Different oils break down (oxidize) at different temperatures.
Oxidized oils = free radicals = inflammation = bad news for your brain, skin, hormones, and gut.
Your cells are made from the fats you eat. Choose wisely.
What biohackers say:
Dave Asprey: “Avoid inflammatory seed oils — they destroy your cell membranes. Cook with saturated fats.”
Bryan Johnson: Uses EVOO raw, but prefers ghee and avocado oil for cooking.
Aggie Lal: Prioritizes anti-inflammatory fats like avocado oil and cold-pressed olive oil for light sautéing.
Oils you should use for cooking
Oil | Smoke Point °C | Good For | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
Avocado oil | 270°C | High-heat cooking | Neutral taste, rich in oleic acid |
Ghee | 250°C | High-heat cooking | Contains CLA + butyrate, gut-boosting |
Beef tallow | 210°C | Searing, frying | Use 2–3x/week max (high in saturated fat) |
Oil | Smoke Point °C | Good For | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
Coconut oil | 175-200ºC | Medium heat | Antimicrobial, solid at room temp |
Olive oil (EVOO) | 160–190°C | Low heat or raw | Best for dressings or sautéing on low |
Butter (high-quality) | 150°C | Low heat | Can burn fast; ghee is safer for cooking |
Source: Smoke points from USDA data, American Oil Chemists’ Society, and Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health
TL;DR guidelines
Cook with ghee, avocado oil, or coconut oil
Use beef tallow for searing 2–3x/week (limit due to heavy sat fat intake)
Use EVOO raw or low-heat only
Ditch seed oils — canola, corn, soybean, sunflower, etc.
🧈🫒 Butter & olive oil: friend or foe?
They’re not bad — but they need context.
🧈 Butter
Smoke point: ~150°C
Use: Low heat or finishing (e.g., scrambled eggs, melting over steamed veggies)
Better option: Grass-fed butter (e.g., Kerrygold) → higher in Vitamin K2, CLA, and omega-3s
Downside: Burns fast. For high-heat? Use ghee, which is clarified butter (milk solids removed).
✅ Use butter for flavor or quick, low-temp sautéing.
🫒 Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
Smoke point: 160–190°C (depends on quality and polyphenol content)
Use: Raw, low heat, or after cooking
Downside: Unstable at high heat. Polyphenols degrade, oil oxidizes.
What to look for: Cold-pressed, in dark glass bottles, single origin.
✅ Cook on low heat, or use it raw for max benefits.
Remember!
Use Case | Best Fat |
|---|---|
High heat | Ghee, avocado oil, beef tallow (2–3x/week) |
Medium heat | Coconut oil, avocado oil |
Low heat | Grass-fed butter, EVOO |
Raw / post-cooking | EVOO, flaxseed oil (not for heat!) |
Try this today
Open your kitchen cabinet.
If your main cooking oil is seed-based, swap it this week for ghee, avocado oil, or coconut oil.
Lesson Complete!
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