The choice of oil is critical to help reverse your fatty liver. Have you heard that olive oil is not suitable for frying food? Well, that’s a lie – another myth circulating over the internet. When it comes to oil and food you will find a lot of misinformation on the internet. As you can imagine, the information about which oils are best for fatty liver is also confusing. Hence, in this article, I am going to tackle this exact question “What are the best oils to use for fatty liver / NAFLD? ” based on my own research and experience with reversing my Fatty Liver.
Before we discuss the oils further, I wanted to make sure that you understand that “deep frying” is a no-no for Fatty Liver irrespective of the choice of oil. Please do not consider this article as a license to now deepfry your food in a “beneficial oil” – that will result in harm.
Olive Oil For Fatty Liver
First, you must understand that olive oil is a staple part of the Mediterranean diet [#link] – the diet most recommended for Fatty Liver disease. Next, you must understand that olive oil consists of a mix of Monounsaturated Fatty Acids (MUFAs) and Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (PUFAs) along with phenols, anti-oxidants, and other ingredients that provide the olive oil with many liver-friendy and powerful anti-inflammatory properties.
How To Cook In Olive Oil For Fatty Liver / NAFLD
The ideal way to use olive oil is to use it raw (drizzle) or as a marinade before grilling or roasting. There is a myth that olive oil cannot be used for frying or sauteing however it turns out that the myth is false. Olive oil has a pretty high smoke point of 410o F (210o C), which means it is usually safe for cooking as well as most foods do not need that high of a smoking point to cook well. Hence, it is perfectly fine to saute or even deep fry (occasionally) in olive oil as long as we are careful of the cooking temperature.
The reason it is often recommende not to use EVOO for frying or cooking is because it is very hard to control the temperature of the oil while cooking and as a result, any cooking at high flame may result in temperatures reaching beyond 410o F (210o C).
It is also safe to reuse olive oil a few times when needed, however, it starts losing its flavor after a couple of times.
Read also: Can I eat eggs with fatty liver?
Which Kind Of Olive Oil To Use
Generally speaking, for deep frying you should use “refined/light” olive oils for deep frying and Extra Virgin Olive Oils (EVOO) for the rest. However, since deep frying is not good for fatty liver, I recommend completely avoiding the temptation and only buying EVOO.
As long as you decide to buy EVOO and the brand is trustworthy, you can go with any brand you want. I have personally tried Kirkland EVOO [#link] & AmazonFresh EVOO [#link] and recommend them both.
Not surprisingly, olive oil is not for everyone. While it is ubiquitous in salads and sandwiches, a lot of people do not like to use it for cooking. The good news is that avocado oil is also a great choice for people suffering from Fatty Liver.
Read also: How To Stop Sugar Cravings For Fatty Liver Diet
Avocado Oil For Fatty Liver
There are many studies suggesting that avocado oil is beneficial for Fatty Liver due to its effect on mitochondrial function, oxidative stress, and inflammation. Additionally, the smoke point of avocado oil is significantly more (520oF or 271oC), thus reducing the concern about cooking food in avocado oil.
Ever since I was diagnosed with Fatty Liver, Avocado oil is staple at our house. We use both Olive and Avocado oil, but Avocado oil is the preferred choice.
In fact, at our home, avocado oil is a staple. We use it for stir-frying, sauteing, roasting, searing, grilling, and also drizzling. It has a completely different aroma and flavor from olive oil and its mild buttery flavor offers a different taste profile than food cooked in olive oil.
Which Kind Of Avocado Oil To Use
Generally, it is not easy to find avocado oil in many grocery stores. I use Chosen Foods (100% Avocado oil available at Costco. However, when unavailable at Costco, I have even purchased Better Body Foods brands at Walmart or Amazon [#link] OR Amazon Fresh Avocado oil [#link].
Conclusion
Eat. In. Moderation. The article discusses here the best oils to be used for Fatty Liver. Please do not construe this as a license to eat deep-fried food or to eat a lot of oil in general. For Fatty Liver disease, too much oil consumption must be avoided at all costs. In fact, recent research has shown that consuming a lot of olive or avocado oil worsens fatty liver.
Bottomline: Even though Olive oil and Avocado oil are beneficial for fatty liver, you must limit the consumption to a minimum.
References
- https://healthimpactnews.com/2014/myth-buster-olive-oil-is-one-of-the-safest-oils-for-frying-and-cooking/
- https://www.internationaloliveoil.org/olive-world/olive-oil/#frying
- https://www.fsis.usda.gov/food-safety/safe-food-handling-and-preparation/food-safety-basics/deep-fat-frying
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2670406/
- https://academic.oup.com/jn/article/149/11/1920/5537101?login=true
- https://faseb.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1096/fasebj.2019.33.1_supplement.660.6
- https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphar.2022.1089130/
- https://faseb.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1096/fasebj.2019.33.1_supplement.660.6
- https://www.hepmag.com/article/avocados-olive-oil-may-increase-risk-fatty-liver-disease
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