Omega 6 and Omega 3 in Plant Based Cooking Oils

Omega 6 and Omega 3 in Plant Based Cooking Oils

In western society we all consume far too many Omega 6 essential fatty acids and not enough Omega 3. The ideal ratio is 1:1 but most people are far from the mark. See The importance of the ratio of Omega-6/Omega-3 essential fatty acids to see the effects of adding or decreasing Omega 6 in the diet.

Here is a chart showing the number of grams of both Omega 6 & Omega 3 in every 100g of popular plant based cooking oils. The nearer the top of the chart the better the oil performs in the criteria however I would urge you to only use palm oil products that come from a responsible source that protects wildlife and their habitation. 

For UK please note that Canola oil is Rapeseed oil.

What is “high oleic” oil?

High oleic oil is any oil that is high in monounsaturated fats.  Olive and canola oil are naturally high in monounsaturated fat, but they are also high in polyunsaturated fats which mean they are not very shelf-stable.  In recent years, scientists have developed sunflower (and other) oils that are bred to be high in monounsaturated fats and low in polyunsaturated fats so they can be used in products that need to be shelf-stable.