Nutrition Nugget: Olive Oil
Bite-Sized Reads For Your Health and Your Waistline
If you’re anything like me, olive oil is probably your go-to oil. And you probably, like me, find yourself in the grocery store looking at all the olive oils thinking, “What’s the difference? Should I buy the darker colored one? The more expensive one? Does it matter?” Don’t worry, I gathered the answers to these questions and have them all here for you…you’re welcome!
First off, let me start by answering everyone’s burning question: Is it healthy? The short answer is yes. Olive oil is an unsaturated fat, more specifically a monounsaturated fat. This means that olive oil is a liquid at room temperature. Many olive oils contain a high level of polyphenols (health-supporting nutrients from plants), which contribute to its antioxidant properties and the health benefits we receive from it! With this being said, some olive oils aren’t like the others, and the benefits you get from them vary depending on which type you choose!
Back to the grocery aisle. We see rows and rows of oils screaming “pick me, choose me!” How do you know which one to buy? We want to buy either virgin or extra virgin olive oil because they tend to have the highest concentration of polyphenols. Touching on the point I made earlier, polyphenols are a type of antioxidant that have been known to decrease the levels of free radicals (or reactive oxygen species) in the body, as well as to have anti-inflammatory and anti-allergic effects. Along with this, studies show that polyphenols reduce morbidity and slow the progression of cardiovascular, neurodegenerative and cancer diseases: all great things!
Here’s the catch though: not all olive oils have the same concentration of polyphenols. The concentration of polyphenols depends mainly on the process that is used to extract the oil from the olives, among other things. There are two main types of olive oil: virgin and refined. Virgin olive oil has high polyphenol content (150–400mg/kg) whereas refined olive oil has a very low concentration of polyphenols (0–0.5mg/kg). This is a dramatic difference we simply can’t ignore! To up the odds of purchasing quality olive oil, read the ingredients. For real. Many companies will mix the two olive oils, virgin and refined, in order to create what is known as “common olive oil.” This olive oil has a low polyphenol concentration (0–100 mg/kg) as studies reveal the refined olive oil is devoid of vitamins, polyphenols, phytosterols, and other low molecular and natural ingredients. Buying olive is a case of less expensive could be less good. Be sure to read the labels, look at the ingredients and choose virgin or extra virgin.
Now that we’ve bought a high quality olive oil, we can use it for everything, right? Not so fast. With all oils, we must consider the smoke point to determine best usage. An oil’s smoke point is the temperature at which it burns. When an oil burns it can have detrimental effects to our health as it releases carcinogens, free radicals, and can damage the healthy properties of the oil itself. In light of this, use your olive oil when cooking at lower temperatures, below 325 degrees (°F). It’s great for light sauteing, sauces, salad dressings, pestos, etc. If you need an oil for roasting, grilling or cooking at high temperatures, I would choose something like avocado oil which has a smoke point of 520 degrees (°F). Remember, we don’t want to spend the time and money to select a high quality olive oil just to damage it and remove the healthful properties when we use it!
Overall, olive oil can be a tricky thing to buy. But no longer for you! Head to the grocery store prepared to read some labels, choose virgin or extra virgin olive oil (avoiding refined or “lite” options), and use it to make your own gourmet dressing. Olive oil will quickly become your best friend in the kitchen.
