When we cook, vegetable oils often factor into the equation—sautéed, fried, and other cooking methods often require their use. Yes, they add flavor and ease of cooking to our foods, but are vegetable oils good for us?
The most common linoleic acid in vegetable oil is omega-6 fatty acid, an important nutrient that our bodies cannot synthesize by themselves—but its impact on our health remains controversial. Many vegetable oils contain both omega-6 and omega-3, what is their optimum ratio and how do we choose which oils to use?
Linoleic Acid–‘Friend’ or ‘Foe?’
Some would consider linoleic acid to be a “friend” to our health—a superhero who fights heart disease, raises good cholesterol levels, and helps control blood sugar—a view based on scientific studies. Here are a few examples:- A meta-analysis published in 2019 in the journal Circulation showed that higher circulating and tissue levels of linoleic acid were associated with a lower risk of major cardiovascular issues. These results support the positive role of linoleic acid in cardiovascular disease prevention.
- A 2019 article by Harvard Health Publishing, a division of Harvard Medical School, pointed out that omega-6 fats extracted from vegetable oils are beneficial, reducing harmful LDL cholesterol and raising protective HDL cholesterol. It can also help control blood sugar by increasing the body’s sensitivity to insulin.
- A review study in 2016 pointed out that linoleic acid can have both anti-cancer and cancer-promoting processes. High doses of linoleic acid inhibited the proliferation of colon cancer cell type Caco-2, while high intake of linoleic acid was also shown to offer protection against cancer proliferation.
- Omega-6 has also been shown to promote the in vitro proliferation of breast cancer cell type BT-474 and human lung cancer cell type A549 and can promote the occurrence and growth of colon and prostate tumors in animal models.
