What Are The Best Cooking Oils For Diabetes?

When you’re trying to reverse type 2 diabetes or prediabetes through nutritional ketosis, fat ends up supplying up to 80% of the calories in your diet. One of the main ways you consume these fats is by using different types of oils when cooking and preparing meals. But not all cooking oils are created equal. In fact, relying on the wrong ones can set you back on your metabolic health journey.

Confused? It’s only natural. How are you supposed to know which oils are good for reversing diabetes and which aren’t? Is coconut oil good for diabetes, for example? Or is the better choice avocado oil for diabetes? Don’t worry, it’s not actually that complicated. Here’s what you need to know to navigate the cooking oil aisle at your local grocery store.

The Best Cooking Oils For Diabetes

• Avocado Oil
• Ghee/Clarified Butter
• Olive Oil
• High Oleic Safflower Oil
• Palm Oil
• Macadamia Nut Oil
• Butter
• Coconut Oil

All of these cooking oils have their place in a Virta-friendly lifestyle, so feel free to use them to help you stay satisfied.

The Worst Cooking Oils for Diabetes

The worst cooking oils and fats to use when you are trying to reverse type 2 diabetes or prediabetes are:

• Soybean oil
• Corn oil
• Vegetable oil
• Safflower oil
• Sunflower oil
• Cottonseed oil
• Flaxseed oil
• Grapeseed oil
• Peanut oil*
• Almond oil*
• Hazelnut oil*
• Walnut oil*
• Sesame oil*

*used in small amounts for flavoring is okay

Why Oils Containing Omega–6 Fats Are Bad For Diabetes

What’s the common denominator in all these ‘bad’ oils? Omega–6 fats.

When you’re looking to lose weight and reverse your diabetes as a Virta member, it’s important to avoid omega–6 oils whenever possible. In nutritional ketosis, you deprive your body of carbohydrates so that it burns fats for fuel instead. Omega–6 fats, however, are not a preferred fuel source for your body, which means that if your diet is full of omega–6 oils like corn oil, peanut oil, sesame oil, and so on, your body will run less efficiently.

Omega–6 oils also have other health drawbacks. On a low-carb diet, ingesting too many oils rich in omega–6 can cause gastrointestinal upset. In addition, these fats also tend to be less chemically stable, causing oxidation and inflammation in the body when consumed in excess.

The Takeaway

When you’re trying to lose weight and reverse diabetes through ketosis, it’s important to avoid oils rich in omega–6 fats whenever possible. Looking to take the first step? Virta can help. By making healthy lifestyle changes in a medical setting with supportive resources like 1:1 virtual coaching, you can regain control of your health, restore your energy levels, and feel like yourself again.

See if you’re eligible for Virta Health here.

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