By now, the average educated adult knows that for healthy eating, lard is a bad fat, cottonseed oil not much better, and olive oil just dandy as long as it isn’t heated too much. Now a new study published in Neurology— which will probably come as a huge surprise to Dr. Dean Ornish–shows that people who use lots of olive oil, even in cooking, have a considerably lower stroke risk than people who don’t use it at all.1 The French study of 7,625 people aged 65 found a 41 percent reduced stroke risk in heavy olive oil users. In fact, the participants were divided into three groups and those with the highest olive oil intake had a whopping 73 percent reduced stroke risk compared to the group with the lowest olive oil intake. The effect remained consistent even after controlling for other factors such as overall diet and health conditions, showing that olive oil confers benefits even independent of the Mediterranean Diet of which it is a cornerstone.2 Prior to this study, research had indicated that high olive oil consumption reduced heart attack risk, but this new research points to the fact that its benefits extend to other areas of health, and in a big way.
Before you rush to Costco for a giant tub of olive oil to guzzle, consider that the researchers caution that the results might actually indicate something other than the miraculous properties of olive oil. For instance, they say, olive oil consumers might be healthier, wealthier, and happier than those who rely on Safflower. On the other hand, as already indicated, the study did control for those factors, so olive oil emerges looking like a big winner. The key here is that you need to use only organic, extra-virgin, cold first-pressed, which is rich in phytonutrients. Studies show that in comparison to the pure stuff, processed olive oils don’t necessarily offer any benefit at all. Although the report on the French study didn’t mention what type of olive oil was tested, in France, virtually all the available olive oil is cold-pressed extra virgin.
Why is olive oil such a healthy fat compared to the typical fat added to commercial goods? First, olive oil contains a high proportion of antioxidants, particularly polyphenols, which have powerful anti-inflammatory properties.3 Studies have shown that one of the polyphenols, hydroxytyrosol (HT), has a particularly powerful ability to protect blood vessel walls. Also, the composition of olive oil differs from most commercial cooking oils in that about 75 percent of the fat comes in the form of oleic acid, which is a monounsaturated, omega-9 fatty acid — and that’s a good thing. Other oils with lower monounsaturated content are higher in omega-6 fatty acids, and high consumption of omega-6 fatty acids causes a build-up of harmful “non-esterified fatty acids,” otherwise known as a NEFAs. NEFAs in the blood are associated with sudden heart attacks. Compare olive oil to soybean oil, which is only 50-55 percent monounsaturated, or safflower oil, which is only 15 percent.
The positive health benefits of the high proportion of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) in olive oil include reduction of overall cholesterol levels as well as of LDL cholesterol, and improvement in LDL to HDL ratios. Plus, the high ratio of MUFAS helps to regulate blood glucose levels and apparently, to lower blood pressure.4 Which brings us to the problem of cooking at high heats and the puzzling results of the French study. The thing is that any oil that is heated beyond the point at which it smokes can release carcinogenic free radicals, and most commercial varieties of olive oil have a low smoke point.5 In other words, it’s generally not considered a great choice for cooking at high heats, since the negative impact of creating free radicals in heating cancels out the positive benefits the oil proffers.
On the other hand, those who cooked with olive oil in the French study clearly benefited. The reason might have to do with the quality of the oil they used. Some experts contend that refined olive oil has a smoke point of around 350 degrees, while high-quality extra-virgin has a much higher smoke point, up around 410 degrees.6 In any event, olive oil maintains its nutritional integrity even when heated to high temperatures, and even as it creates those carcinogens.
To be on the safe side, use olive oil only for lower-temperature cooking. If you throw in with the olive oil lobby and buy that the higher-quality product has a relatively high smoke point, simply heat your oil in a pan and notice when it starts to emit smoke. Voila! You’ve found the smoke point, and you need to draw the line before that. As I’ve said before, you can use avocado oil for high temperature cooking. Avocado oil has a very high smoke point by comparison to other cooking oils. It will not burn or smoke until it reaches 520 F (271 C), which is ideal for searing meats and frying in a Wok. Other good choices include grapeseed oil (485 F) or rice bran oil 495 F. Again, look for organic, cold-processed oil. One other possibility is Spectrum Naturals High Heat Canola oil, which can handle temperatures up to about 450 degrees F.
