See the comparison chart below to see how Tea Seed Oil ranks in comparison to other oils on the most critical factors. The main benefits of Tea Oil are described in detail below it.

Oil Type	Transfat Lower is better	Mono-unsaturated Higher is better	Saturated Fat Lower is better	Smoking Point Higher is better
Tea Seed Oil	0%	80.90%	10.50%	486 °F 252 °C
Olive Oil (Extra Virgin)	0%	67%	15.50%	322 °F 161 °C
Grapeseed Oil	0%	14%	11%	421 °F 216 °C
Butter	5%	26%	60%	347 °F 175 °C
Lard	1%	44%	39%	360 °F 182 °C
Shortening	18%	29%	22%	360 °F 182 °C
Canola Oil (unrefined)	0%	58%	7%	221 °F 105 °C
Canola Oil (refined)	0%	58%	7%	399 °F 204 °C
Corn Oil (unrefined)	0%	24%	13%	320 °F 160 °C
Corn Oil (refined)	0%	24%	13%	448 °F 231 °C
Coconut Oil (unrefined)	0%	6%	87%	349 °F 176 °C
Coconut Oil (refined)	0%	6%	87%	446 °F 230 °C
Soybean Oil (unrefined)	0%	44%	16%	320 °F 160 °C
Soybean Oil (refined)	0%	44%	16%	448 °F 231 °C
Sesame Oil (unrefined)	0%	42%	15%	351 °F 177 °C
Sesame Oil (semi-refined)	0%	42%	15%	446 °F 230 °C

Tea seed oil contains no transfats. Transfat reduction and elimination is a serious issue in the world today. Transfat has been positively linked to many health risks including:

• Heart disease
• Cancer
• Diabetes
• Liver failure
• Obesity

Why transfat is dangerous?
Transfat does not exist in large quantities in nature, and is usually limited to very small harmless amounts that occur naturally in dairy milk. Research is still being conducted as to the specifics of exactly why transfat is so harmful. A leading theory is that because transfat is mostly an artificial substance (ie: close to 100% of the transfat in a typical western diet comes from synthetic sources), the body is unable to process it.

The body is very efficient at processing natural substances that it is "familiar" with -- transfat does not fit this criteria. For this reason, the body cannot properly process transfat. Prolonged consumption of any substance the human body is unable to process properly can lead to serious health consequences.

Anti-transfat legislation
Countries, cities, and governments are passing legislation to reduce the consumption of transfat., for example, began with a public education campaign to encourage the reduction/elimination of transfats from restaurants. In late 2006, the NYC board of health to eliminate transfats in all NYC food establishments.

No Cholesterol
Tea seed oil contains no cholesterol. High levels of cholesterol (particularly, LDL cholesterol) are very risky for health. LDL cholesterol tends to stick to artery walls, forming deposits called plaque. These deposits can cause a heart attack or stroke when they completely obstruct an artery and block blood flow.

Vitamin E, Omega 6 & 9, Anti-Oxidants
Camellia oil is packed with lots of beneficial nutrients such as:

• Vitamin E - an important antioxidant.
• Other antioxidants
• Omega-6 essential fatty acids
• Omega-9 fatty acids

Oxygen and cell damage
Although oxygen is required for us to live, it is a very reactive substance. In the process of breathing we create unstable oxygen compounds that travel in our body and damage normal healthy cells. To counter this, our bodynaturally creates many different types of antioxidants to deal with these free radicals. Tea seed oil contains both Vitamin E and other antioxidants that help the body fight to neutralize these damaging by-products. The main form of Vitamin E is Tocopherols.

 

Essential fatty acids
Omega-6 and 9 fatty acids are used by the body in a variety of ways ranging from cell functions and cell signaling to moods, behaviour, and inflammation. Essential fatty acids such as Omega-6 cannot be created from scratch by the body and are therefore necessary in dietary intake. A shortage of fatty acids can have a range of ill effects on the body including fatigue and depression. Tea seed oil helps to provide these very necessary fatty acids to the body.

Extremely High Smoking Point
Tea seed oil has an extremely high smoking point, the highest smoke temperature than all other commonly used oils (including olive, canola, and grapeseed oil). The accompanying chart (as follow) will demonstrate that tea seed oil ranks at the top, having the highest smoking point of the common cooking oils.

How important is the smoke point?

The smoke point of an oil is the temperature at which the oil begins to smoke, emitting an unpleasant smell. This can be likened to burning. Once an oil reaches this point, it becomes un-usable as it begins to break down at the molecular level. Oils with high smoke points (the highest being tea seed oil) are much safer to cook with and last longer if re-used as less molecules are broken down as the oil is heated. The result is a much healthier and safer meal.

Oil smoking point and cancer
When an oil has reached its smoking point temperature, it will burn and become altered at the molecular level, releasing free radicals. Free radicals have been positively linked to cancer.

Very High in Good fat, Very Low in Bad fat

Every cooking oil consists mostly of a mixture of monounsaturated fat, polyunsaturated fat and saturated fat. Minimization of the harmful saturated fat content in favor of beneficial monounsaturated content is the key.

Tea seed oil is most effective in achieving this balance with:

• A high level of monounsaturated fat
• A low level of saturated fat
• A healthy level of polyunsaturated fat

Polyunsaturated Fat
Polyunsaturated fats are necessary for the body and protect against illness.

Saturated Fat
Saturated fat is very unhealthy, and has been positively linked to heart disease and an increase in cholesterol levels. Of all the fats, saturated fat is the most important determinant of blood cholesterol levels. Saturated fat encourages the production of LDL-cholesterol ("bad" cholesterol), thereby increasing blood cholesterol levels and the risk of heart disease.

Monounsaturated Fat
Monunsaturated fats are critical for health by lowering the levels of "bad" LDL-cholesterol and maintaining levels of "good" HDL-cholesterol in the human body.