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From your morning tadka to your evening salad dressing, cooking oils are a staple in most kitchens. But while they may enhance the flavour of your meals, they also play a much deeper role in your health, especially when it comes to your heart.
Dr Alok Chopra, cardiologist and functional medicine expert, shared in his June 15 post how your daily oil choices can impact your heart health, for better or worse. (Also read: Cardiologist warns ‘many sunscreens are loaded with cancer-causing chemicals’: Here’s how to choose safe options )
Is your cooking oil damaging your heart?
Dr Alok says in his post, “What if I told you that your so-called heart-healthy cooking oil is slowly damaging your heart?” He warns that seed oils like sunflower, soybean, canola, and corn oil may not be as harmless as they seem. “These aren’t real foods, they’re industrial products made in factories using high heat, chemicals, and pressure to extract tiny amounts of oil. This process oxidises the oil, damaging its structure even before it reaches your plate,” he explains.
According to Dr Chopra, consuming these oxidised oils leads to the formation of free radicals, highly inflammatory compounds that damage cells and are linked to heart disease, obesity, cancer, and more.
“Most of these oils are loaded with Omega-6 fatty acids, especially linoleic acid. In excess, this disrupts the body’s natural balance, increases inflammation, harms cholesterol, and raises the risk of diabetes and other chronic conditions,” he says. “Some even contain trans fats, which are well-known to be dangerous and strongly linked to cancer and heart disease.”
What makes restaurant oils even worse for your health?
He further highlights how the situation worsens at restaurants, “Restaurants make it worse by reheating the same oil repeatedly for days, creating toxic aldehydes and chemicals that can alter DNA and cause inflammation. These oils are cheap and long-lasting, so they’re used everywhere, in snacks, sauces, fried foods, cereals, and even so-called ‘healthy’ salad dressings.”
So, what’s the better choice? Dr Alok recommends switching to cold-pressed or minimally processed oils and aiming for a healthier balance of Omega-6 to Omega-3 fatty acids to support long-term heart health.
Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.
