Which Cooking Fat to Choose: What Health Bodies Say
Olive oil, canola, butter, coconut, palm or tallow? What the Dietary Guidelines, WHO, NHS and pooled studies say about each cooking fat, and where the evidence is still thin.
Content last updated . This page has not been medically reviewed.
There is no single "best" cooking fat that every source agrees on. What the sources do agree on is the direction: less saturated fat, more unsaturated fat, and no artificial trans fat. This guide sets out what health bodies and the main studies say about common choices. It is information, not a prescription, and does not replace advice from your own clinician.
Read this first
- The common thread: keep saturated fat under 10% of daily calories and, where you can, swap it for unsaturated fat. [1] [2] [3]
- The US guidelines changed their tone in 2025 to 2030. They name olive oil and also list butter and beef tallow as options, and say more high-quality research is needed on which fats are best long term. [1] Harvard experts say this may confuse people and that plant oils have been shown to lower LDL cholesterol compared with butter, coconut and palm oil. [4]
- Coconut and palm oil raised LDL cholesterol in pooled trials compared with some other oils. [5] [6] [7]
- Olive oil has the longest track record in observational studies, but those studies cannot prove cause. [8] [9]
- All oils are about 115 to 124 kcal a tablespoon (butter is lower, at 102 kcal), so amount matters too. [10]
Side by side (USDA, per tablespoon)
USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy, April 2018. Tablespoon weights are the USDA household portions. Values per tablespoon are calculated from per-100-g values. [10]
| Fat | Energy | Saturated | Monounsaturated | Polyunsaturated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Canola oil | 124 kcal | 1.0 g | 8.9 g | 3.9 g |
| Sunflower oil (linoleic) | 120 kcal | 1.4 g | 2.7 g | 8.9 g |
| Avocado oil | 124 kcal | 1.6 g | 9.9 g | 1.9 g |
| Olive oil, salad or cooking | 119 kcal | 1.9 g | 9.8 g | 1.4 g |
| Soybean oil | 120 kcal | 2.1 g | 3.1 g | 7.9 g |
| Lard | 115 kcal | 5.0 g | 5.8 g | 1.4 g |
| Palm oil | 120 kcal | 6.7 g | 5.0 g | 1.3 g |
| Butter, salted | 102 kcal | 7.3 g | 3.0 g | 0.4 g |
| Ghee | 112 kcal | 7.9 g | 3.7 g | 0.5 g |
| Coconut oil | 121 kcal | 11.2 g | 0.9 g | 0.2 g |
The FDA Daily Value for saturated fat is 20 g, so one tablespoon of coconut oil supplies more than half of it. [11] Harvard calculates the Dietary Guidelines limit at about 22 g on a 2,000-calorie diet. [4]
What each source says about each fat
| Fat | What the sources say | Strength |
|---|---|---|
| Olive oil | In the PREDIMED cohort (7,216 older adults at high heart risk), the highest tertile of olive oil intake had 35% lower cardiovascular disease risk (HR 0.65) and extra virgin 39% lower (HR 0.61), compared with the lowest. [8] In the Nurses' Health Study and Health Professionals cohorts (92,383 people, 28 years), more than 7 g a day was linked to 19% lower cardiovascular death (HR 0.81). Replacing 10 g a day of margarine, butter, mayonnaise or dairy fat with olive oil was linked to 8 to 34% lower mortality, but no significant difference was seen against other vegetable oils combined. [9] | Observational |
| Canola, soybean, sunflower | Harvard lists soybean, canola and sunflower oils as polyunsaturated sources and advises olive and canola for cooking. [2] Harvard's commentary says plant oils have been shown to lower LDL and cardiovascular risk compared with animal fats and tropical fats. [4] See canola oil for its FDA qualified claim. | Guidance, plus pooled trials of swaps [3] |
| Butter | A pooled analysis of 9 publications (636,151 people) found no clear link between butter and heart disease (RR 1.00 per tablespoon a day) and a very small link with all-cause death (RR 1.01). No trials were found. [12] In three US cohorts, replacing 5% of energy from dairy fat with polyunsaturated fat was linked to 24% lower cardiovascular disease risk. [13] | Observational |
| Coconut oil | A pooled analysis of 16 trials found coconut oil raised LDL cholesterol by about 10.5 mg/dL and HDL by about 4 mg/dL compared with nontropical vegetable oils, with no clear effect on blood sugar, inflammation or body fat. [5] A different pooled analysis (12 studies) found a small LDL rise against plant oils (0.26 mg/dL) and a small fall against animal oils (0.37 mg/dL), and better results for virgin coconut oil. [6] | Pooled trials, measured blood fats only |
| Palm oil | A pooled analysis of trials found palm oil raised LDL by 0.24 mmol/L compared with vegetable oils low in saturated fat, and raised HDL more than trans-fat-containing oils did. [7] | Pooled trials, measured blood fats only |
| Lard, tallow, ghee, chicken fat | Listed by WHO and NHS among sources of saturated fat to limit. [14] [15] The US guidelines list beef tallow among options but keep the 10% ceiling. [1] We found no pooled trial on these fats in the sources read. | Guidance only |
Pooled trials of coconut and palm oil measured blood cholesterol, not heart attacks. A raised LDL is a risk marker, not a diagnosis. The two coconut analyses disagree in size because they pooled different comparisons, and we cannot say which better matches your own diet.
