Mustard oil or olive oil: Gurugram doctor settles debate – ‘Stop outsourcing decisions’

Mustard oil or Olive oil, which is better? The age-old Internet debate over which cooking oil is better has finally been put to rest by a Gurugram-based obesity surgeon, using scientific reasoning.

In a viral Instagram Reel, Dr Anshuman Kaushal, aka social media's The Angry Doc, clarified that both oils are equally good, but the temperature of your pan should decide which oil works best for you.

He noted that mustard oil is banned for cooking in the US, Canada, and the European Union because of erucic acid. “It actually causes fat to accumulate in the hearts of mice, but it's safe in humans.”

“In India, cardiovascular disease is responsible for one in four deaths,” the doctor said, highlighting the importance of choosing the correct cooking oil.

Mustard oil vs Olive oil

Dr Kaushal highlighted that in Indian cooking, the tadka is done at 230 degrees, whereas the smoke point of extra virgin olive oil is between 160 and 190 degrees.

Scientifically, he said, “Above smoke point, triglycerides break down into polar compounds, oxidised lipids, aldehydes, and free radicals. These are linked with endothelial dysfunction, inflammation, and atherogenesis in experimental and human data.”

“Both camps (mustard and olive) are so busy proving each other wrong that they're both burning their oil,” he said, taking a jibe at the debate.

What is best for Indian cooking?

For Indian cooking, Dr Kaushal said, “High-heat Indian cooking demands higher smoke point oils such as mustard, groundnut, or rice bran.”

Mustard oil, with a smoke point of 250 degrees; peanut oil, 230 degrees; and rice bran oil, 230 degrees, are the best.

Is olive oil bad?

Dr Kaushal acknowledged the benefits of extra virgin olive oil but said it performs best at low or no heat.

“The olive oil bottle isn't wrong; the temperature of your pan is,” he said. “This debate doesn't end because oil has become an identity — Mustard oil represents grandmother's love; olive oil represents the West.”

Citing the PREDIMED study, the doctor said that there are cardiovascular benefits with olive oil only when it is used cold within a Mediterranean dietary pattern, “not for deep frying or tadka”.

What is the best approach?

The surgeon said that having only one cooking oil in the kitchen is wrong. “If you have four, but everything is being cooked in just one of them, it's wrong.”

“What was wrong was giving both of them the same job in your pan,” he said.

“You are not choosing an oil. You are choosing a temperature lipid reaction system,” Dr Kaushal said.

He also cited that ICMR-NIN recommended oil rotation to balance fatty acid profiles and reduce long-term risk.

“Match oil to heat. Respect chemistry. Stop outsourcing decisions to labels and marketing,” he said.

Mustard oil vs Olive oil: Nutrition values

A separate Instagram post by My Health Buddy, a health and wellness website, said that mustard oil and olive oil are both healthy fats, but context matters.

“Mustard oil fits the Indian kitchen better because of how we cook. It has a higher smoke point, which makes it more stable for tadka, frying, and high-heat cooking,” they noted. “Olive oil, especially extra virgin, is better suited for low to medium heat or raw use like salads, not repeated high-heat Indian cooking.”

From a nutrition standpoint, the wellness website said, mustard oil has a good balance of monounsaturated fats along with omega-3s (ALA), which helps offset the typically high omega-6 intake in Indian diets. “It also contains compounds like allyl isothiocyanate, which have antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties.”