Many people ask me, “Is grape seed oil good for high heat?”
A reader sent me this recently…
Hello Kelly,
I started reading your blog and really like it. I was wondering what the general opinion is on this question, is grape seed oil good for high heat, or good to use at all? I've heard that it has a high smoke point and had switched to that before I started reading your blog. I have read many of your articles, but I didn't see grape seed oil anywhere in them.
My reply:
Good question! Grape seed oil contains phenols that raise the smoke point level, but it's also high in polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), like omega-6s and omega-9 fatty acids, which most of us get WAY too much of in our diets. This throws off the healthy balance we need between those and the omega-3 fatty acids, and when those are not balanced well in our bodies, it causes inflammation. This is why it's important to eat grass-fed meats, which contain omega-3's, and to take cod liver oil — these not only lower inflammation, but this affects our gut health, our mood, our energy, our immune system, everything!
Many mainstream sites will tell you that high PUFA oils are good for us because they think that polyunsaturated fats are better than saturated fats. This is outdated thinking, now we know better! Going back to traditional fats that our great grandparents used, like beef tallow, lard, butter and ghee, is what our bodies need to thrive.
The Weston A. Price site also says that, “grape seed oil is industrially processed with hexane and other carcinogenic solvents, and traces will remain in the oil.”
- Read more Q & A’s from the Weston A. Price site: “Some typical questions and misconceptions on fats and oils.”
More you might like:
Dani says
There is a “real food” restaurant in the Denver metro area that is especially proud of the fact that they fry the fried foods in rice bran oil. However, the only thing I’ve been able to find about it is that it appears to be highly processed as well, what with the solvents and deodorizers. Do you know of any research out there that there is a “good” way to extract it?
Thank you!
KitchenKop says
I would avoid rice bran oil, it has a too low smoke point to fry in safely and yes, it’s highly processed.
Too bad they don’t just use real, traditional fats like tallow or lard to fry in!
Merry Lynn Shepherd says
I just came across this blog post today despite it being posted several years ago. Talking about safe oils, what is safe to cook with? particularly at high heat levels? I know that butter and olive oil are not good to cook with. I have read that they turn carcinogenic at high heat levels. I don’t wish to use any of the “high in omega-6” oils like sesame,sunflower, etc. as I am certain that we get way too much of these already in our less than pristine diet. I know a lot of people use coconut oil but my family (husband esp) doesn’t like the heavy coconut flavor. I have heard of the refined coconut oil, but if it is refined, doesn’t that automatically make it bad? Currently I am using macadamia nut oil but it is very expensive. I would very much appreciate your comments and any answers that you have. :o)
KitchenKop says
This post should help you, let me know if there’s anything I missed or any other questions you have: https://kellythekitchenkop.com/2008/06/get-rid-of-bad-fats-in-your-kitchen.html
Kelly
Merry Lynn Shepherd says
Thank you so much. Yes, that is what exactly what I was looking for.
KitchenKop says
Thanks, Ann!
Ann Duncan says
Concerning pomace, I understand it is the dregs of what they come up with when processing olive oil, so, to be avoided :/
Blessings!
Ann
Kelly says
Hi Raine, thanks for making this point and sharing what you’ve learned!
Kelly
Raine Saunders says
I just wanted to post an update on something I recently discovered about myself that relates to this topic. For the last 3 years I have maintained an extremely healthy diet, so much that people are constantly in disbelief at the way I eat. I was told to avoid Omega 6s by a well-trained nutritional therapist when I first started my diet. I’ve been seeing another nutritional therapist from time to time, who happens to be my next door neighbor and who studied under the first NT when she was studying for her credentials. Both of these individuals ascribe to WAPF principles.
For some time I was using a small amount of the organic, unrefined, cold-pressed grapeseed oil mixed in with EVOO for salad dressing, as we make all our own homemade dressings. When I read this post, I hesitated about using grapeseed oil and stopped for a few weeks.
Yesterday I went to see the NT and she tested me for the fish oil I was using and I was weak on it. The tests she uses are muscle-testing, a form of applied kinesiology, which have been always been DEAD on each time I have been tested for anything – whether it be a dietary supplement, substance, or food. This puzzled her, so she tested me on multiple healthy Omega 6s like sesame oil, evening primrose oil, and sunflower oil. Guess what??? We discovered that I have become DEFICIENT in Omega 6s! Why? Because I AVOID pretty much all Omega 6s in my diet. My diet has been so rigid that I have now been getting TOO many Omega 3s and NOT ENOUGH Omega 6s. According to WAPF, “Cancer as well as heart disease can be prevented by taking a ratio of at least 1:1 up to 2.5:1 unadulterated parent omega-6 to omega-3 essential fatty acids plus specific vitamins and minerals.” So apparently the ratios in my diet have been off – which was the point I had made earlier in my other post on this thread. I just wanted to make sure the distinction was made between eating the right Omega 6s and the wrong ones – and that if you have no Omega 6s in your diet, you can become deficient in those, just like many people in industrialized countries do with Omega 3s. So I’m adding a bit of Omega 6s to my diet – organic sunflower/sesame oil/evening primrose oil – which also has Omega 3s (flax oil), Udo’s brand. I’m living proof!!
