooking oil for high blood pressure. It contains around 73% of monounsaturated acids, making it the most nutritious and healthy cooking oil on earth.
With many antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties, it helps lower blood pressure, reduces obesity and risks of heart diseases and strokes.
Which Cooking Oil is Best for Obesity?
Canola oil is the best cooking oil to help weight management and obesity. It has fewer saturated fats and the best option to use if you are working on that extra fat on your body. However, we still recommend you to use a mixture of all healthy oils for the best results.
Final Words
Is cooking oil bad for diabetes? While some of them are, others aren’t. If you don’t control diabetes timely, it can give birth to more heart illnesses, strokes, foot and nerve diseases, and eye problems.
If you have diabetes, make sure to measure and use the best cooking oils for diabetes carefully. Also, buy cooking oils lower in saturated and trans fats and higher in MUFAs and PUFAs.
Use these oils for high-heat cooking, in dips, or drizzle them over salads to enjoy their maximum flavor.
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