The 6 Best Anti-Inflammatory Oils for your Kitchen

We use oils in so much of our cooking, so it is important that we have anti-inflammatory oils in our kitchen available for daily use. These 6 anti-inflammatory oils boast a numerous amount of health benefits beyond being anti-inflammatory.

Anti-Inflammatory Diet and Oils

Through my experiences with autoimmune inflammatory conditions, I’ve learned just how big of a role food plays into my health and how I feel each day. It’s important to me to only consume foods that support my healing and to avoid the foods that trigger inflammation.

Most common cooking oils are terrible for our health! You may not feel the immediate response when consuming them, like I do, but the inflammation they cause will slowly wreak havoc on your body. I’ve put together a break down of my favorite anti-inflammatory oils that I use in my diet.

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The 6 Best Anti-Inflammatory Oils:

1. Extra Virgin Olive Oil:

Cold-pressed EVOO has polyphenols which are full of antioxidants that repair cellular damage. The polyphenols in olive oil actually help to combat inflammation. High quality olive oil contains Oleocanthal, one of the polyphenol compounds, which has shown in studies that it prevents pro-inflammatory enzymes in the same way ibuprofen does. This is why there is an increasing trend of drinking a shot of olive oil daily to help with inflammatory autoimmune conditions as well as overall health.

We use olive oil frequently in my anti-inflammatory diet. The health benefits are wonderful and its flavor enhances whatever you pair it with in cooking. We love to use it for low to med-high heat sautéing, in sauces and dressings, or simply for dipping bread in.

2. Avocado Oil:

Similar to olive oil, avocado oil is high in monounsaturated fats which can help reduce inflammation and lower bad (LDL) cholesterol while increasing the (HDL) good cholesterol. It also has antioxidants and vitamins to help with overall health.

This oil is great for higher heat cooking and in baked goods. We use it often for searing meat in our cast iron skillets.

3. Coconut Oil:

Coconut oil is a wonderful source of medium-chain triglycerides (MCT’s) which help fight against inflammation and cognitive decline. It’s antiviral and antibacterial properties help to support the immune system. Coconut oil, an easily digested fat, can support gut health.

Next to Extra virgin olive oil, this is one of my favorite oils to use! We use it for lower heat sautéing, in baked goods, and to coat our cast irons after each use. I also use this daily in my matcha latté and in many of my homemade skincare products.

4. Flaxseed Oil:

Flaxseed oil is high in Omega 3’s which makes it a great healthy oil to consume, especially if you aren’t getting much fish or fish oil in your diet. The omega 3’s in this oil can also help to reduce inflammation and lubricate joints.

While we keep a bottle of this on hand, I don’t use it often because it’s low smoke point in cooking. It makes a great addition to salad dressings and I’ve used it for coating our cast iron pans or wooden utensils.

5. Macadamia Nut Oil:

Macadamia nuts have omega 3’s which are anti-inflammatory. They are also loaded with antioxidants to help protect our bodies from cellular damage caused by free radicals. Macadamia nut oil is an unsaturated healthy fat that can help with cholesterol.

Macadamia nut oil has been another favorite of mine for using in baked goods, especially muffins and pancakes. I love the mild nutty flavor and high fat content. It can also tolerate higher heat cooking. The macadamia nut oil that I was buying is no longer available. Since then I have had a hard time sourcing an organic cold-pressed macadamia nut oil. I need to do a little more searching to find one.

6. Walnut Oil:

Walnut oil is a rich source of vitamins, antioxidants, and selenium. It can help with thyroid function, cognitive health, and heart health.

I personally do not have walnut oil in our kitchen. However, it is an oil that I would definitely try out and use in my anti-inflammatory diet. It does appear to have a low smoke point, so I would use it for low-heat cooking or just fresh in dressings, sauces, and drizzled over foods.

How to Choose High Quality Anti-Inflammatory Oils:

To get all the benefits from these 6 anti-inflammatory oils, it is important to select high quality oils that haven’t been overly processed or cut with lower quality oils. When they are overly processed and/or blended with other low quality oils they lose the benefits and can even become inflammatory due to the change in their nutrient structure.

Here are some terms to look for when shopping for oils:

• Extra Virgin is Cold Pressed: Using heat to process oils will break down their nutrient structure. Cold pressing helps to retain all the nutritional benefits found in these wonderful oils. Cold Pressed Extra Virgin Olive Oil will be richer in polyphenols than one that has been refined with high heat. Look for the label of ‘Extra Virgin’.

• Organic: Pesticides and other harmful chemicals heavily used in our agriculture, are saturating our foods. These have a profoundly negative effect on our health. It is important to me to always opt for organic options to minimize my exposure to these harmful chemicals.

• Single Source Origin vs. blends: Look for the origin of the olives in EVOOs. One red flag is if the oil has multiple countries of origin. Some companies try to save money by blending in other lower quality oils that may be inflammatory.

• Packaging: Oil will stay fresher and retain its benefits if it has less exposure to light, heat, and oxygen. This is why dark tinted, UV protected, glass bottles are the best option when it comes to oils, especially olive oil. These oils need to be stored in a cool dark place to avoid oxidation.

• Harvest Date: Look for a harvest date on the bottle of oil. This is a good sign that the company is transparent in producing higher quality oils. Many oils are far from fresh by the time they make it into our homes. They begin to lose their health benefits the further from the harvest date.

I’ll link a few of my favorite high quality, anti-inflammatory oils at the bottom of this post.

Labels to avoid:

• Refined: Highly processed with heat or chemicals which break down the beneficial nutrients
• Pure Olive Oil: A ‘greenwashing’ term often used when they don’t meet “Extra Virgin” standards.
• Light: Highly refined lower quality oil.
• Blend: Multiple origins and possibly low quality oils in the mix
• Hydrogenated: Use of heat, hexane, and other harmful chemicals in processing
• Partially Hydrogenated: Use of heat, hexane, and other harmful chemicals in processing

What About Cooking Oil Sprays?

Most cooking oil sprays contain propellants that are very toxic to our health. We have been fortunate enough to find both olive and avocado oil ‘squirt’ bottles that don’t use a propellant, at our local health foods store. If you aren’t able to find these alternatives, it is best just to avoid the sprays altogether.

What about Ghee, Butter, and Tallow?

If you can tolerate dairy and beef, these are wonderful healthy options! If using ghee, butter, or tallow, I recommend going for organic grass fed organic options. I mainly avoid these only because I cannot tolerate dairy and beef products.

Which Inflammatory oils Should I avoid?

These are some of the worst oils. They cause lots of inflammation in the body among other health problems. Many of them are from GMO crops, highly processed with heat and chemicals, and contain lots of omega 6’s. These oils are often found in packaged food products so check your ingredient labels if you want to keep these out of your diet.

• Vegetable Oil
• Canola Oil
• Soybean Oil
• Corn Oil
• Sunflower Oil
• Safflower Oil
• Any Hydrogenated Oils

Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil:

• Lucini Organic EVOO
• Paleo Valley Organic EVOO

Organic Coconut Oil:

• Nutiva Organic Virgin Coconut Oil
• Vita Coco Organic Extra Virgin Coconut OIl