I had heard that EVOO is a much better alternative to other cooking oils. Does it have any resounding health benefits/detriments? Is there anything healthier to cook with that tastes as nice? It just doesn't seem like eating fish would be the same without it! thanks

I think it's fine to cook with but others may think/know differently. he beneficial health effects of olive oil are due to both its high content of monounsaturated fatty acids and its high content of antioxidative substances. Olive oil is very well tolerated by the stomach. In fact, olive oil's protective function has a beneficial effect on ulcers and gastritis. Olive oil activates the secretion of bile and pancreatic hormones much more naturally than prescribed drugs. Consequently, it lowers the incidence of gallstone formation. Types of olive oil
Generally, olive oil is extracted by pressing or crushing olives. Olive oil comes in different varieties, depending on the amount of processing involved. Varieties include:

* Extra virgin - considered the best; this oil comes from the first pressing of the olives
* Virgin - from the second pressing
* Pure - undergoes some processing, such as filtering and refining
* Extra light - undergoes considerable processing and only retains a very mild olive flavour.
Weight loss benefits
Mono-unsaturated fats have the same kilojoule content as other fats (around 37kJ per gram); however, some research suggests that it may be more difficult to put on weight from mono-unsaturated fats.

Researchers compared the weight loss results from one group of people, following ‘the Mediterranean diet’, to another group who were sticking to low fat and high carbohydrate diets. They found that those following the Mediterranean diet shed excess pounds from both the upper and lower body, but the other group mainly lost fat from the lower body. People who store their body fat around the waist and abdomen (‘apple shaped’) have a higher risk of heart disease than those people who carry their weight at the hips and thighs (‘pear shaped’).

Other potential benefits
Olive oil is thought to offer a number of other health benefits, including reduced risk of some cancers (such as breast cancer), reduced risk of diabetes and, possibly, a delayed onset of complications in established diabetes.

Wow, great answer. Thanks James.

I only have olive oil cold, i cook with rapeseed oil. This way the saturated fat content of heated olive oil doesn't come into play

Nick

I agree with Nick's approach. The thing to watch out for with Extra Virgin olive oil is that it has a relatively low smoke-point compared to other oils which depending on oil quality can be as low as 350 degrees F.

Browning and flavor development really occur at 365 degrees F and above so unless both your oil is pure (with a low percentage of fatty acids) and you're good at managing the heat on your range-top, I'd recommend another oil such as canola (rapeseed) which has a much higher smoke point at upwards of 438 degrees F.


Cheers,

Jordan.

My dad nearly had a heart attack and the doctor recommended that he switch to EVOO for cooking.. Must be something alright about it!
Rosanna

Olive Oil is the best oil to cook with. The reason is that is is an Omega-9 oil, an EFA (Essential Fatty Acid), but it is a mono-unsaturate so it is stable under heat and, as a result, does not become rancid in cooking.

Sunflower, rapeseed and vegetable oil are all Omega 3 oils that are extremely good for the body but, because they are poly-unsaturated, they are extremely unstable and become rancid when exposed to heat. It is this process that causes this oil to become trans-fats (the most unnatural kind and also the most damaging within the body). Obviously, these should not be used to cook with.

Oils such as these, but particularly Flaxseed Oil, are worth adding to your food BUT only once it is on your plate. This way you do not denature the oil and your body will be able to make full use of the substance for many different things - HDL (good cholesterol) production, prostaglandins (anti-inflammatory hormones) and cell membrane reproduction, amongst other things.

For a better lowdown on fats and oils, read http://www.blueprintfitness.co.uk/0806_01.htm.

Marek
(www.blueprintfitness.co.uk)

Actually olive oil isn't the best oil to cook with. It's alright unless it's heated to a too high temperature. The very best oil to cook with is coconut oil.

http://www.mercola.com/2005/jun/28/vegetable_oils. htm
http://www.mercola.com/forms/coconut_oil.htm

And yes grapeseed oil is one of the best to cook with also. Olive oil is actually best cold - in dressings and such.

Mary

Nutritional Consultant

Dr Enig's published studies of coconut oils are definitely valid and I agree that its an excellent product to use while cooking. It does leave a nice taste, too!

