New research confirms the key components in extra virgin olive oil survive temperatures used in most domestic cooking.
The most healthy compounds found in extra virgin olive oil do not disappear when the oil is used for cooking, according to new research published in the scientific journal, Antioxidants. The implication may have an impact on future nutritional guidelines.
Researchers from the University of Barcelona focused on evaluating how the attributes of olive oil change when it is used for sautéing in a household kitchen.
After cooking at a moderate temperature, (polyphenols and antioxidants) were still in the oil and in concentrations high enough to meet the E.U. parameters, meaning this oil should be used for cooking.- Julián Lozano Castellón, project coordinator
While the health properties in raw extra virgin olive oil are well known, its qualities and characteristics when used for cooking have seldom been investigated.
New evidence from the study showed that the polyphenols do not disappear in the process of being cooked. The antioxidant qualities were somewhat reduced, but still met the European criteria for healthy food.
See Also:Cooking with Olive OilAlong with their colleagues in Madrid and São Paulo, the Barcelona-based researchers studied extra virgin olive oils, sautéed it at 120 and 170°C (250 and 340°F).
The content of polyphenols decreased by 40 percent at 120°C and 75 percent at 170°C — to levels of antioxidants that still qualify the oil as healthy under European Union standards, Julián Lozano Castellón, the project coordinator, told Olive Oil Times. “We decided to do the experiment with those two temperatures because they are usually the lowest and the highest temperatures used in a domestic sauté process.”
Interestingly to the researchers, cooking the olive oil for a longer time did not substantially change the outcome.
“It did not affect the total amount of phenols,” Lozano Castellón said. “It is true that some simple phenols were affected by this variable, such as hydroxytyrosol or hydroxyoleuropein aglycone, whose concentration did decrease with longer cooking times.”
However, the researcher highlighted that the results came from short cooking times of less than one hour.
“Normal cooking times are short — in our study, the longest time was 60 minutes — which chemically is a really short period of time,” Lozano Castellón said. “If some phenolic compounds were affected by time [exposed to the heat], it means those compounds are very labile, even though the proportion in which time affected those compounds was small compared to the effect of the temperature.”
The research confirmed the result of previous studies, which have found extra virgin olive oil to be the safest vegetable oil with which to cook at high temperatures and helps absorb the phenolic compounds found in vegetables when cooked together.
“Extra virgin olive oil is not only recommended for its fatty acid profile, but also for its more than 200 minor components, many of them with antioxidants properties,” Lozano Castellón said.
“In this study, we proved that after cooking at a moderate temperature, those minor components were still in the oil and in concentrations high enough to meet the E.U. parameters, meaning this oil should be used for cooking.”
More articles on: cooking with olive oil, health, olive oil health
Oct. 6, 2021
Study: Nutri-Score Label System Does Not Discourage Olive Oil Consumption
Researchers found that the Nutri-Score label allowed consumers to correctly identify olive oil as the healthiest option among eight vegetable oils.
May. 4, 2022
Argentina Likely to Host Olive Council's Fourth Olive Germplasm Bank
During a recent visit, the IOC also discussed technology transfer, production improvements and adding the Arauco cultivar to the World Catalog of Olive Varieties.
Nov. 16, 2021
Study: Virgin Olive Oils Protect Ready-To-Eat Salads from Some Bacteria
Researchers found virgin olive oils high in polyphenols lowered the risk of contamination from common food-borne pathogens by up to 90 percent.
Jan. 20, 2022
The Essential Guide to Extra Virgin Olive Oil
What makes an olive oil ‘extra virgin?’ How is EVOO made, and why is it the healthiest cooking oil? We have answers.
Nov. 15, 2021
Heart Association Declines to Endorse EVOO Consumption in Latest Guidance
The AHA recommended that Americans eat liquid plant oils instead of tropical oils, animal fats and partially hydrogenated fats, but stopped short of singling out extra virgin olive oil.
Nov. 30, 2021
Even a Non-Organic Mediterranean Diet Better Than Western, Oldways Says
Research about the impact of eating non-organic food led many to report that a Mediterranean diet may not always be healthier than a Western one. Some experts disagree.
Sep. 8, 2021
Researchers Link Adherence to Med Diet with Improved Outlook for Clinically Depressed
Following the Mediterranean diet was linked with the normal development of an important part of the nervous system in depressed patients.
Sep. 28, 2021
How to Store Extra Virgin Olive Oil at Home
Optimal storage entails protecting EVOO from light, heat and oxygen. Proper storage will ensure olive oil’s quality and health benefits are preserved for as long as possible.