Is Peanut Oil Keto Friendly?

Keto friendly cooking oils are gaining traction in the market. Despite the huge popularity of peanut oil for being low-carb and high-fat oil, it’s a highly refined oil that is unhealthy and can potentially kick you out of ketosis. 

Still, some people say that peanut oil or vegetable oil contains important macronutrients for the human body. There are many misleading claims about peanut oil on the internet. That’s why it’s fair to ask: Is peanut oil keto? Unfortunately, the answer is no peanut oil isn’t keto friendly.

The team at the art of keto has thoroughly investigated the matter and provided credible and detailed information about peanut oil. So, without further ado, let's know all about ‘Is peanut oil Keto?’

Peanut Oil and Keto Diet

Being a vegetable oil, peanut oil may seem tempting while following a ketogenic diet. However, it’s not advisable to use peanut oil on keto.

The key principles of the keto diet may involve having low-carb and high-fat foods, but it also makes sure that you do not consume highly refined oils. That's because highly refined oils are not deemed healthy.

It’s important to choose keto friendly cooking oils because they don’t harm your body. Keto friendly oils are not refined high-heat and harmful chemicals. 

Peanut Oil Nutritional Information

Unrefined peanut oil has a nutty flavor and a lot of healthy nutrients for the human body. Here’s the nutritional information for one tablespoon of unrefined peanut oil:

• Calories 119
• Fat 14 g
• Saturated Fat (SFA) 2.3 g or 20% 
• Monounsaturated Fat (MUFA) 6.2 g or 50%
• Polyunsaturated Fat (PUFA) 4.3 g
• Vitamin E 11%
• Phytosterols 27.9 mg

The fatty acid profile of peanut oil is interesting. It comprises 20% SFA, 50% MUFA, and 30% PUFA. Considering the fatty acid profile of peanut oil, some people think that peanut oil keto is good for heart health, but they’re mistaken. There’s no such thing as peanut oil keto!

Peanut oil can cause oxidative stress due to the presence of a high vitamin E content. While vitamin E is supposed to act as an antioxidant in the human body, it becomes harmful when you boil it. In other words, high vitamin E content in peanut oil becomes a source of harmful free radicals. 

Peanut oil receives criticism mainly due to the presence of so many Omega-6 fats. The monounsaturated fat content in the peanut oil is a different story. Some people like it because it makes peanut oil good for high-heat cooking, but it’s not preferred by all those who practice the art of keto.                          

Is Peanut Oil Keto Friendly?

No, peanut oil is not keto friendly. Even though peanut oil does not contain high carb content and carries high fat content, it’s highly refined which makes it unhealthy on keto. 

The fat profile of peanut oil is also questionable. The proportion of monounsaturated fat and saturated fat in peanut oil makes it unsuitable for those who practice the art of keto. Peanut oil is also blamed for causing heart health issues.  

Peanut Oil and the Keto Lifestyle

Peanut oil doesn’t fit completely into the keto lifestyle. The American Heart Association (AHA) claims that peanut oil is good for heart health. Unfortunately, this claim has no solid basis in modern science. 

As mentioned above, peanut oil is often blamed for causing heart health problems and the keto diet is always about maintaining a healthy lifestyle. 

The keto diet makes sure that you consume healthy fat but the refined peanut oil is all about nutty flavor and high heat cooking. It doesn’t mean that you should try to use peanut oil in keto cooking. 

The only similar factor between peanut oil and the keto diet is net carbs. The keto diet stresses the need to reduce net carbs and peanut oil doesn’t contain too many carbs. In any case, the keto diet is all about your health and weight loss while peanut oil may help some people lose weight, it’s not healthy. 

Drawbacks and Considerations

Peanut oil is often blamed for causing the following health problems:

• Oxidative Damage
• Inflammation 
• Obesity 
• Cancer

The saturated fat (monounsaturated fat) content in peanut oil is not deemed good for heart health. The fatty acid proportion of peanut oil reveals that peanut oil is rich in Omega 6 fatty acids and that's why peanut oil causes oxidative stress, diabetes, inflammation, and even cancer.

Alternatives to Peanut Oil on Keto

Keto peanut butter or natural peanut butter is a good alternative to peanut oil on keto. Some of the popular keto friendly cooking oils are:

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Coconut Oil
• MCT Oil
• Avocado Oil

Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Extra virgin olive oil is a keto friendly alternative to peanut oil. The fat profile of extra virgin olive oil perfectly fits the requirements of the keto diet. The proportion of monounsaturated fat in extra virgin olive oil is higher than that of saturated fat. Simply put, extra virgin olive oil is not a good source of saturated fat.

Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is another good alternative to peanut oil. It’s ideal for the keto diet because it doesn’t contain too many carbs and it has a high-fat content. It contains both medium-chain and long-chain fatty acids.

MCT Oil

MCT oil and coconut oil are both keto friendly. There’s a slight difference between MCT oil and coconut oil. As the name suggests, MCT oil contains only medium-chain fatty acids and they’re deemed good on the keto diet.

Avocado Oil

Avocado oil is an amazing keto friendly cooking oil. It’s an anti-inflammatory cooking oil because it has a high monounsaturated fat content. So, that's why it’s good for heart health.     

Is Peanut Oil Keto – Final Thought

Peanut oil is not keto friendly due to its fat profile. It’s rich in Omega 6 fatty acids which makes it a risk to human heart health. Using peanut oil on keto can lead to oxidative stress, inflammation, and even cancer. 

You can use butter and nut butter, like peanut butter, to prepare food on the keto diet. It’s best to replace peanut oil with keto friendly oils, such as extra virgin olive oil, coconut oil, MCT Oil, and avocado oil.