What is the significance to health of the NO CHOLESTEROL claim on some cooking oils?
As only animals contain cholesterol, the statement no cholesterol simply means that the oil was derived from a plant. However, as discussed earlier in this FAQ, such a claim does not inform you whether the oil is low in saturated fat, and this is most important for lowering cholesterol. As noted above, some plant oils are quite high in saturated fats, particularly palm and coconut oils. Mono- and polyunsaturated fats (found in vegetable oils such as sunflower, canola, soybean and olive oils) are more ‘heart-friendly’ than saturated fats. Commercial frying oils rich in mono- and polyunsaturated fats are becoming more widely available in Australia, making fried food purchased away from home lower in saturated fat.
