Here's a chart created by Dr. Cate Shanahan, a specialist in human nutrition and metabolism. A family physician with over 20 years of clinical experience and a bestselling author, her expertise is addressing the underlying issues that cause metabolic damage and inflammation, leading to autoimmunity, weight gain, diabetes, cancer, and accelerated aging. Her passion is helping people feel better.
| Good fats | Ok, but not great | Bad fat | ||
| Traditionally used fats and oils | Refined traditional fats | Polyunsaturates | ||
| Not highly processed | The label says 'refined'. | Refined, bleached, deodorized | ||
| All purpose | Beware of the heat | Limited use | Do not eat | |
| Olive oil | Walnut oil | Refined peanut | Soybean oil | Mainly in restaurants: |
| Avocado oil | Linseed oil | Refined lawyer | Sunflower oil | Grape seed oil |
| Peanut oil | Sesame | Refined coconut | Safflower oil | Rice bran oil |
| Butter/Ghee | Nut | Canola oil | Fake whipped cream | |
| Tallow and lard | Seeds | Corn oil | Fake butter spread | |
| Cocoa butter | Oily fish | Cottonseed oil | Shop-bought pastries | |
| Macadamia nut oil | Artisanal grape seed oil | Hydrogenated oil | Chicken nuggets | |
| Coconut oil | Refined palm oil | Margarine | ||
| Almond oil | Shortening | |||
| Fried foods | ||||
| Most chips and crackers | ||||
| Most protein bars | ||||
| Most salad dressings | ||||
| Most granolas and cereals | ||||
Note about olive oil: According to the PREDIMED study, with 4 tablespoons of olive oil per day in the Mediterranean diet, extraordinary effects were observed within a year on the metabolic system and the heart, not to mention depression.(1-2)
Olive Oil and Dementia: A 28-year cohort study of 92,383 U.S. adults concluded that higher olive oil consumption (over 7 g/d) was associated with a 28% lower risk of dementia-related mortality, regardless of diet quality. Beyond heart health, the findings extend current dietary recommendations to choose olive oil and other vegetable oils for cognitive health.(3)
References:
(translated table) - https://drcate.com/list-of-good-fats-and-oils-versus-bad/
(1)Guasch-Ferré M, Hu FB, Martínez-González MA, Fitó M, Bulló M, Estruch R, Ros E, Corella D, Recondo J, Gómez-Gracia E, Fiol M, Lapetra J, Serra-Majem L, Muñoz MA, Pintó X, Lamuela-Raventós RM, Basora J, Buil-Cosiales P, Sorlí JV, Ruiz-Gutiérrez V, Martínez JA, Salas-Salvadó J. Olive oil intake and risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality in the PREDIMED Study. BMC Med. 2014 May 13;12:78. doi:10.1186/1741-7015-12-78. PMID: 24886626; PMCID: PMC4030221.
(2)Sánchez-Villegas A, Martínez-González MA, Estruch R, Salas-Salvadó J, Corella D, Covas MI, Arós F, Romaguera D, Gómez-Gracia E, Lapetra J, Pintó and depression: the PREDIMED randomized trial. BMC Med. 2013 Sep 20;11:208. doi:10.1186/1741-7015-11-208. PMID: 24229349; PMCID: PMC3848350.
(3)Tessier A, Cortese M, Yuan C, et al. Consumption of Olive Oil and Diet Quality and Risk of Dementia-Related Death. JAMA Network Open. 2024;7(5): e2410021. doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2024.10021
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