Olive oil versus sunflower oil, coconut oil and rapeseed oil

We’re all focused on our health. Therefore, it’s always good to know how healthy a product is. That’s why today we’re diving into how healthy olive oil, sunflower oil, coconut oil, and rapeseed oil (also known as canola oil) are. We’re making it a healthy competition: olive oil versus sunflower oil, olive oil versus coconut oil, and olive oil versus rapeseed oil. We measure health using these essential factors: fats, antioxidants, vitamins, the five-a-day food pyramid, and the health score from the nutritional value table.

Fats, antioxidants, vitamins, the Eatwell Guide, and the health score

Before we explain which oils are healthier for which reasons or recommended for a specific purpose, let’s start with a bit of background. Naturally, we want to know which fats and nutrients you can find in these oils, and whether these substances are healthy or unhealthy. We’ll explain them one by one.

Saturated fats

Watch out for saturated fats if you want to keep your blood vessels healthy. They increase LDL cholesterol, and that type of cholesterol is not particularly healthy. Scientific research shows that having high LDL cholesterol puts you at an increased risk of a heart attack or stroke, as demonstrated by a study ¹. The American Heart Association states that replacing saturated fats with unsaturated fats is recommended by the overall body of scientific research, as there is strong evidence that it lowers the bad LDL cholesterol, which is positive for heart health. ²

“To reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, the Health Council advises replacing saturated fat with unsaturated fat as much as possible. For example, this can be done by replacing butter with oil.”

Monounsaturated fats

Unsaturated fats are on the healthy side of fats. They come in both monounsaturated and polyunsaturated forms. Omega 9, for example, is a monounsaturated unsaturated fat.

It is the most important oleic acid. In principle, your body can produce it on its own, so it is not necessarily essential. However, you can easily supplement it through foods that contain omega 9. This can be found in nuts (oil), rice oil, olive oil, and peanut oil. ³

Polyunsaturated fats

Polyunsaturated fats, such as omega 3 and 6, are essential for good health, as the body cannot produce them on its own. Omega 3 and 6 come in both animal and plant forms. The plant-based variant is the most important. This is called alpha-linolenic acid (omega 3) and linoleic acid (omega 6). Omega 3 can be found in oily fish such as salmon, herring, and mackerel, as well as plant oils like flaxseed oil and rapeseed oil. Omega 6 is commonly found in plant oils like olive oil and sunflower oil.

It is extremely important for your health that your omega 3 to omega 6 ratio is balanced. In the past, this balance was approximately 1 to 1, but it is now recommended to have a balance of 5 omega 6 to 1 omega 3. However, we, particularly in the Western world, generally consume enough omega 6 but far too little omega 3, which disrupts this balance (15 to 1). Eating oily fish twice a week is a solution. If you are vegetarian, we recommend taking supplements. ⁴

“The Health Council advises adults to consume 200 milligrams of omega 3 from fish daily. Eating a portion of oily fish twice a week is also sufficient. There are also fish oil capsules and margarine enriched with fish oil. When it comes to the intake of omega 6 (linoleic acid), the Health Council recommends a percentage of 2% of your daily calories. You get enough linoleic acid by using healthy oils for cooking or spreading on bread. However, be careful, as too much omega 6 is unhealthy and is linked to an increased risk of death and heart disease.”

Trans fats

Trans fats are mainly found in animal products or in industrially processed foods. Unfortunately, there is not much positive to say about these fats. Due to their chemical structure, they fall under the unhealthy fats category. This is because trans fats are not flexible, making it difficult for the body to process this type of fat. These fats are even unhealthier than saturated fats. They increase the harmful LDL cholesterol and lower the beneficial HDL cholesterol, which raises the risk of cardiovascular diseases. For this reason, it is recommended to limit the consumption of trans fats as much as possible.

“The Health Council advises that no more than 1% of your daily calorie intake should come from trans fats. For an average intake of 2000 calories, this means no more than approximately 2 grams of trans fat per day.”

Antioxidants

Antioxidants is a collective term for vitamins E and C, beta-carotene, the body’s own glutathione, trace elements like selenium and zinc, and bioactive compounds such as flavonoids from vegetables and fruit.

