THERE are lots of cooking oil  options in the market – all are claiming to be heart friendly, high in Omega-3 fatty acids and to lower cholesterol.

The chilling fatty diet drove people to be more health conscious and sensitive to the food ingredients and the manner it is cooked.

When it comes to oil, not all seems to give healthful benefits. Eatingwell.com shared what cooking oils are best and what are the worse.

* Canola oil. It has high smoking point 468° F (242° C). Canola is exceptionally stable oil that doesn't smoke or break down at high heat, so it's ideal for searing, sautéing and deep-frying.

If you deep-fry a lot, look at high-stability/high-oleic canola oil, pressed from specialty canola varieties. Its high-oleic acid content makes it resistant to oxidation and to breaking down under heat. You get even longer fry life and cost savings. High-oleic canola oil also extends the shelf life of food products made with it.

In addition, canola is the richest cooking-oil source of alpha-linolenic acid, an omega-3 fat that has been linked to heart health.

* Extra-virgin Olive oil. Olive oil is a monounsaturated fat and research shows that monounsaturated fats help keep “bad” LDL cholesterol low and boost levels of “good” HDL cholesterol. In addition, extra-virgin olive oil is high in antioxidants called polyphenols that have been linked to heart health. Pure olive oil (i.e., not virgin) doesn’t contain these “bonus” antioxidants.

Use olive oil in dishes that benefit from its rich flavor. Drizzle it on steamed vegetables, mix it into a salad dressing, use a little to sauté vegetables. Or use it in baking in place of butter

On the other hand, here are oils to avoid.

* Soybean oil. Often labeled as an ingredient in vegetable oil, it is high in omega-6 fats, which compete in your body with healthy omega-3 fats. Most fast food centers and processed foods are high in omega-6 fats. Alcoholism, depression and a host of other illnesses are said to be sourced in omega-6 fats.

Commercial salad dressings, mayonnaise, even crackers, breads, pasta sauces and granola bars, etc all contain high levels of omega-6 fats.

* Palm oil. Many are saying this is ideal cooking oil for frying. Most manufacturers today replace heart-damaging trans fats (hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils) with palm oil. Although this is trans-fats free, about half of its fat is saturated.

A diet high in saturated fat has been linked with elevated cholesterol levels and increased risk for heart disease. The research about the claim that palm oil has less of a cholesterol-raising effect than other tropical oils is not conclusive.

A recent research shows that palmitic acid, a saturated fat found in palm oil, beef, butter and cheese has caused mice to become resistant to the appetite-suppressing hormones leptin and insulin, which in theory could make them eat more.