What to Know About EVOO
- Intern Foodies
- Oct 9, 2019
- 4 min read
Oh, EVOO!
In the 21st century, it’s hard to exist without hearing about extra virgin olive oil in some capacity. It has been hailed as one of the healthiest oils out there based on countless research studies, and the fact that it’s an integral part of the Mediterranean diet further supports the diet’s healthfulness claim. In this post, I will be diving into what it means to be “extra virgin” and why olive oil is such a great choice.
An Overview of Olive Oil
When it comes to plant oils, there are two main types: refined and unrefined. Refined oils like corn or soybean oils are those that are extracted from the plant by using heat and chemical solvents. This extraction technique has been shown to decrease the nutritive contents of and thus overall health quality of these oils.
Conversely, the title of “virgin” is applied to unrefined oils extracted without the use of solvents or heat. The use of mechanical pressures only in unrefined oil extractions helps preserve important vitamins, phenols, and antioxidants naturally found in the oil. According to the North American Olive Oil Council, olive oil is labeled as “extra virgin” when after extraction it is found to be free of any defects, like rancidity or off flavors, and has a fruity aroma. “Virgin” or “normal” olive oils have only minimal defects, but both types are still tested for purity and have equal antioxidant values. In North America, no virgin olive oil makes it to sale, so extra virgin olive oil is the only kind you will see on the shelves of your local grocery stores.
Unfortunately for consumers, olive oil sold outside of the European Union does not have regulations on when the labeling terms “unrefined” can be applied, and in some situations it might be on oil products on which heat or solvents were actually used. For this reason, it is important for consumers to look for third party certification seals like those from the California Olive Oil Council or the Protected Designation of Origin symbol to ensure that the olive oil being bought is as authentic and healthy as it is expected to be.
Olive Oil’s Health Benefits
Out of all the plant oils out there, olive oil is one of the few with a plethora of studies supporting its health benefits. Similarly to fruits and vegetables, the evidence base is continuously growing with suggestions of new or more significant benefits to consuming this food.
Olive oil mainly contains a monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) called oleic acid, which is a fatty acid with one double bond in its hydrogen-carbon chain. This one double bond helps give the oleic acid health promoting properties when it is used in the body, especially when these high MUFA foods are used in the diet to replace foods higher in saturated fat. Olive oil is also an excellent source of polyphenols. Polyphenols are byproducts from plant metabolism with certain chemical structures that allow them to perform a variety of tasks that promote health, including acting as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent in the body.
MUFAs have been shown to help lower overall blood cholesterol and specifically the “bad” LDL cholesterol in the blood. Additionally, the polyphenols found in olive oil have been shown to prevent atherosclerosis, which is the hardening of the arteries due to buildup of plaque and fat on their inner walls. Reducing these three factors independently, but especially in conjunction with one another, has an overall protective effect against the risk of contracting heart disease and its other complications. Extra virgin olive oil is rich in ring-structured polyphenols, which can neutralize otherwise destructive free radicals naturally created in the body by metabolism. Free radicals when left unchecked can cause cell damage which may ultimately lead to cancer. Thus, the antioxidative powers of olive oil’s polyphenols may be a proposed mechanism explaining how olive oil has been shown to decrease cancer incidence when consumed. Recent new areas of exploration include extra virgin olive oil promoting bone health, health of the GI tract, and its ability to improve memory and other forms of cognitive function.
Are All Created Equal?
It is important to note that just because an oil comes from a plant or is unrefined doesn’t automatically mean it will give the same health benefits as olive oil. For instance, recent trends have shown an increase in promotion of coconut and palm oils for cooking and as a part of various food products. Coconut oil contains nearly all saturated fats, and these types of fats have been shown to increase LDL cholesterol. Similarly, around half of the total fats in palm oil are saturated. As such, consumers should be mindful of the specific types of oils that they are consuming, and if they have further questions they can always consult a Registered Dietitian for more guidance on which oils will better fit their cooking and consumption needs.
When it comes to unrefined plant oils, extra virgin olive oil seems to come out on top. As an integral part of the Mediterranean diet, olive oil goes a long way to contributing toward all the benefits seen by those who stick to this diet pattern. In my next blog post, I will be discussing how another type of fat, the omega-3 fats found in fish, can also play a big role in promoting heart health.
References
Palmer, S. (2019, June). The Skinny on Unrefined Plant Oils. Today's Dietitian, 21(6), 12–13.
North American Olive Oil Association. (2017, September 13). What’s the difference between virgin and extra virgin olive oil? Retrieved from https://www.aboutoliveoil.org/whats-the-difference-between-virgin-and-extra-virgin-olive-oil
American Heart Association. (2015, June 1). Monounsaturated fat. Retrieved from https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/fats/monounsaturated-fats
Gorzynik-Debicka, M., Przychodzen, P., Cappello, F., Kuban-Jankowska, A., Marino Gammazza, A., Knap, N., … Gorska-Ponikowska, M. (2018). Potential Health Benefits of Olive Oil and Plant Polyphenols. International journal of molecular sciences, 19(3), 686. doi:10.3390/ijms19030686
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