Smoke Point of Oils

And why it matters

Why does it matter?

A common health topic is cooking oils. Which are the best, and which are not so good? Much of the conversation focuses on the nutrient make-up of the oils, which is a worthy topic of discussion. However, a piece that may get overlooked is smoke point.

Some oils are best suited for high heat situations. Some for lower heat. And some shouldn’t be heated at all. What defines these characteristics is the smoke point of the oil. The smoke point is simply the temperature at which a cooking oil begins to smoke. When this happens the oil begins breaking down producing free radicals and potentially toxic chemicals. As free radicals and toxic chemicals can be detrimental to health, it's important to use the correct oils for each cooking method employed, to avoid letting the oils get smoky.

What is smoke point?

As already mentioned, the smoke point is the point at which an oil begins smoking during the cooking process. It is essentially when fat, protein, sugar, and other organic compounds get heated to a point where they begin to interact with oxygen in the environment and burn.

The biggest factor affecting smoke point is the amount and types of proteins and fatty acids in an oil. The higher they are in a product, the lower the smoke point (the lower the temperature the oil can be cooked at before it produces smoke). A higher amount of polyunsaturated fats such as in safflower and canola oils will have a lower smoke point. Avocado and nut oils, with higher monounsaturated fats, are in the middle. Those with saturated and monounsaturated fat blends will have the highest smoke point. These include palm and coconut oils.

Therefore, different oils have different smoke points, which makes some ideal for high heat and others more ideal for lower heat cooking.

Why is smoke point important?

Oil that is heated past its smoke point can be an issue for several reasons.

It can have negative health implications
It can make the food taste bad
It can make the food smell bad
It can cause your smoke detector to go off
It can create a big mess to clean up in your kitchen

Related to the negative health implications, a byproduct produced by an oil that has reached and exceeded its smoke point is called acrolein. This chemical can bind with DNA and amino acids in the body and cause changes in the DNA, making it a potential carcinogen. In addition, it is possible that free radicals are produced which when ingested over a long period of time may cause tissue damage that affects proteins, lipids, and DNA in cells, specifically in those of the gut. This may lead to unwanted gut symptoms like bloating, belly pain, diarrhea, constipation, indigestion, microbiome imbalances, and ultimately translate to issues on the surface of the skin.

Some considerations

The best thing to do is to become familiar with the oils that are best for different types of cooking. Then apply this knowledge in your own cooking, as well as be armed with questions to ask the restaurants where you eat. Follow the general guide below as a good place to start!

Smoke point of oils

High smoke point: oils that can be heated at a high level of heat before they start smoking; these are best for searing, browning, and deep-frying.

Medium-high smoke point: can be cooked at a lower temperature than the high smoke point oils; best for baking, oven cooking, and stir-frying.

Medium smoke point: can be cooked at a lower temperature than the medium-high smoke point oils; best for light sautéing, sauces, and low-heat baking.

No smoke point: best to not be cooked; great for dressings, dips, and marinades.

References

Cleveland Clinic. (2023, January 18). Choosing and Using Cooking Oils: What To Use and When. Retrieved from https://health.clevelandclinic.org/how-to-choose-and-use-healthy-cooking-oils/

Krystal, B. (2020, March 9). What you should know about oil smoke points – and why they’re not as scary as you might think. The Washington Post. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/voraciously/wp/2020/03/09/what-you-should-know-about-oil-smoke-points-and-why-theyre-not-as-scary-as-you-might-think/