The #1 Cooking Oil for Heart Health, According to Registered Dietitians

If you’re looking for a heart-healthy oil, all the options displayed on grocery store shelves can feel overwhelming. 

With options ranging from olive to coconut oil, it’s not always clear which one truly supports heart health and helps lower disease risk. 

To cut through the confusion, we asked experts to share their top pick for the healthiest oil for your heart. 

While many oils provide healthy fats, some stand out from the crowd due to their ability to reduce heart disease risk factors, like high LDL cholesterol. 

“Oils from nuts, seeds, olives, and avocados deliver monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats that can help lower LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, improve HDL (“good”) cholesterol, and provide anti-inflammatory compounds that support overall heart health,” Elizabeth Klodas, preventive cardiologist and founder of Step One Foods, told Health.

Though saturated and unsaturated fats can fit into a healthy diet, The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends prioritizing oils rich in unsaturated fats, particularly monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats, which can help reduce heart disease risk.

Additionally, oils like olive oil and avocado oil contain antioxidants that can further support heart health by reducing inflammation and cellular damage. 

The “healthiest oil,”is one that delivers mostly unsaturated fats, comes with additional health-promoting compounds like antioxidants, and works well as an everyday oil. 

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Every expert we interviewed agreed that extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO) is the best oil for your heart.

Olive oil is packed with heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, like oleic acid, and is low in saturated fat. It’s also an excellent source of protective plant compounds, like phenolic antioxidants, which reduce inflammation.

Why They Love It

Research shows that diets rich in olive oil can help protect against atherosclerosis, the buildup of plaque in the arteries that drives heart disease. Regularly including olive oil in your diet may also support healthier blood pressure and cholesterol levels, further lowering your overall risk of heart disease and cardiovascular complications, like stroke and heart attack.

• Evidence-based: “According to research, olive oil, particularly EVOO, is the best oil to eat for heart health,” Trista Best MPH, RD, told Health. “EVOO has the strongest and most consistent evidence supporting its heart-protective effects than other oils.”
• High in healthy fats and vitamin E: Olive oil is mostly composed of monounsaturated fats, which are linked with improved heart health. It’s also high in vitamin E, a nutrient that has cellular-protective properties. A 1-tablespoon serving of olive oil covers 20% of your daily needs for vitamin E, making it an excellent option for boosting your intake of this important nutrient.
• Packed with antioxidants: Beyond healthy fats, olive oil is packed with over 200 plant compounds, including carotenoids, sterols, and polyphenols like hydroxytyrosol (HT) and hydroxytyrosol acetate (HT-ac), which function as powerful antioxidants in the body.
• How to use it: Dietitian Avery Zenker recommends using olive to make dressings and sauces for salads, vegetables, proteins, and potatoes. Michelle Routhenstein, MS, RD, CDCES, CDN, preventive cardiology dietitian and certified diabetes educator, recommends using EVOO as a finishing oil to reap the most benefits. “I love to mix olive oil with pressed garlic, and lemon juice to use as a dip or a flavorful drizzle on top of fish and vegetables. I like to use it off the flame to retain more of its heart-healthy antioxidants,” she said.

Due to its documented benefits, its nutritional profile, and its versatility, olive oil comes out on top as the best oil for heart health.

Several other oils also offer impressive heart-healthy benefits. A rotation is good so you can benefit from different types of unsaturated fats and you’re not relying on any single oil too heavily.

Avocado oil earned the second spot on our experts’ list of heart-healthy oils, and for good reason.

• High in healthy fats: Like olive oil, avocado oil is packed with healthy fats like oleic acid, which may help lower heart disease risk factors and improve blood vessel health.
• A source of antioxidants: Avocado oil also contains vitamin E and protective plant compounds including polyphenols, proanthocyanidins, and carotenoids, which work to reduce inflammation in the blood vessels and protect against plaque buildup. “Avocado oil is rich in monounsaturated fats and antioxidants, which support vascular health,” explained Klodas.
• How to use it: With its neutral flavor and higher smoke point, avocado oil works well for stir-frying, baking, and as a finishing oil.

Though some evidence suggests that avocado oil may help reduce heart disease risk factors like high cholesterol, olive oil has much more research to back its heart health benefits.

“Use oils strategically for cooking and flavor, but remember that your overall dietary pattern, such as a diet that includes plenty of plants, balanced fats, and minimal ultra-processed foods, is the strongest predictor of heart health,” she said. 

Based on scientific research and expert consensus, extra-virgin olive oil is the healthiest oil for your heart. It’s high in heart-healthy unsaturated fats and antioxidants that can help lower your risk of heart disease and promote overall heart health. 

While olive oil is the best option, it’s important to focus on following an overall heart-healthy diet that’s high in plant foods, lean protein, and healthy fats.