What the guidance bodies say, in one table
| Body | Statement, as read |
|---|---|
| US Dietary Guidelines 2025 to 2030 | Saturated fat should not exceed 10% of calories. When cooking or adding fats, prioritize oils with essential fatty acids such as olive oil; butter or beef tallow are other options. [1] |
| WHO | Prefer unsaturated fats (fish, avocado, nuts, and sunflower, soybean, canola and olive oils). Limit fatty meat, butter, palm and coconut oil, cream, cheese, ghee and lard. [14] |
| NHS | Use a small amount of vegetable or olive oil, or a reduced-fat spread, instead of butter, lard or ghee. [15] |
| AHA advisory (2017) | Trials replacing saturated fat with polyunsaturated vegetable oil cut heart disease by about 30%. Replacing it with refined carbohydrates did not. [3] |
| Cochrane review (2020) | Cutting saturated fat for at least 2 years gave about 21% fewer combined cardiovascular events (moderate-quality evidence), with little or no effect on all-cause death. [16] |
Choosing for the job
- Everyday cooking and dressings: olive, canola, sunflower, soybean or avocado oil all have low saturated fat in the USDA data. [10]
- High heat and frying: see smoke points and cooking with oil. The lab evidence is mixed and not based on health outcomes in people.
- Baking or flavor: butter, ghee and coconut oil have more saturated fat. If you use them, the guidance bodies above suggest keeping the amount small. [14] [15]
- Allergy: peanut, sesame and soy oils can matter for allergic people; ask your allergist about refined versus cold-pressed. For trouble breathing or swelling of the face or throat, call 911 (or your local emergency number). See food allergy basics.
- Heart or cholesterol problems: your clinician may set a lower saturated fat target than the general 10%.
Related pages
Frequently asked questions
Is olive oil really the healthiest?
Large observational studies link higher olive oil intake with lower heart disease and death. [8] [9] They cannot prove cause, and in the large US cohorts olive oil was not clearly better than other vegetable oils combined. [9]
Is butter bad for you?
A pooled analysis of observational studies found no clear link between butter and heart disease, and a very small link to all-cause death. [12] Health bodies still list butter among saturated fat sources to limit. [14] [15]
Is coconut oil healthy?
Pooled trials found it raised LDL compared with nontropical vegetable oils. [5] Proper evidence not found in the sources we read for heart outcomes in people eating it.
Are seed oils harmful?
The sources we read in this guide measured blood cholesterol and heart outcomes and favored swapping saturated fat for polyunsaturated oils. [3] [4] [16] See seed oils and inflammation: claims checked.
How much oil is okay?
We do not give a dose. Oils are about 120 kcal a tablespoon, so the amount counts for calories. [10] Your clinician or dietitian can advise on your own needs.
References
- U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2025-2030 (summary document, section "Incorporate Healthy Fats"). Read 2026-10-24.
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, The Nutrition Source. Types of fat. Read 2026-10-24.
- Sacks FM et al. Dietary Fats and Cardiovascular Disease: A Presidential Advisory From the American Heart Association. Circulation 2017 (abstract read via Europe PMC). Read 2026-10-24.
- Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, The Nutrition Source. Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2025-2030: progress on added sugar, protein hype, saturated fat contradictions. Read 2026-10-24.
- The Effect of Coconut Oil Consumption on Cardiovascular Risk Factors: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Clinical Trials. Circulation 2020 (abstract read via Europe PMC). Read 2026-10-24.
- Impact of coconut oil consumption on cardiovascular health: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Nutrition Reviews 2020 (abstract read via Europe PMC). Read 2026-10-24.
- Palm oil consumption increases LDL cholesterol compared with vegetable oils low in saturated fat in a meta-analysis of clinical trials. 2015 (abstract read via Europe PMC). Read 2026-10-24.
- Olive oil intake and risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality in the PREDIMED Study. 2014 (abstract read via Europe PMC). Read 2026-10-24.
- Consumption of olive oil and risk of total and cause-specific mortality among U.S. adults. 2022 (abstract read via Europe PMC). Read 2026-10-24.
- U.S. Department of Agriculture. FoodData Central, SR Legacy (April 2018): items 172336, 171025, 173573, 171413, 171411, 171401, 171015, 173410, 173412, 171412. Read 2026-10-24.
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. How to understand and use the Nutrition Facts label. Read 2026-10-24.
- Is butter back? A systematic review and meta-analysis of butter consumption and risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and total mortality. 2016 (abstract read via Europe PMC). Read 2026-10-24.
- Dairy fat and risk of cardiovascular disease in 3 cohorts of US adults. 2016 (abstract read via Europe PMC). Read 2026-10-24.
- World Health Organization. Healthy diet fact sheet. Read 2026-10-24.
- NHS. Eight tips for healthy eating. Read 2026-10-24.
- Hooper L et al. Reduction in saturated fat intake for cardiovascular disease. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2020. Read 2026-10-24.