Plant-based oils proven best for heart health, says Heart Foundation

Published: 21 April 2026

The Heart Foundation’s newly released position statement on cooking fats and oils confirms that the best fats and oils for our hearts come from plant sources that are lower in saturated fats.

Plant-based oils such as olive, canola, and sunflower oils remain the best choices for heart health instead of animal fats such as butter or beef fat.

Replacing butter or beef fat with most plant-based cooking oils (apart from coconut and palm oil) has a beneficial effect on reducing total and LDL-cholesterol, which is a major risk factor for heart disease.

Olive oil is the most-researched cooking oil and is associated with improved cardiovascular outcomes.

Chief Advisor Food and Nutrition for the Heart Foundation, Dave Monro, says the key paper used in this position statement was a network meta-analysis that compared effects of different fats and oils on blood lipids, based on randomised controlled trial data.

The study revealed that canola oil had the most beneficial effect of the oils. Sunflower oil also performed well at reducing LDL cholesterol.

Dave says canola and sunflower oils are excellent everyday, affordable options for New Zealanders, while olive oil is more expensive.

The position statement also showed that there is a lack of evidence that cooking oils have any effect on inflammation when eaten in typical amounts.

The full position statement on cooking fats and oils is available here. For more information on choosing the best cooking oils for and how to look after your oil click on the button below.

Choosing fats and cooking oils