It is important to get enough antioxidants, as they protect tissues and DNA from radicals. Free radicals are formed during normal metabolism, so a small presence is always there. However, your body produces more due to factors like smoking, sun exposure, or inflammatory reactions. This can lead to an excess of free radicals. Too many free radicals can cause oxidative stress, a metabolic state in which more than a normal physiological amount of reactive oxygen species is formed or present in the cell. It has been proven that this increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases and cancer over time and can cause damage to the nervous system. Additionally, there is evidence that it accelerates the aging process. Want one less wrinkle? Focus on those antioxidants! ⁶

Now, free radicals are not always negative. They can also be created by the body to kill unwanted bacteria. In short: it’s important that a certain number of free radicals are present in your body, as long as they are balanced. And here, a varied diet comes into play. This helps stimulate a good balance of free radicals. By the way, you don’t need to take supplements for this, as was once thought. Some studies have actually found a negative effect from taking supplements for radicals. Certainly not the goal. In summary, it’s important to ensure your diet includes natural foods rich in antioxidants, and that’s enough.

Vitamines

We grew up with this: vitamins ⁷ are good for you. They are essential not only for health but also for normal growth and development. The body cannot produce vitamins, or cannot produce them in sufficient amounts. That’s why they are known as essential (indispensable) nutrients. Vitamins are present in small amounts in food and drink. You can find vitamin E in oils, and some oils have added vitamin K. ⁸

The Wheel of Five & the Health Score

We will discuss each oil one by one shortly. For now, we will compare them with the Wheel of Five ⁹ and the nutrition table. This table is based on a representative and quantitative market research conducted among twelve hundred consumers. A report score expresses how healthy the Dutch consumer thinks a product is. In relation to healthy eating, the consumer indicates that getting enough essential nutrients and maintaining a healthy weight are the most important pillars. The table is based on the knowledge the consumer has about the product in terms of ingredients: the amount of sugar, (saturated) fat, salt, calories, artificial fragrances, colours, and flavours, fibre, vitamins, and minerals.

Olive oil: belongs to the Wheel of Five and receives a score of 8.3 from the consumer
Coconut oil: does not belong to the Wheel of Five and receives a score of 5.6 from the consumer
Sunflower oil: belongs to the Wheel of Five and receives a score of 7.2 from the consumer
Rapeseed oil: belongs to the Wheel of Five and receives a score of 6.9 from the consumer ¹⁰

Olive oil or coconut oil, sunflower oil, and rapeseed oil

It’s now time to discuss the different oils one by one. We’ll outline the biggest advantages and disadvantages, and conclude with a summary:

When to use it and when not?
Is it healthy?

Olive oil Coconut oil Sunflower oil Rapeseed oil Final conclusion

Olive oil

Coconut oil Sunflower oil Rapeseed oil Final conclusion

Olive oil

The health benefits of extra virgin olive oil are numerous. For example, extra virgin olive oil is made up of 75% monounsaturated fats and 10% polyunsaturated fats. These fats are very stable when heated, meaning you can heat the olive oil up to a temperature of 207 degrees Celsius! ¹¹ Additionally, extra virgin olive oil contains polyunsaturated fats like omega 3 & 6 (in a ratio of 1:11, respectively). These, as mentioned, are important nutrients for your body. Extra virgin olive oil is also very healthy because it contains low levels of unhealthy saturated and trans fats. Other healthy benefits include its high vitamin E content ¹² and the presence of antioxidants like polyphenols. By consuming this, your body has the building blocks it needs to defend itself against free radicals. ¹

Any potential health drawbacks can arise if chemicals are used during the production of the olive oil or if soil erosion occurs.

Did you know that…

“Gkazas Olive Oil is 100% organic. This means that no pesticides are used. The soil is fertilised by goats and sheep that graze freely. The olive trees only receive water from natural rainfall. Gkazas removes the minimal amount of natural vegetation to prevent soil erosion. Nowadays, production is increasingly mechanised. However, this is not the case with Gkazas Olive Oil. We pick the olives by hand and press them in a local factory.”

