Extra virgin olive oil is the healthiest and most stable cooking oil because it has high levels of polyphenols that are preserved during extraction. The author, nutritionist and Lecturer in Nutritional Biochemistry at the University of Hertfordshire, Richard Hoffman, explains why you should include this fat in your diet, even if you want to lose weight.
People who watch their waistline or want to eat healthier are often advised to watch the amount of oil they use when cooking. But that doesn't mean we should eliminate oil from our diet altogether. Because extra virgin olive oil in particular can have many benefits for our health.
Numerous studies have shown that the consumption of olive oil - especially extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) - can have many different benefits for our health. For example, the Spanish Predimed study (the largest randomized controlled study of the Mediterranean diet ever conducted) showed that women who ate a Mediterranean diet and also consumed extra virgin olive oil, 62% lower risk of breast cancer than women who were recommended a low-fat diet.
Experts who have since reviewed several scientific studies on the Mediterranean diet and its impact on chronic diseases conclude that the diet protects against breast cancer, largely because of olive oil. There are also indications that that EVOO in Type 2 diabetes and possibly even before that Alzheimer's disease can protect.
So why is extra virgin olive oil better for us than other cooking oils? The answer lies in its composition.
In addition to fats, virgin olive oil contains many natural substances such as polyphenols. Polyphenols occur naturally in plants and are associated with numerous health benefits, e.g. B. reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases and cognitive disorders. Studies also seem to show that a major reason for the health-promoting effect of EVOO lies in the polyphenols it contains. Polyphenols are attributed numerous positive effects on the body, such as improving the intestinal microbiome.
Research shows that the polyphenols in extra virgin olive oil are linked to a lower risk of cardiovascular disease. When researchers stripped EVOO of its polyphenols, they found that it wasn't as good at protecting the heart from disease. It is believed that one of the heart health benefits of EVOO is that the polyphenols prevent the oxidation of cholesterol. When cholesterol reacts with oxygen and becomes oxidized, it damages blood vessels.
The simple manufacturing process helps preserve the polyphenols in EVOO. pointbreak/Shutterstock
The reason EVOO is so high in polyphenols is that it is obtained by simply crushing olives. More processed versions of olive oil — like light olive oil or spreads — don't contain as many of these polyphenols. That's because the production of these oils requires more processing that loses much of the polyphenols.
Other edible oils
Most other cooking oils, such as As sunflower oil or rapeseed oil, are obtained from seeds. Oil is very difficult to extract from the seeds, so they must be heated and the oil extracted with solvents. This means that most of the polyphenols found in the seeds are lost in the manufacturing process.
It is sometimes claimed that canola oil (also known as canola oil or vegetable oil) is a healthy alternative to EVOO. While there is some evidence that raw canola oil (that is, it has not been heated during cooking) may temporarily lower cholesterol, there is currently no evidence that it increases the risk of high-cholesterol-associated diseases -- such as heart disease. e.g. heart disease.
Of course, most of us use oils for cooking. However, when an oil is heated too much, it reacts with the oxygen in the air, causing the fat in the oil to break down. This can produce harmful substances that irritate the eyes and are even carcinogenic. Canola oil is particularly susceptible to this process, known as oxidation, especially when used repeatedly in frying.
Polyphenols prevent fats from oxidizing, so EVOO remains stable even at the temperatures required to fry food. Because canola oil and other oils like sunflower oil contain fewer polyphenols, the fats aren't as well protected from breaking down during cooking.
Another important reason for the stability of EVOO is the fact that the main type of fat is monounsaturated fat. This is a healthy fat and is fairly resistant to oxidation. Monounsaturated fat is also the main type of fat in canola oil. In contrast to EVOO, however, rapeseed oil also contains a fairly high proportion of polyunsaturated fat, alpha-linolenic acid. This is not very stable and is another reason why overheating canola oil is not a good idea.
Coconut oil is often touted as a healthy oil. However, coconut oil contains high levels of saturated fat, which can significantly increase low-density lipoprotein (or LDL) cholesterol levels (sometimes referred to as “bad” cholesterol). Elevated LDL cholesterol is associated with cardiovascular disease, and there is evidence that the saturated fats in coconut oil increase the risk of heart disease.
One of the main messages about EVOO is that it appears to be much more effective when consumed as part of a Mediterranean diet, which typically includes plenty of vegetables, fruits, legumes, grains, fish, and olive oil. This is likely due to the fact that extra virgin olive oil and its beneficial polyphenols interact with other foods, including the vegetables consumed as part of this diet. The Mediterranean diet has been linked to a lower risk of many chronic diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease and Alzheimer's. So the extra price for EVOO could definitely be worth it.
Richard Hoffman, Associate Lecturer in Nutritional Biochemistry, University of Hertfordshire
This article was republished by The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read that Original article.
