Ask Dr. Etingin: Healthy plant-based oils; Genetically modified foods

I don’t care for the flavor of olives, but I want to cook with vegetable oil. Are any other options as healthy as olive oil?

While research shows that olive oil is the healthiest oil for your heart, there are many other plant-based oils made from healthy unsaturated fats, including avocado, canola, flaxseed, peanut, sesame, and soybean oil. Unsaturated fats help lower LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, while omega-3s, the healthiest unsaturated fat, help lower triglycerides and raise HDL (“good”) cholesterol. Plant-based oils also are high in antioxidants (disease fighters), including vitamin E, which helps protect your cells from damage. 

Olive oil does not have a heavy “olive” flavor—especially the “light” version. So, even if you don’t care for olives, you may want to give olive oil a try. “Extra virgin” is the healthiest, because it has been processed the least. 

A March 5, 2020, study in the  proves this point. Food diaries of more than 61,000 women and nearly 32,000 men showed that those who had the highest consumption of olive oil also had the lowest risks of both coronary heart disease and cardiovascular disease. 

When choosing an oil for cooking, look for one with a high smoke point—the temperature at which an oil begins to break down chemically. A high smoke point is above 375 degrees. Avocado (500oF), olive (405oF), and peanut (437oF) have the highest smoke points. Don’t cook with peanut oil if you are preparing a meal for someone who has a peanut allergy.

Limit your use of oils high in saturated fats, including coconut, corn, palm, safflower, and sunflower oils.

Are genetically modified foods safe to eat?

Yes they are. Foods are genetically modified (or “bioengineered”) for several reasons: to produce a crop that is more consumable, to produce a crop that is easier or less expensive to grow, or to create a crop that is more resistant to challenges such as pesticides, drought, or a short shelf life; for example, to make apples resistant to turning brown.

As people live longer and healthier, these advances in science open up new opportunities for farmers, who are working hard to respond to the world’s growing need for whole foods. The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency monitor genetically modified foods for safety. Bioengineered foods are heavily studied and go through rigorous testing before being released to the public. 

According to the USDA, foods available today that are genetically modified include alfalfa, apple (arctic varieties), canola, corn, cotton, eggplant, papaya, pineapple, potato, salmon, soybeans, squash, and sugar beets. Foods that have been bioengineered will say so on the label. They can be cooked exactly the same way you would cook non-GMO foods. 

If you prefer non-GMO foods, look for the words “organic” or “non-GMO” on the label.

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