The health benefits of Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) are well-documented. EVOO is the staple of the Mediterranean diet. However, there is a common misperception that cooking with olive oil destroys all its of antioxidants and polyphenols.
Many published research studies confirm that EVOO retains significant amounts of these healthy compounds during cooking.
In a recent publication, the study’s researchers sought to determine how much normal cooking, at temperatures from 120°C to 170°C (258°F/338°F) would reduce the phenolic and antioxidant content of raw olive oil. EVOO contains 500% more antioxidants than other common oils such as avocado and coconut oil which play a crucial role in preventing cell damage from free radicals (Reactive Oxygen Species, ROS). In the lab, using an Extra Virgin Olive Oil with a moderate level of polyphenols, researchers simulated home cooking conditions and found that while the polyphenol content decreased by 40% at 120°C (258° F) and 75% at 170°C (338° F) compared to raw EVOO, the levels of antioxidants and polyphenols remained relatively high.
Hence, despite the decrease in the concentration of polyphenols during the cooking process,” the olive oil after heating still has sufficient levels of polyphenols to qualify for the health claim authorized by the EFSA (the European FDA) for olive oil polyphenol content, which includes such benefits as LDL cholesterol reduction and anti-inflammatory effects.
To sum up
• The levels of antioxidants present in extra virgin olive oil make it very stable even at high temperatures and therefore one of the safest oils to use for cooking.
• The antioxidants in olive oil are “reasonably heat-resistant” and “a significant number of total phenols and individual phenols stayed intact even after heating up to 220°C.
• Extra Virgin Olive oil can be heated to frying temperatures multiple times without creating trans fats.
So… Enjoy cooking your everyday meals with Extra Virgin Olive Oil from the MONOGRAM collection
