Grapeseed Oil — Is It a Healthy Cooking Oil?

Grapeseed oil has surged in popularity over recent decades.

It’s often touted as beneficial thanks to its high content of polyunsaturated fats and vitamin E.

Vendors promote a variety of health claims, including lowering blood cholesterol and reducing heart disease risk.

This piece examines the research to distinguish fact from hype.

What is grapeseed oil and how is it produced?

Grapeseed oil is derived from grape seeds, a leftover from winemaking.

From an industrial standpoint, turning this waste into oil is a smart move. For centuries, wineries have accumulated huge amounts of this byproduct.

Thanks to modern methods, producers can now extract oil from the seeds and monetize it.

Commercial extraction typically involves crushing the seeds and using solvents like hexane to draw out more oil. This solvent-based method is common for many vegetable oils, including soybean oil (, 3).

Some consumers worry that residual traces of toxic solvents such as hexane might affect health.

Nearly all solvent is removed from vegetable oils during manufacturing, yet tiny residues can remain (3).

It’s unclear whether minute hexane residues in vegetable oils cause long-term harm in people. However, hexane exposure can be dangerous to workers involved in oil processing and can pollute the environment if released into the atmosphere. Current research aims to find greener extraction alternatives (, 3, ).

If an oil doesn’t specify its processing method, assume it was extracted using chemical solvents like hexane.

Summary

Grapeseed oil is pressed from grape seeds, an winemaking byproduct. The extraction commonly uses chemical solvents, including the potentially toxic hexane.

Grapeseed oil is low in most nutrients but rich in omega-6 fats

Claims about grapeseed oil’s health benefits focus on its vitamin E and polyunsaturated fat content.

The typical fatty acid profile of grapeseed oil is:

• Saturated: 10%
• Monounsaturated: 16%
• Polyunsaturated: 70%

It’s particularly high in polyunsaturated fats, mainly omega-6. Some researchers have proposed that consuming large amounts of omega-6 relative to omega-3 may promote inflammation.

However, other research indicates that linoleic acid — the omega-6 in grapeseed oil — does not raise blood markers of inflammation (, 9).

Whether a diet high in omega-6 contributes to disease remains unresolved. Rigorous trials examining omega-6 effects on outcomes like heart disease are still needed.

Grapeseed oil also supplies meaningful amounts of vitamin E. One tablespoon contains about 3.9 mg of vitamin E, around 26% of the daily value.

Vitamin E functions as an antioxidant that may support the nervous system and help inhibit tumor growth.

Like most vegetable oils, grapeseed oil offers little in the way of other vitamins or minerals.

Summary

Grapeseed oil provides vitamin E and is a concentrated source of omega-6 polyunsaturated fats. Some experts worry that excessive omega-6 intake could be harmful, though evidence is not conclusive.

How does grapeseed oil impact health?

There are very few human studies on grapeseed oil’s health effects.

One two-month trial in 44 overweight or obese women compared daily grapeseed oil with sunflower oil.

Relative to sunflower oil, grapeseed oil improved insulin sensitivity and lowered C-reactive protein (CRP), a common inflammation marker.

It also appears to have anti-platelet properties, meaning it can reduce blood clotting tendency.

Conversely, an older analysis suggested some grapeseed oils may contain potentially harmful levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), compounds that cause cancer in animals (14).

How common PAH contamination is, and whether it poses a real health risk, is uncertain. Other vegetable oils, like sunflower oil, may also be contaminated.

Although high-quality grapeseed oil could have benefits, the evidence isn’t strong enough to make definitive claims.

Summary

Research on grapeseed oil in humans is limited. Existing data suggest possible reductions in clotting and inflammation, but findings are preliminary.

Is it suitable for cooking?

Grapeseed oil has a moderately high smoke point.

Because of this, it’s often recommended for high-heat cooking such as frying.

However, that advice may be misguided, since grapeseed oil’s high polyunsaturated fat content makes it prone to oxidation at high temperatures, producing harmful compounds and free radicals.

Given its very high polyunsaturated fat level, grapeseed oil may be one of the poorer choices for frying.

The healthiest oils for high-heat cooking are those rich in saturated or monounsaturated fats, like olive oil, because they are more stable and less likely to oxidize when heated.

Therefore, avoid using grapeseed oil for frying. It’s better used raw as a dressing or in mayonnaise and baked recipes.

Summary

Grapeseed oil is heat-sensitive and not ideal for frying. It’s more appropriate for dressings and baking.

The bottom line

Grapeseed oil is extracted from grape seeds, an abundant remnant of winemaking.

It’s a decent source of vitamin E and is particularly rich in omega-6 fatty acids. However, limited research means its health effects aren’t well understood.

While grapeseed oil is fine for salad dressings or baking, its high polyunsaturated fat content makes it a poor choice for high-heat cooking like frying.

If you want a healthy oil for cooking, olive oil is one of the better options.