I recently got an email asking,
Hey – what’s the deal with grapeseed oil? I’ve been hearing it’s the healthiest oil to use and cook with, figured you’d know.
This isn’t the first time I’ve been asked about grapeseed oil. It seems like there’s always a new food or product to try.
But here’s the truth: There is no next best thing.
Smoke Point
First of all, grapeseed oil does have a high smoke point. But this does not make it a healthy or safe.
Peanut oil has a high smoke point, but we know that it is not healthy. Grapeseed oil is much more likely to oxidize under high heat.
As a result, this creates free radicals. These can damage DNA/RNA, cell membranes and lead to plaque buildup in the heart. In short: You don’t want these in your body!
How is it processed?
Consider how oily a kernel of corn, or a soybean, or a grapeseed is. They aren’t. Because of this, oil from grape seeds usually involves hexane. Hence all this junk in grapeseed oil!
According to the Environmental Protection Agency:
Hexane is used to extract edible oils from seeds and vegetables, as a special-use solvent, and as a cleaning agent.
Acute (short-term) inhalation exposure of humans to high levels of hexane causes mild central nervous system (CNS) effects, including dizziness, giddiness, slight nausea, and headache.
Is it nutrient dense? Is it a healthy fat?
No and no.
Finally, take a look at the graph I made below. Grapeseed oil is very high in polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs). We need to keep the omega 3:6 ratio in balance. Grapeseed oil is heavy in omega-6 fatty acid.
This leads to inflammation. Remember: This and oxidation combined lead to heart disease, obesity, cancer and other diseases.
| Grape Seed Oil | Olive Oil | Butter | |
| Calcium | 0 | 1 | 24 |
| Folate | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Vitamin B12 | 0 | 0 | 0.17 |
| Vitamin A | 0 | 0 | 684 |
| Vitamin E | 28.80 | 14.35 | 2.32 |
| Vitamin D | 0 | 0 | 60 |
| Monounsaturated | 16.100 | 72.961 | 21.021 |
| Saturated | 9.600 | 13.808 | 51.368 |
| Polyunsaturated | 69.900 | 10.523 | 3.043 |
Grapeseed oil is not healthy at all.
Stick with olive oil and pastured animal fats. Instead, use a healthy oil like lard or coconut oil for high heat cooking. Ditch the toxic grape seed junk.
3 Comments
Hi,
What about applying this oil to your skin? I use this oil a lot for mixing in with essential oils, and then applying as a massage oil. I use cold pressed grapeseed oil, I never cook with it.
I think there are better oils to apply to your skin (jojoba, tallow and coconut are my faves) but I wouldn’t worry about applying it externally.
Jojoba is quite expensive and tallow and coconut are hard to mix with essential oils as they are solid at room temp. That’s why I use grapeseed. Thanks for letting me know it’s okay for external use!