1 Norton, Amy. “Olive oil lovers show lower stroke risk.” 16 June 2011.Reuters. 16 June 2011. <http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/06/16/us-olive-oil-idUSTRE75E66L20110616>
2 Mann, Denise. “Olive Oil Linked to Reduced Stroke Risk. 15 June 2011. WebMD. 18 June 2011. < http://www.webmd.com/healthy-aging/news/20110615/olive-oil-linked-to-reduced-stroke-risk>
3 “Olive oil, extra virgin.” The World’s Healthiest Foods. 17 June 2011. < http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=132>
4 Hensrud, Donald, MD. “Nutrition and Healthy Eating.” Mayo Clinic. 16 June 2011. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/food-and-nutrition/AN01037
5 “Cooking Oil Smoke Points.” 18 June 2011. < http://www.goodeatsfanpage.com/collectedinfo/oilsmokepoints.htm>
6 “Heating Olive Oil.” Olive Oil Source. 18 June 2011. <http://www.oliveoilsource.com/page/heating-olive-oil>
Unfortunately most of the
Unfortunately most of the olive oil sold in the United States isn’t really olive oil but something else passed off as “extra-virgin”…
My great grandmother from
My great grandmother from Italy drank one tablespoon of cold pressed virgin olive oil before retiring at night.
She never had a sick day in her life and left us at age 100.
What about extra virgin
What about extra virgin coconut oil? It has a higher smoke
point than olive oil
Hi Toby,
If you are
Hi Toby,
If you are interested in more information about oil, such as coconut oil, check out Jon's article on "Fats & Oils Made Simple" http://www.jonbarron.org/natural-health/nl110307/good-bad-healthy-fats-oils
Last night I open my mail and
Last night I open my mail and there was Consumer Reports “On Health” sale flyer. On the front page there was “Olive oil is the best choice for a healthy heart, right? WRONG
They are trying to tell us that it is no good for us because it is too low in omega-6 that we should eat a better for you, canola, corn, soybean and sunflower oil. Sure sound like they are sleeping in the same bed as monsanto. That mail went right in the garbage. I did subscribe to their newsletter for one year about 8 years ago but their information did not seem to be correct or well researched.
Eric
I am surprised you still
I am surprised you still recommend canola oil.
I recently saw a PBS show about canola oil. It featured a Canadian farmer who is now forced to get GMO seeds since Monsanto has made sure their seeds contaminate the existing seeds.
This farmer said he can ONLY get Monsanto seeds now.
My body is not Roundup Ready!!!!
My goodness. Live and
My goodness. Live and learn. Oh, I wasn’t referring to your statement that all canola oil is contaminated by Roundup. That’s simply not true. I was referring to the fact that, based on what you said, it appears you can’t trust PBS anymore. In fact, a simple search on the net will show you that organic seed and organic canola oil are still widely available. Also, you might find this comment from the Spectrum Naturals website informative. “Spectrum uses no GE canola whatsoever. Prior to use, we test all Spectrum canola seed and oil at a third party lab, which verifies non-GE status through sensitive DNA analysis. Because organic certification agencies prohibit GEs, Spectrum Naturals Organic Canola Oil is by definition non-GE, but we test its seed and oil to eliminate the small (but growing) possibility of wind drift contamination from GE fields.”
So, you can still eat canola oil without being “Roundup ready.” Shame about PBS, though.
I've came across an ancient
I’ve came across an ancient oilseed crop with which its fatty acid properties outweigh most of all well known cooking oils.
Camelina oil has been around for some time but hasnt gotten the attention that it deserves. its high in omega 3’s(up to 40%) and has a shelf life of 1-2 years. Burn point is also high at 475 degrees. Its taste and aroma is very unique but serves to be an excellant substitute for the common oils for obvious reasons for its health benifits. I live in Seattle and purchase mine at PCC markets but you can find some good info online camelinaoil.com
sounds like your all on a
sounds like your all on a “slippery slope” of OIL
Roberto
Surprised also at your
Surprised also at your defense of canola. Actually a toxic plant, the oil goes through numerous processes to become usable. It is one of the many that is inflammatory. Many consider it a non-food.
Hi Martin,
Most of what you
Hi Martin,
Most of what you read about canola is nonsense.The technical name for canola is Low Erucic Acid Rapeseed (or L.E.A.R.). Although it was pedigree bred from rapeseed (see the myth, "Canola is genetically engineered") it has a completely unique and different fatty acid profile than rapeseed, with a different flavor and stability. Canola's fatty acid profile is 10% Alpha-linolenic (Omega-3), 24% Linoleic (Omega-6), 60% Oleic (Omega-9) and 6% Saturated Fat. Whereas Rapeseed is a polyunsaturate like regular safflower oil, canola is a monounsaturate like olive oil. The names "canola" and "rapeseed" cannot, therefore, be used interchangeably when discussing properties and behaviors. Here is a great article Jon wrote about the topic: http://www.jonbarron.org/heart-health/bl061009/is-canola-oil-healthy
Sir we are manufacturing unit
Sir we are manufacturing unit for cookware of nonstick and ceramic coated on ALUMINIUM ..I just want to know that while cooking in this cookware which oil do you recommend and why