Is Corn Oil Good For You? How Does It Compare to Canola, Vegetable, and Olive Oil?

Corn oil is a beneficial liquid oil because it's highly stable and has a mild, pleasant taste. Canola and olive oil are both highly comparable to corn oil.

Corn oil is one of the many corn-based products available on the market. Corn oil is a type of liquid fat like canola oil and olive oil. But being a fat doesn’t automatically make something unhealthy. Some of the healthiest fats you can incorporate into your diet include corn, canola, and olive oil. 

Corn oil is a byproduct generated during cornstarch and cornmeal production. It’s a type of fat that’s liquid at room temperature. It has various uses, including in: 

• Sauces
• Seasonings
• Margarine
• Mayonnaise
• Shortening
• Potato chips
• Salad dressings
• Soups 

It’s also sometimes used in supplement and medicine capsules because it’s a great carrier for vitamins and other medical agents. 

Corn oil is a very versatile cooking ingredient. You can use corn oil when: 

• Pan-frying
• Deep frying
• Baking 
• Sautéing
• Mixing dressings or other oil-based dips 

Corn oil is a beneficial liquid oil because it’s highly stable and has a mild, pleasant taste. It can also benefit your health when used correctly. 

With processing, it can be turned into solid forms of fat — like corn oil margarine. Processing causes a lot of unhealthy changes to corn oil. Many of the health benefits attributed to corn oil don’t apply to its more solid, processed counterparts. 

At room temperature, all oils are liquid forms of fat. Liquid fats are always better for your health than solid fats. Examples of other liquid fats include: 

• Canola oil — which comes from rapeseed
• Olive oil
• Sunflower oil
• Soybean oil

The generic term vegetable oil usually refers to liquid oils from soy or corn. You can check the nutrition label to see exactly what vegetable oils are in a particular brand. It’s widely used — especially for frying in restaurants. 

In contrast, many other fat sources come in a solid form at room temperature. Eating too much solid fat can be bad for your health. It increases your risk for heart disease and diabetes. Examples of solid fats include: 

• Butter
• Lard
• Palm oil
• Coconut oil
• Margarine 

Corn oil contains a high amount of unsaturated fats. That’s why it’s a liquid at room temperature. It’s also a fantastic source of phytosterols and tocopherols. Both of these molecules are capable of positively impacting your health. 

A 100-gram serving of corn oil generally contains 94 grams of total fat and 22.6 milligrams of vitamin E. 

In terms of specific types of fats, 100 grams of corn oil contains: 

• 13.4 grams of saturated fatty acids
• 27.7 grams of monounsaturated fatty acids
• 52.9 grams of polyunsaturated fatty acids

Canola and olive oil are both highly comparable to corn oil. They’re all relatively good for you but contain slightly different ingredients and ratios. 

In comparison, a 100-gram serving of canola oil contains 94.5 grams of total fat and 17.3 milligrams of vitamin E. 

In terms of specific types of fat, 100 grams of canola oil contains: 

• 6.61 grams of saturated fatty acids
• 62.6 grams of monounsaturated fatty acids
• 25.3 grams of polyunsaturated fatty acids

A 100-gram serving of olive oil contains 93.7 grams of total fat and no reported amounts of vitamin E. 

For specific types of fats, 100 grams of olive oil contains: 

• 15.4 grams of saturated fatty acids
• 69.2 grams of monounsaturated fatty acids
• 9.07 grams of polyunsaturated fatty acids

Like corn oil, both of these types of oil also contain phytosterols. 

Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are much better for your health than saturated fats. Corn oil, canola oil, and olive oil all contain plenty of heart-healthy fats. 

One major difference is the presence of a particular type of healthy fat called omega-3s. Getting plenty of omega-3s in your diet lowers your risk of heart disease, benefits your blood pressure, and could even help prevent certain cancers. 

Canola oil is a rich source of omega-3s. But corn oil doesn’t contain high concentrations of these particular fats. Corn oil isn’t considered a good source of omega-3s for your diet. 

When it comes to vegetable oils and omega-3s, you’ll have to check the nutrition label. Soybean oil is a great source of omega-3s. So if your vegetable oil is a mix of soy and corn, then it’ll have more omega-3s than corn oil alone. 

Adding corn oil into your diet can lead to many positive health outcomes. The particularly high concentration of certain phytosterols in corn oil has been linked to a number of positive effects, like: 

• Protection from DNA damage
• Healthier blood pressure
• A decreased risk of diabetes
• Better blood clotting abilities

Corn oil consumption is also great for lowering your cholesterol. Findings from 30 studies showed an average 16% reduction in overall cholesterol levels just by swapping out corn oil for saturated fats in your diet.  

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), oils and fats aren’t a food group. Instead, you should think about them as an ingredient that enhances the other food groups. But they’re still a source of essential nutrients that you can’t get anywhere else in your diet. 

Your body needs a small amount of fat in order to function normally. For example, fats help you absorb other essential nutrients into your body. 

The presence of fat in a meal also increases your feelings of satiety — when you feel full. Adding fat to a meal could help you eat less overall if you pay attention to your stomach as you go. 

Exactly how much fat you need depends on the type of fat that you’re getting. Incorporating a little bit of oil into your meals is a great way to ensure that you’re getting enough fat. Just don’t eat too much of any kind of fat. 

You should avoid corn oil if you’re on a corn-free diet. You may need to follow this type of diet if you have a corn sensitivity or allergy. It may also help with other medical conditions. 

Many products contain corn in a wide variety of forms. You need to read nutrition labels carefully to make sure that there aren’t any corn-based products in your foods and drinks.

Talk to a doctor or a nutritionist if you have any questions about corn in your diet or the proper dietary use of oils and fats.