What happens to fats and oils if they are heated at too high a temperature?
An oil's smoke point is the temperature at which it will start to smoke and break down. When cooking oil starts to smoke, it can lose some of its nutritional value and can give food an unpleasant taste.
When you cook with oil that's been heated past its smoke point, you do more than impart a burnt flavour to foods. Beneficial nutrients and phytochemicals found in many unrefined oils are destroyed when the oil is overheated. Overheating also creates harmful free radicals. The smoke point of cooking oils varies widely.
Heated past its smoke point, that fat starts to break down, releasing free radicals and a substance called acrolein, the chemical that gives burnt foods their acrid flavor and aroma.
Heating/frying led to formation and increase in TFA in all fat/oil samples. Heating/frying also increased the saturated fatty acids and decreased cis-unsaturated fatty acids.
In only a few minutes, oil can overheat and the vapours burst into flames. Many people are killed or seriously burned in kitchen fires that start this way. Whatever method you choose for cooking, there are ways to greatly reduce the risk of fire.
Fats, when processed at high temperatures for a long time or stored improperly, often decompose and produce toxic substances.
Because most thermal fluid heating systems are closed-loop systems, and because thermal oil expands with increasing temperature, accommodations must be made for that expansion.
As the temperature of growth is lowered, the proportion of unsaturated fatty acids (hexadecenoic and octadecenoic acids) increases. The increase in content of unsaturated acids with a decrease in temperature of growth occurs in both minimal and complex media.
As the omega-3 gets overheated, the fatty acids begin to break down, meaning you may end up with significantly less omega-3 in your meal. One study from India examined the omega-3 content in fried tuna. Researchers found that a shocking 70 to 85 percent of the EPA and DHA omega-3s were destroyed in the frying process.
Though you burn more calories in the heat, its role in weight loss is minimal and decreases as you acclimate to exercising in warmer climates.
What happens to fat when it melts?
When body fat is broken down for energy through complex processes within your cells, two major byproducts are released — carbon dioxide and water. The carbon dioxide is exhaled during breathing, and the water is disposed of through either urine, sweat, or exhaled air.
The burning of oil converts oil into its primary combustion products, carbon dioxide and water, with a small percentage of unburned and residue by-products.

Nonexplosive – Oil heat does not and cannot explode. The oil in your tank is as likely to explode as the water in a pool. It's that safe. Nonburning – Before it can ignite, heating oil must be vaporized at a temperature above 140°.
The chemical structure of saturated fat has each carbon molecule linked or 'saturated' with hydrogen, so when this fat is heated the molecules remain stable. This means they won't become oxidised or rancid with heat. So saturated fats are the best for cooking at temperatures over 180℃.
During the heating process the polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) content of vegetable oils decreases while that of saturated fatty acids (SFAs) usually increases [36,37]. Different indices can be used, based on fatty acid composition, to characterize the health effects of different foods [38].
Heating/frying led to formation and increase in TFA in all fat/oil samples. Heating/frying also increased the saturated fatty acids and decreased cis-unsaturated fatty acids.
Cooking oils, when heated, may form small amounts of trans fats. However, the concentration is minuscule – less than 1% - even with lengthy heating. All olive oil has relatively high smoke point (between 365 and 410 F) that is generally not impacted by household cooking.
Heat causes oil to thin, so during the summer months, a thicker option is required. In the past, oil had only one viscosity, or thickness, known as single-grade motor oil. With this single-grade motor oil, a lightweight oil was needed for the winter so that it would flow properly and not thicken up too much.
Motor oil gets thinner as it's heated, but to prevent it from getting too thin at higher temperatures, additives (viscosity modifiers) are used so that it behaves like a thicker grade oil at higher temps.
The answer is: Mostly how saturated the chemical bonds in the fat molecule are in hydrogen atoms. The more hydrogen atoms a fatty acid has, the more “saturated” it is, and the higher its melting temperature will be.
What temperature does fat turn to liquid?
130-140°F (54-60°C). Fats begin to liquefy, a process called rendering. This is a slow process and can take hours if meat is held at this temp.
In addition, when the temperature decreased within the lower growth temperature range from 26-20 to 10 degrees C, the fatty acid chain length also shortened in PL, due to the increase in palmitoleic acid (mp. 0 degrees C), and equal (PC and PE) or more pronounced (PI + PS) decrease in other acids.
When fat is heated its chemical composition changes. If overheated, fat will become denatured, forming compounds known as free radicals, which can adversely affect health.
When heat is applied to fats, they melt, rather than evaporate or solidify. Fats can take the form of a solid, liquid, or a variation of both. However, they all become liquid when heated. Fats are used as a medium for cooking and baking because they are less likely to burn than other substances.
The solubility in water of saturated fatty acids with even carbon numbers from 8 to 18 was measured in the temperature range of 60 to 230 degrees C and at a pressure of 5 or 15 MPa. The pressure had no significant effect on the solubility. The solubility of the fatty acids increased with increasing temperature.
Although obesity provides an advantage in cold conditions it conversely impedes heat loss and makes obese people susceptible to heat stress more than lean individuals. In small mammals like mice the role of subcutaneous (or intradermal) fat for providing thermal insulation is less clear.
Unexpectedly, some fat cells directly sense dropping temperatures and release their energy as heat, according to a new study; that ability might be harnessed to treat obesity and diabetes, researchers suggest. Fat is known to help protect animals from the cold—and not only by acting as insulation.
Melting fat is not a chemical reaction, but is a physical change. When a substance melts, it changes phase from solid to liquid.
Fats with a melting range between 40°C and 44°C (104°F and 112°F) are considered to be a good compromise between convenience in handling and palatability. New techniques allow fats with quite high melting points without unpleasant palate-cling. Table 1 shows the melting points of some fats.
Melting point in human fats varied between 41° C and 0.5°C. The largest variations in the individual person was about 30° C. The melting point of visceral fat was 30° C–35° C.
Can you cook oil on high heat?
What Are the Best Oils for High-Heat Cooking? The best oils for standing up to high heat during frying are avocado, peanut, canola, sunflower, and sesame oil. These oils have a high smoke point (400°F and higher), which means they are better suited for cooking at higher temperatures.
If you tilt the skillet, the oil will shimmer like ripples in a lake, letting you know it's time to add the food. But if you notice smoke — a few wisps are okay — it is too hot and you should turn down the heat.
Dip the end of a wooden spoon or chopstick in the oil and if the oil starts sizzling and bubbling around the stick, the oil is hot. The faster and more furious the bubbles, the hotter the oil. If the oil starts smoking, it's too hot - adjust the heat and then check again.
If your engine has too much oil, you will likely hear clattering or metal-on-metal noises from the engine bay, observe odd vehicle performance behaviors, or experience engine overheating. Some indicators of these consequences include recurring oil leaks and smoke from the engine block or exhaust.