My recommendation for the public is still olive oil - there is minimal destruction of the oil beneath smoking temperatures and, most importantly, good quality olive oil can be bought at most supermarkets.

[I can only talk for the UK but] Coconut oil is incredibly difficult to get your hands on and harder still to get oil that has not been contaminated with manufacturing chemicals. Add to that the cost (At £15 a bottle, 20x higher than its olive oil equivalent) and it becomes a most impractical choice.

Should you find yourself with the time and the money to source coconut oil for your everyday needs, nice one. However, for most people, it would be over-perfectionism to do this... that additional £14.20 could be better spent covering the extra cost of organic produce every week and the additional time spent could be used cooking real meals instead of microwave meals. Etc.

Reaching for perfection in all areas of nutrition and fitness is an exercise in futility, and you should leave tweaks to your regime until you have got all the basics right. However, I would appreciate this is a matter of perspective!

Marek
(www.blueprintfitness.co.uk)

Whilst it might be healthy option, Olive Oil isn't necessarily too great for the environment;

http://www.guardian.co.uk/g2/story/0,,1870182,00.h tml

In Canada we are able to access reasonablt priced, organic coconut oil.

I can't cite sources because they're from printed materials, but following my heart attack I attended classes and reeived materials from the Canadian Heart and Stroke foundation. Their conclusions about oils was similar to what some have posted here. Olive Oil was the best for cold/room temperature usage, but becasue of trans-fat conversion at higher temperatures that Canola (rapeseed) was a far better choice for cooking.

Now I don't know if it's a cultural thing, but while this is most commonly the advice I get in Canada. My brother-in-law is from the UK and has studied this stuff at great length. He insists that Olive oil is better for cooking. Perhaps there is a difference in philosophy from across the atlantic (as evidenced by some of the posts I'm reading here).

Just a thought

I enjoy olive oil in my oatmeal each da . As a member of Weight Watchers, they encourage us to have 2 servings of a healthy oil each day. By adding 2 tsp to my oatmeal, I get them in and make a very tasty, filling breakfast. Plus it helps with weight loss.

Ref Chris Smith's point:

Rapeseed oil and olive oil are both good to cook with. They are both Monosaturated oils (omega 9) oils that are both healthful and are considered stable under heat.

The difference in what you read in the UK and Canada mainly goes down to luck - journalists in the media, even 'health experts', do not have a clue about the physiology of health and fill their pages with guess-based 'received wisdom' or steal ideas from those who do. Because of this, correct thinking normally makes it into public consciousness eventually but is indistinguishable from misinformation and often is incomplete in its second-hand form.

It is a wise move to ignore most things you read in the newspapers!

Olive oil is a good healthy oil, whether for dressings or cooking. Obviously it's still a fat and has to be used sparingly.

I had understood that a lot of other vegetable oils, including canola (rapeseed) oil, produced unhealthy transfats when heated. Does anyone know if this applies to sunflower oil?

I love my olive oils.... I've used to make massage oils even ;)

My nutritionist has also recommended coconut oil. But, I have not tried it yet. I still have a lot of olive oil at home. I may try after I finish up the olive oil at home.

I have not read the whole article of yet. But, scanned 1 statement of the following. It sounds shocking. Is it overstated?

"If you live in the United States, you have a 55% chance of being overweight."

How about Enova oil? I heard this oil will not be digested and absorbed by human body. Some healthy Japanese restaurants are using it to make tempura.

Well said, you are dead on. Cut back on Sunflower, safflower, and corn oils, those are very high in Omega6 fats, which Americans consume way too much of anyway.


I thought trans-fats were man-made by adding extra hydrogen molecules to the (unsaturated) fat through the hydrogenation process. Trans-fats are man-made saturated fats. Saturated fats are usually solid at room temperature. Margarine = vegetable oil + hydrogenation = "man-made" saturated fat. So, I'm not seeing how heating any oil equates into hydrogenation. If that were the case wouldn't people be screaming to not use any cooking oils on the stove? If you have a reference I would love to see it, since this is the first I've ever heard of anything like that.

its been called liquid gold....

enough said!