With a more balanced Omega-6: Omega-3 ratio, Canola Oil appears great at first glance. However, the refining process for most Canola Oil negates the Omega-3 benefits. Not to mention, refining results in trace amounts of hexane, and most all Canola Oil is made with GMOs (unless certified USDA Organic or Non-GMO Project Certified). So if you don’t mind all that…!

Note that organic cold-pressed canola oil is technically good, but it is very fragile and must be kept cold and dark AND finished quickly after opening. The fragility of the oil makes it unstable and open to oxidation and rancidity.³ 

Pressing is necessary to extract oils from the seeds of plants. Cold-pressing is best and results in an unrefined oil, e.g. extra virgin olive oil. However, this more natural process doesn’t get all of the oil out of the plant, hence the oils are more expensive.

Expeller pressing takes it a step further, applying heat followed by purification processes – this results in a bit more oil, but the heat can affect the nutritional profile.

Mass commercial processing extracts most ALL of the oil from plants by using heat and petroleum chemical solvents, like hexane. Residual hexane can be found in the final oil, although within official “safe” limits. But do you want any hexane in your food? We’re fine without it, thanks!

GMOs are a current concern for all Soybean, Canola, Corn, and Cottonseed products and oils. The short is that GMOs are highly contentious, and we just don’t know the long-term environmental or human impacts.

Researchers are currently investigating potential links to allergies and conditions like celiac disease (a suspected cause includes novel GMO plant proteins) and even more intense concerns. We choose to err on the side of caution and avoid GMOs altogether. We’ll be steering clear of high-oleic soybean oil as well! 

While it technically is rich in Omega-3 ALA, Flaxseed oil is very delicate and goes rancid quickly. For this reason, we recommend fresh-grinding your own flaxseed instead. If you want the oil, purchase only from reputable producers that keep the flax oil refrigerated. Maintain refrigeration and ideally finish the bottle within a few weeks once opened.

Great question! Beyond the high-oleic oils mentioned above, there are efforts underway to make better use of microalgae for more sustainable sourcing of Omega-3 EPA and DHA.

Also, the U.K. has been experimenting with Ahiflower oil, which is reportedly high in Omega-3. We are closely watching these and more developments.

Macadamia nut oil is a better option for cooking. It has less Omega-6 than Olive Oil (only 3% vs 8%), and it contains much more Vitamin E for antioxidant and lipid protective properties, so it can take a bit more heat than Olive Oil.⁵

Our gold-standard here is organic, cold-pressed, extra virgin olive oil. Extra Virgin olive oil is the unrefined result of the first pressing, and cold-pressing ensures the highest nutritional value. Unrefined oils tend to be more unstable – so care must be taken to keep the oils away from air, light, and heat. Use mostly for dressings, dips, and drizzles.

While we recommend other oils for cooking, Olive Oil is fine for low-temperature cooking. Olive Oil contains largely monounsaturated fat, plus ~8% Omega-6 and 0% Omega-3, so the Omega ratio is relatively O-K, but not ideal.