A functional-medicine field guide to cooking fats — ranked by smoke point, judged by omega‑6 load. Because the temperature your oil breaks down at matters less than what it's breaking into.
Sears, roasts, deep frying, wok work. These fats hold their molecular structure under fire — stable saturated and monounsaturated bonds that don't oxidize on you.
Pan sauces, sautéing, gentle roasting, baking. Flavourful, nutrient-dense, but keep the flame respectful.
Fragile fatty-acid structures. Their entire nutritional value comes from staying cold and raw. Heat = destroyed benefit.
Following functional medicine and the Bulletproof cooking protocol, YMU does not recommend industrial seed oils — regardless of how high their smoke point tests in a lab. High smoke point ≠ safe. It's the omega‑6 load and the chemical extraction process (hexane solvents, high-heat refining, bleaching, deodorizing) that turns these into a chronic inflammatory input, long before the pan gets hot.
Bookmark this. Screenshot it. Pin it to the fridge.
| Fat / Oil | Smoke Point (°F / °C) | Tier | YMU Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avocado Oil | 520°F / 271°C | High Heat | YMU Recommended |
| Ghee | 485°F / 252°C | High Heat | YMU Recommended |
| Light / Refined Olive Oil | 465°F / 240°C | High Heat | YMU Recommended |
| Refined Coconut Oil | 450°F / 232°C | High Heat | YMU Recommended |
| Soybean Oil | 450°F / 232°C | — | Not Recommended |
| Corn Oil | 450°F / 232°C | — | Not Recommended |
| Safflower Oil | 450°F / 232°C | — | Not Recommended |
| Sunflower Oil | 440°F / 227°C | — | Not Recommended |
| Cottonseed Oil | 420°F / 216°C | — | Not Recommended |
| Grapeseed Oil | 420°F / 216°C | — | Not Recommended |
| Tallow | 415°F / 213°C | High Heat | YMU Recommended |
| Macadamia Nut Oil | 410°F / 210°C | High Heat | YMU Recommended |
| Extra Virgin Olive Oil | 400°F / 204°C | Medium Heat | YMU Recommended |
| Canola Oil | 400°F / 204°C | — | Not Recommended |
| "Vegetable Oil" blends | 400°F / 204°C | — | Not Recommended |
| Duck Fat | 375°F / 190°C | Medium Heat | YMU Recommended |
| Lard | 370°F / 188°C | Medium Heat | YMU Recommended |
| Virgin Coconut Oil | 350°F / 177°C | Medium Heat | YMU Recommended |
| Butter | 350°F / 177°C | Medium Heat | YMU Recommended |
| Sesame Oil (toasted) | 350°F / 177°C | Medium Heat | YMU Recommended |
| Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Premium) | 325°F / 163°C | Finishing Only | Use Raw Only |
| MCT Oil | 320°F / 160°C | Finishing Only | Use Raw Only |
| Walnut Oil | 320°F / 160°C | Finishing Only | Use Raw Only |
| Flaxseed Oil | 225°F / 107°C | Finishing Only | Use Raw Only |
Never push a fat past its smoke point. Once it smokes, it's oxidizing — releasing aldehydes and free radicals into your food and your lungs.
Ghee, tallow, coconut, olive, avocado. These fat structures are chemically stable under heat. Polyunsaturated seed oils are not.
For dressings and drizzling, always choose extra-virgin, cold-pressed, first-press oils. Refining strips the polyphenols you're paying for.
"Vegetable oil" is a euphemism. Check restaurant fryers, packaged snacks and sauces — canola and soybean oil hide everywhere.