Conclusion

Extra virgin olive oil can be used anytime and anywhere. It is delicious for cold dishes, but you can also fry, bake, and even deep fry up to 207 degrees Celsius. As mentioned, it has a lot of health benefits. This is reflected in the fact that olive oil is part of the Wheel of Five and has the highest health score.

Olijfolie Kokosolie Zonnebloemolie Koolzaadolie Eindconclusie

Kokosolie

Olijfolie Zonnebloemolie Koolzaadolie Eindconclusie

Olive oil vs Coconut oil

In the battle of olive oil versus coconut oil, there are no strongly scientifically supported articles that claim coconut oil has any health benefits. However, there is one source ¹⁴ that is very positive about coconut oil. It supposedly kills bacteria, supports your immune system, and is said to help with weight loss. Interesting information, but we put a question mark next to it. A big plus is that coconut oil contains no trans fats. Additionally, the oil contains medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs), which the liver uses as an energy source. ¹⁵

Refined coconut oil contains a lot of saturated fats. These fats remain fairly stable when heated, so you can heat the oil to higher temperatures. ¹⁶

Unfortunately, coconut oil also has some downsides. It contains very little vitamin E and K and, as mentioned, a lot of saturated fat (85%), which is why coconut oil is considered the least healthy oil. ¹⁷ The biggest disadvantage by far is that large areas of forest may be cleared for coconut plantations, a lot of pesticides are used, and a significant amount of water is required. ¹⁸

Conclusion: Olive oil or coconut oil

When it comes to olive oil or coconut oil, science does not recommend replacing olive oil with coconut oil. Unfortunately, we cannot make a definitive statement about whether coconut oil is truly healthy. This is simply due to the fact that some studies contradict each other. For instance, some studies claim that the high saturated fat content is unhealthy, while others suggest this may not be the case. However, we do advise ensuring you eat in a balanced way. So, occasionally cooking or frying with coconut oil is not harmful. The high amount of saturated fat does have one advantage: because saturated fat is stable, you can heat the oil to high temperatures and fry with it quite well. The difference between coconut oil and olive oil in this regard is not significant, so for the olive oil versus coconut oil debate, it doesn’t make much of a difference.

Olive oil Coconut oil Sunflower oil Rapeseed oil Final conclusion

Sunflower oil

Olive oil Coconut oil Rapeseed oil Final conclusion

Olive oil vs Sunflower oil

We have arrived at sunflower oil, and this oil has relatively many benefits. Sunflower oil consists of about 85% unsaturated fats, with 22% monounsaturated and 63% polyunsaturated fats. ¹⁹ The product normally contains no trans fats and very little saturated fats and is rich in vitamin E. ²⁰ This makes sunflower oil healthy. It also has a high smoke point of up to 232 degrees Celsius, but this is for the unrefined variety. ¹⁵

In addition to the benefits, there are also many disadvantages to sunflower oil that should be considered. For example, the oil can still contain trans fats when hydrogenated. This is a chemical process where an unsaturated bond is converted into a saturated bond by adding and using hydrogen gas. ²¹ Omega 6 is also present in large amounts in sunflower oil, and too much of it can stimulate the formation of inflammation. Therefore, sunflower oil is not recommended for frequent use. ²² ²³ Is sunflower oil healthy? Not quite as much as we initially thought… This is not the only reason, as producing this oil requires sunflower seeds to be heavily processed. This involves machines, high temperatures, solvents, and bleach, which are not really healthy additives for humans or the environment. When it comes to frying and baking: heating sunflower oil is fine up to a high temperature, but make sure you don’t exceed that. Once it starts smoking, toxic substances can quickly be released. Heating polyunsaturated sunflower oil is completely out of the question because it is unstable. ²⁴ So, be careful which variant you have on hand.

Conclusion: Olive oil or Sunflower oil

Replacing olive oil with sunflower oil is often recommended because sunflower oil has a neutral taste, making it ideal for use in various dishes. When it comes to frying in sunflower oil or olive oil, sunflower oil is certainly an option, but we would generally advise against it. This is due to the potentially toxic substances that can be released when heating it.

