Sorting through the maze of medical advice about which cooking oils are the healthiest is confusing. For many years, choosing the right cooking oil was simple — polyunsaturated vegetable oils, like corn, canola, and sunflower, were promoted by both doctors and the advertising media as heart-healthy and the best choice for all types of cooking. On the other hand, they trumpeted, saturated fats were unhealthy and should be strictly avoided. The choice was crystal clear.

Now the crystal ball has clouded. Many health experts are saying that vegetable oils aren't so healthy after all, and saturated fats might not be the villains most of us had feared. A recent report published in Annals of Internal Medicine analyzed 72 studies and found no link between heart disease and saturated fats. So, which fats and oils are best?

Olive. Olive oil is often recognized as the best overall choice for health. Why? First, it is high in monounsaturated fats (MUFAs). Second, it's rich in polyphenols, those antioxidant compounds that fight disease-causing inflammation. Hundreds of studies have found that a diet high in olive oil, fruits, and vegetables — think Mediterranean diet — results in healthier hearts, bones, and a longer life span, among many other benefits. Use olive oil for cooking at medium to medium/high temperatures, such as baked and stir-fried dishes.

Avocado and almond. Avocado oil is ideal when you need to use high heat, such as searing or browning. High in heart-healthy monounsaturated fats, it has a high smoking point, which means you can cook with it at high heat without it creating toxic free radicals. Almond oil, which is also high in monounsaturated fats, is also good for cooking at high temperatures.

Coconut. Coconut oil was shunned for years, because it is high — about 92 percent — in saturated fats. "Around 92 percent of coconut fats are saturated," says Dr. Ray Sahelian, author of Brain Boosters. "This has led to the belief that coconut fats are bad for health, particularly in relation to heart disease. Yet most of these saturated fats are medium chain fatty acids whose properties and metabolism are different to those of animal origin," he told Newsmax Health.

The report that found no link between vegetable oils and reduced heart disease also found that the antioxidants in coconut oil were beneficial for the heart. Coconut oil is ideal for cooking at low temperatures, such as simmering sauces or baking.

Canola and corn. Both canola and corn oil have been promoted for years as heart-healthy, but recent studies place doubt on that claim. A 2016 study examined the records of more than 9,400 people and found that while swapping saturated fats for vegetable fats like corn oil reduced cholesterol levels by 14 percent, it didn't improve survival. In fact, those whose cholesterol was reduced the most had the highest risk of dying when compared to a control group that ate a diet high in saturated fats.
  
Oils and fats you should definitely avoid include cottonseed oil and partially hydrogenated oils. In addition to having large amounts of saturated fat, cottonseed oil may contain pesticides used on cotton crops. Partially hydrogenated oils often contain trans fats which are super saturated and can decrease LDL (bad) cholesterol while lowering HDL (good) cholesterol. Trans fats, which add hydrogen to liquid vegetable oils, are found in cakes, cookies, and crackers that contain shortening. "If you see partially hydrogenated fats on the label, it most often has trans fats in it," says Dr. Russell Blaylock, author of The Blaylock Wellness Report. 

Regardless of which healthy oil you choose, buy cold-pressed or expeller-pressed when possible. Cold-processed oils are processed at low temperatures, so they are more nutrient-rich than methods that use heat. Expeller-pressed oils are extracted by squeezing instead of using chemicals.