Why Extra Virgin Olive Oil is great for healthy cooking

Written By Taryn Trusler

Cooking oil has been one of the most talked about topics in the nutrition realm for a long time now, and I believe there is still a lot of confusion around olive oil and if it’s OK to cook with.

As a nutritionist I’m passionate about putting the right nutrients into my body, and helping my clients make informed choices. 

I had an idea that olive oil was good for health before I started studying my BAppSc human nutrition, I wasn’t sure why or how it was good, and I NEEDED to know more. 

Below, I'll explain why I became highly intrigued with this topic, and share what I’ve learned.

What is the best cooking oil?

“Coconut oil is the healthiest”, “all seed oils are bad for you”, and “olive oil becomes toxic when cooked with”.  These are all claims that are misleading and often untrue depending on individual circumstances - like a lot of nutrition claims out there.

The truth to the matter is that we can’t just make a blanket statement saying one is better than the other without knowing what YOUR individual cooking and eating habits are, plus… taste is important!

I had learnt that olive oil was actually good for you in the first year of my degree, then from another well-educated professional that “you shouldn’t cook with olive oil because of its ‘low smoke point”.

I was confused, it sounded really bad, I didn’t want to put a toxic substance into my body, so I avoided cooking with it.

While there could be a little truth to this rumour, I’m stoked to report that the benefits of consuming and cooking with extra virgin olive oil far outweigh the toxicity claims.

Here’s why:

How Extra Virgin Olive Oil protects against chronic disease

Extra virgin olive oil is packed with nutrients including vitamins, healthy fats, and phytonutrients.

Olives are cold pressed once to make extra virgin olive oil, allowing maximum nutrients to remain in the product.

Many of the vitamins and phytonutrients that remain in extra virgin olive oil have strong antioxidant properties, comparable to well-known nutritious foods like blueberries. 

Antioxidants like vitamin E, and phytonutrients including polyphenols help to remove free radicals from our system, thereby reducing the impact of inflammation, and protecting cells from oxidative damage.

Importantly, these antioxidants are known to help protect against chronic diseases like cancer and heart disease.

Does olive oil become toxic when cooked? Debunking the smoke point myth

Ok, so we now know that fresh extra virgin olive oil is good for us, now let’s talk about the theory that olive oil becomes toxic when heated.

Along with the antioxidant nutrients in olive oil, there are billions of fat molecules. When exposed to prolonged very high temperatures, some of the unsaturated fatty acids could undergo a change of structure and form a minimal amount of trans fatty acids, which can be harmful in excess.

However, in extra virgin olive oil these changes are minimal, partially due to the antioxidant properties that help to protect the oil from oxidation.

Plus, studies on different varieties of extra virgin olive oil have found that the smoke point ranges between 190 - 220°C, making it safe for roasting and sautéing at home. And only a small amount of trans fatty acids would form over that temperature overall.

Although unsaturated fats are healthy in moderation, prolonged exposure to high heat can increase the risk of trans fat in any unsaturated fat (often liquid oils).

Oils like sunflower, soy, canola, rice bran, vegetable and flaxseed oils are all rich in unsaturated fat, which means they can also undergo these changes when used at very high temperatures over a long period.

Extra virgin olive oil would likely only be heated once or twice in normal circumstances right? Who uses olive oil in their deepfryer?  

Yet, unsaturated fats like vegetable oil are used in deep fryers for hours, days, or weeks, and those oils aren’t as nutrient dense in antioxidants, and therefore less protected from oxidation - Shouldn’t that be more of a concern?

Does it need to be “extra virgin” olive oil, or can I buy the virgin or light variety?

Extra virgin olive oil is minimally processed through one cold press, maintaining many healthy nutrients in it. 

Other versions of olive oil (virgin, classic, light) are re-processed to remove more of the nutrients (flavour and colour) using heat and/or chemicals. 

The more colourful and flavourful the olive oil, the more antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties it will retain. 

Light, however, has had many of the beneficial nutrients removed, and that shows in the colour and taste profile of the product.

Polyphenol nutrients are coloured, and you can see that light olive oil is more translucent and mild tasting, yet, if you were to compare the nutrition label on the package, you would see that the fat content in light remains the same as virgin or other varieties.

Since more of the protective nutrients are removed from light olive oil, the unsaturated fat molecules aren’t as well protected from oxidation.

Why sell light olive oil then?

In my opinion, it’s a way to re-market a lower quality product. Without knowing any better people may choose light olive oil thinking it’s lighter in calories, and in other cases just because they prefer the milder taste.

Why I should be wary of inflammation: 

Inflammation has been linked to arthritis, heart disease, cancer, type-II diabetes, and neurological diseases to name a few. 

The risk of developing a chronic disease is higher when you have chronic inflammation, and it is important to minimise inflammation in any way possible. 

Choosing a nutrient rich cooking oil like extra virgin olive oil can not only help to reduce inflammation by decreasing free radicals and protecting our cells, but the fatty acid composition also has anti-inflammatory effects.

Choosing olive oil in place of other cooking oils could also help to reduce bad cholesterol, minimising systemic inflammation, and protecting the arteries from plaque buildup (heart health).

Is olive oil good for joint health?

While initial acute inflammation is essential to mend from injuries to joint tissues, ongoing inflammation continues to break down cartilage and other joint tissues after the injury has healed.

As cartilage and synovial fluid deteriorates, the bones in the joint begin to rub against each other, causing more damage and further inflammation.

This ongoing cycle of inflammation and tissue damage results in the progressive degeneration of the joint.

Minimising inflammation is a key goal in reducing progression and impact of osteoarthritis, and extra virgin olive oil could help to achieve that goal. 

How?

The antioxidants in extra virgin olive oil help to protect chondrocytes (cartilage cells) from premature death and thereby preserve joint function.

Look, I’m not saying extra virgin olive oil is the golden ticket to repair your joints, but it can be one factor that could help to slow disease progression. 

I, Taryn, have many other tips and tricks up my sleeve which collectively can help you reduce the impact of osteoarthritis.  

So, should I be choosing to cook with extra virgin olive oil?

Extra virgin olive oil is healthy to cook with as long as you avoid reheating it to very high temperatures, and importantly, over long periods of time.

Its anti-inflammatory and antioxidative properties help to protect the oil from oxidation, and help to reduce systemic inflammation in the human body.

Any changes in the fatty acid structure (unsaturated fat to trans fat) are minimal and shouldn’t be a concern, and there are far more toxic foods that we are putting into our bodies daily, like processed foods and excessive additives.

If you’re not used to the strong taste of extra virgin olive oil its worth introducing small amounts into your diet in place of other cooking oil, and getting used to the flavour.

If you are wondering about the composition of other cooking oils and which is healthiest to cook with on a budget or for occasional deep frying, check the Healthy Heart booklet.

For New Zealanders looking for further dietary support to improve your health check what out my consultation packages.

For more information check out these links

Taryn Trusler