Research
Macro partitioning
Trans-fatty acids produced through partial hydrogenation increase the risk of ischemic heart disease, whereas saturated and monounsaturated oils are more stable and safer for high-temperature cooking.
When cooking at high heat (frying, searing), use stable fats like butter, ghee, or high-oleic oils. Avoid heating polyunsaturated vegetable oils (like soybean or corn oil) to high temperatures, as they break down into harmful compounds. Trans-fats from partial hydrogenation are harmful and should be avoided.
GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
A recent systematic review concluded that when trans-fatty acids account for approximately 0.25–2.56% of daily energy intake this leads to an increase in ischaemic heart disease risk of at least 3%... By contrast, saturated and monounsaturated oils show greater stability when used in cooking, an advantage that has received comparatively little attention in nutritional assessments.
Why this rating
The paper cites systematic reviews and specific risk percentages for trans-fats, and chemical stability data for oils.
Source
Bringing some balance to fat bashing
Joanne Slavin et al. · Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems · 2025
DOI 10.3389/fsufs.2025.1606617
narrative_review
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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