Olive Oil vs. Vegetable Oil: Which Is Healthier for Your Heart?

Key Takeaways

Olive oil and vegetable oil both offer healthy, unsaturated fats that can be good for your heart in moderation.

Olive oil, especially extra virgin olive oil, retains more healthy compounds and antioxidants during processing than vegetable oil.

Vegetable oils encompass a broad range of products, so it's important to consider a type's processing and levels of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids to determine its particular benefits.

When it comes to cooking oils and heart health, olive oil and most vegetable oils may have similar effects and benefits. That's because they both contain unsaturated fats, which are considered healthier than the saturated fats in butter, lard, coconut oil, and other oils that are solid at room temperature.

Oils, Fatty Acids, and Heart Health

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