Raine Saunders
Kelly says
I’ve never heard of it…
acahoon says
Does anyone know anything about pomace oil? I know that higher end restuarants use this in place of olive oil since it is cheaper.
Kelly says
Hi Jenny, here’s some info: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grape_seed_oil
Jenny says
ive never heard of grapeseed oil. what is it?
Jenny
Kelly says
Rachelle, have you seen this mayo post?
https://kellythekitchenkop.com/2008/09/which-mayonnaise-should-you-buy.html
Also, I’m posting more on mayo soon.
Cathy Payne says
Great post! Our farmer, Liz Young, at http://www.NaturesHarmony.com says if she can’t make a fat herself, she doesn’t want to eat it! Good advice. We just had a great simple meal of kale fried in fat rendered from pastured heritage pork and shad roe fried in duck fat rendered from pastured duck. MMMmm good! I have to check out Mr. Linky, figure out what it means to stumble, and know how to twitter. I do know real food, though!
Annie - Hip Organic Mama says
I’m asked about that a lot too and was told by a nutritionist that it was healthful. Your post makes great sense – thanks for researching it!
Annie – Hip Organic Mama
Jenny @ NourishedKitchen says
We don’t use it at all although I do think I have some lurking in my cupboard from eons ago when I used it for mayo because I couldn’t handle the flavor of straight EVOO mayo. My take is this: it’s extremely high in omega 6 and we don’t really need any more of those floating around our plates also it is not a traditional oil like olive oil is.
Jenny @ NourishedKitchen
IssacsWife says
wow – I did not know that. I guess I haven’t been curious to go research it myself. We use grapeseed oil on our popcorn because of the neutral taste.
Rachelle Kerr says
As many of the above, I also use coconut oil (in baking) and cold pressed evoo (not to cook with), but have also occassionally used vegenaise made from grapeseed oil…the other options are cold pressed canola or soy vegenaise. I don’t use soy for various health reasons and strongly doubt the health claims for canola oil (we do not use it)…but, I am also concerned re: grape oil (the solvents used and the Omega 6 content. Does anyone know of an alternative, truly healthy, non-soy mayo…or do any of you know any more reasons to shy away from vegenaise?
Bridget says
I wondered about this, too. It seems like I see it more and more at the grocery store. Thanks for the info. How about good ol’ olive oil? That is my go-to oil.
Bridget
Julie says
Grapeseed oil is the only vegetable oil in our house, and I use it only occasionally. Most often, however, we use butter and coconut oil. The high smoke point of grapeseed oil (not to mention other touted benefits) is encouraging. In terms of oil usage, some subsist wholly using grapeseed oil and claim to reap vast nutritional benefits. I will never trade it for my butter and coconut oil, but “moderation in all things” seems to ring true here.
Just my two cents! 🙂 🙂
Anna says
Great topic, Kelly.
I’d wager that no one in the industrial world has an Omega 6 deficiency, even if actively avoiding all high omega 6 cooking oils such as soybean, corn, grapeseed, peanut, etc.
We only need a very, very tiny amount the omega PUFA acids, less than 4% of our calories (some estimate only abut 2% of calories), so even if avoiding industrial omega 6 oils for the most part, it’s very, very easy to get more than enough omega 6 FA from other sources – nuts, seeds, and certainly if eating whole grains with the oily germ.
Nearly all commercially raised animal products contain an more omega 6 than they should if they are exclusively grain-fed. Eating commercial beef, eggs and chickens is a big source of omega 6 FA, because the “all vegetarian feed” of corn and soy contribute far too much omega 6 in commercial feed rations. Even “organic” poultry/fowl is overly high in omega 6 FA content, unless the birds are also allowed access to their naturally omnivorous diet from pasture/ponds and bugs, slugs, snails, etc. which provides omega 3s for balance.
Raine Saunders says
If you can find good quality grapeseed oil that is cold or expeller-pressed, from what I know, it should be okay to use it in moderation. Even though we should avoid excessive Omega 6s in our diets, if you have removed all Omega 6s from what you are eating in the form of processed, chemically-treated, and refined foods, you will need some good Omega 6s to create a healthy balance. I wondered the same thing about this several years ago, and my nutritional therapist who follows Weston A. Price confirmed to me that this was true, so I stopped worrying about it and encourage my readers to consume it this way.
Raine Saunders
Wardeh @ GNOWFGLINS says
I have used grapeseed oil for several years, although much less recently. I always use it for frying falafel because I think it is the best choice in terms of smoke point and flavor. I used to use it exclusively in baking, but now I use coconut oil. I decided to use less of it because of what I read at Weston A. Price. However, they’re not right when they say grapeseed oil is always solvent-extracted. It is possible to purchase cold-pressed grapeseed oil, such as the grapeseed oil from Napa Valley Naturals. This company presses the oil out of the seeds leftover from wine making. I don’t know whether I’ll continue to use it – but I’m content with the cold-pressed form of it for the little I do use it.
~Wardeh
Wardeh @ GNOWFGLINS
Julie says
Thanks. I like the concise info.
Lisa says
Thank you for posting this. I have been wondering about this too. Much appreciated.
Lisa