Called "the silent killer" because it is a symptomless disease, high blood pressure, or hypertension, causes strokes, heart attacks and congestive heart failure.
Certain cooking oils can reduce your risk factors for developing high blood pressure. Choose oils with high levels of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats instead of saturated and trans fats.
Cholesterol, Oils and Blood Pressure
When your arteries are narrowed by the build up of excess fats, your heart needs to beat harder to force the blood to flow. Your blood pressure measures the force of your blood against your artery walls. According to Mayo Clinic, some conditions such as diabetes and high cholesterol increase your risk of clogged arteries and high blood pressure, so reducing your risk of developing those conditions will reduce your risk of developing high blood pressure as well.
Luckily, oils can lower your cholesterol levels and improve your insulin resistance. All oils contain varying amounts of monounsaturated fats, which are liquid at room temperature; polyunsaturated fats, which are partially liquid at room temperature; and saturated fats, which are solid at room temperature. The best oils for lowering blood pressure are those with the most monounsaturated fats.
Olive Oil
All kinds of olive oils contain 76 percent monounsaturated fatty acids, a higher amount than any other cooking oil, according to Sharon and Ron Herbst, authors of "Food Lover's Companion." Olive oil also contains 10 percent polyunsaturated fat and 14 percent saturated fats. The monounsaturated fats in olive oil may help you reduce your total cholesterol level as well as your LDL, or bad cholesterol, according to registered dietitian Karen Collins writing for the American Institute of Cancer Research. She also notes that extra-virgin olive oil contains over 30 plant chemicals that contain antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
Canola and Peanut Oils
Canola oil has 62 percent monounsaturated fat, and peanut oil has 48 percent, according to the Herbsts. Canola's ratio of polyunsaturated to saturated fats of 32-to-6 percent beats peanut oil's numbers of 35-to-17 percent. Dietitian Collins says that rumors about canola oil containing large amounts of a toxic substance called erucic acid are false and that canola oil is a healthy oil that can help lower LDL cholesterol.
Safflower, Soybean, Corn and Sesame Oils
Among the cooking oils classified as polyunsaturated are safflower, soybean, corn and sesame. These oils have fewer monounsaturated fats than olive or canola oils, making them easier to use in high-temperature cooking, but less useful for lowering cholesterol levels and thus they are not as powerful for lowering high blood pressure.
The Herbst's list the percentage of monounsaturated fat to polyunsaturated fat to saturated fats as 15-to-76-to-9 for safflower oil; 25-to-61-to-14 for soybean oil; 25-to-62-to-13 for corn oil; and 41-to-41-to-18 for sesame oil.
References
- American Heart Association; Why Blood Pressure Matters; January 2011
- Mayo Clinic: High Blood Pressure -- Hypertension
- "The Deluxe Food Lover's Companion"; Sharon Tyler Herbst and Ron Herbst; 2009
- Mayo Clinic: Olive Oil -- What Are the Health Benefits; Donald Hensrud, M.D.
- American Institute of Cancer Research; Why Olive Oil is Part of Mediterranean Health; Karen Collins, M.S., R.D., C.D.N.; March 2006
- American Institute of Cancer Research; Nutrition Wise; Karen Collins, M.S., R.D., C.D.N.; October 2008