When consuming sunflower oil, make sure to balance it with other foods. Such a balance is important. You don’t want to consume too much omega 6 without the proper ratio to omega 3. Due to the missing balance between omega 3 and 6, the (chemical) substances that may be present due to the production process, and the risks associated with heating, we cannot say that sunflower oil is the healthiest alternative. However, when part of a balanced diet, it is not a bad addition. So, occasionally frying in sunflower oil or adding it to your salad is perfectly fine, but keep it limited. So, what’s healthier, sunflower oil or olive oil? The battle of olive oil versus sunflower oil is ultimately won in olive oil’s favour. Therefore, we do not recommend replacing olive oil with sunflower oil.

Olive oil Coconut oil Sunflower oil Rapeseed oil Final conclusion

Rapeseed oil

Olive oil Coconut oil Sunflower oil Final conclusion

Olive oil vs Coconut oil

The benefits of rapeseed oil start with the good fats. ²⁵ 60% of it is monounsaturated unsaturated fat, 27% polyunsaturated fat, and only 11% saturated fat. It contains a lot of vitamins E and K²⁶ and antioxidants.²⁷ What stands out most is the high smoke point of the oil: you can heat rapeseed oil up to 240 degrees Celsius. So, frying in rapeseed oil is not a problem. This makes the discussion between olive oil and rapeseed oil quite interesting!

Rapeseed oil does have one major disadvantage: the oil is separated from the seeds through a chemical process at high temperatures. This is done using hexane, a flammable, irritating, and harmful substance for both the environment and health. You can definitely say that it is not 100% plant-based.²⁸ Due to the industrial processing, rapeseed oil inevitably contains traces of trans fats, as well as toxins that were already present in the plant itself.²⁹

So, the battle between olive oil or rapeseed oil is not easily decided. On one hand, rapeseed oil has less saturated fat and a high smoke point. On the other hand, its production is not good for the environment or your health, and there are other residues present in the oil. Should rapeseed oil be replaced with a healthier alternative? Olive oil or rapeseed oil…

Cunclusion: Olive oil or Rapeseed oil

Olive oil or rapeseed oil, that is the question. Cooking in rapeseed oil (or canola oil) is fine due to its high smoke point. It is also relatively inexpensive. When you want to cook with rapeseed oil, it is advisable to only buy and use it if it is 100% organic, unrefined oil. This way, you can be sure that the production process is not (too) chemical. However, the question of whether rapeseed oil is healthy remains a difficult one to answer. Additionally, rapeseed oil has a very distinct taste, which makes it less suitable for cooking or as a flavour enhancer for cold dishes. Therefore, we can still conclude that in the battle of olive oil versus rapeseed oil, olive oil comes out on top.

Olive oil Coconut oil Sunflower oil Rapeseed oil Final conclusion

Final conclusion

Olive oil Coconut oil Sunflower oil Rapeseed oil

The final verdict: olive oil versus rapeseed oil, coconut oil, and sunflower oil

We have presented the ratios between the different oils in the table below. To summarise the article, you know that saturated and trans fats are bad for you, while antioxidants and unsaturated fats are good and essential for your health. As you can see in the table, no oil contains a noteworthy amount of trans fats. These may be present in oils that are processed during production, such as sunflower oil and rapeseed oil.

Olive oil comes out best in our research. Like rapeseed oil, olive oil has a good balance of unsaturated fats and saturated fats. What makes olive oil even healthier is the fact that extra virgin olive oil has a higher number of healthy antioxidants.

Rapeseed oil contains a large amount of unsaturated fats and antioxidants, making it a very healthy oil. The only downside is that rapeseed oil also undergoes a chemical process, which can leave residues of trans fats and plant toxins.

Sunflower oil has a slightly higher score in the nutritional value table compared to rapeseed oil, but in our conclusion, we judge it differently. This is due to the high presence of omega-6, which in an unbalanced ratio with omega-3 can lead to health issues, but also because sunflower seeds undergo heavy processing during production. This increases the likelihood of trans fats and toxins being present.

Coconut oil is the least healthy of the four. This is due to the high amount of saturated fats and the minimal presence of beneficial unsaturated fats.

“We kunnen stellen dat elk product zijn gezonde voordelen heeft, maar dat een gebalanceerd dieet de belangrijkste factor is voor je gezondheid. Als je dan toch een keuze moet maken, dan is (Gkazas) Olijfolie de beste keuze. ;)”