Olive oil is extremely healthy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It\u2019s not only loaded with beneficial fatty acids and powerful antioxidants but also a dietary staple for some of the world’s healthiest populations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
However, many people believe that it\u2019s unsuitable for cooking due to its unsaturated fat content. Others claim that it\u2019s an excellent choice for cooking \u2014 even for high-heat methods like frying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This article explains whether you should cook with olive oil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When fats and oils are exposed to high heat, they can become damaged.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is particularly true of oils that are high in polyunsaturated fats, including most vegetable oils like soybean and canola<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When overheated, they can form various harmful compounds, including lipid peroxides and aldehydes, which can contribute to cancer<\/a> (1Trusted Source<\/a>, 2Trusted Source<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n When cooked, these oils release some carcinogenic compounds that may contribute to lung cancer when inhaled. Simply standing in a kitchen as these oils are used can cause harm (3<\/a>, 4Trusted Source<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you want to minimize your exposure to potentially harmful and carcinogenic compounds, you should only cook with fats that are stable at high heat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are two properties of cooking oils that matter most:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Olive oil performs well in both categories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n SUMMARY<\/strong>It is important to choose cooking fats that are stable when heated, as some oils can form carcinogenic compounds during cooking.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Fatty acids can be either saturated, monounsaturated or polyunsaturated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While saturated fats like coconut oil<\/a> are very resistant to heat, most vegetable oils<\/a> contain polyunsaturated fats. Olive oil, on the other hand, contains mostly monounsaturated fats (5<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Only polyunsaturated fatty acids \u2014 like those in soybean and canola oils \u2014 are sensitive to high heat (6<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Keep in mind that oils are usually composed of different types of fatty acids. For example, olive oil is 73% monounsaturated, 11% polyunsaturated and 14% saturated (7<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n In other words, the heat-resistant monounsaturated and saturated fats make up 87% of olive oil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n SUMMARY<\/strong>Olive oil contains mostly monounsaturated fatty acids, which are largely resistant to heat.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n \u0395\u03be\u03b1\u03b9\u03c1\u03b5\u03c4\u03b9\u03ba\u03cc \u03c0\u03b1\u03c1\u03b8\u03ad\u03bd\u03bf \u03b5\u03bb\u03b1\u03b9\u03cc\u03bb\u03b1\u03b4\u03bf<\/a> olive oil is derived from the first pressing of the olives and offers numerous bioactive substances, including powerful antioxidants and vitamin E (8Trusted Source<\/a>, 9Trusted Source<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Vitamin E’s main purpose is as an antioxidant<\/a>. It helps fight free radicals that can damage your cells and lead to disease (10Trusted Source<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because olive oil is high in antioxidants and vitamin E, it provides significant natural protection from oxidative damage (11Trusted Source<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n SUMMARY<\/strong>Olive oil contains Vitamin E and many powerful antioxidants, which give numerous health benefits.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n When an oil oxidizes, it reacts with oxygen and forms various harmful compounds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This can happen at room temperature and is one of the ways oils go rancid \u2014 but this process is greatly accelerated when oils are heated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, olive oil holds up well during heating due to its high antioxidant and low polyunsaturated fat content.<\/p>\n\n\n\n I one study that used several types of olive oil for deep frying<\/a>, extra virgin olive oil proved particularly resistant to oxidation (12Trusted Source<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Other studies note that olive oil does not oxidize much when used for cooking, while vegetable oils like sunflower oil oxidize (13<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n That said, one study showed that a meal with heated olive oil increased oxidative markers in the blood compared to a meal with unheated olive oil (14<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, this olive oil was not extra virgin and was cooked for eight hours \u2014 so the conditions of this study may be unrealistic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It is also a myth that heating olive oil leads to the formation of trans fats<\/a>. In one study, frying olive oil eight times in a row only increased the trans fat content from 0.045% to 0.082% \u2014 still a negligible amount (15<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Olive oil is very stable overall, even under extreme conditions like deep frying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n SUMMARY<\/strong>Many studies have exposed olive oil to high heat for long periods of time. Even under such extreme conditions, the olive oil does not form significant amounts of harmful compounds.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n The smoke point of an oil is the temperature at which it starts to degrade and produce visible smoke.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When this happens, fat molecules break apart and turn into various harmful compounds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n But the oil\u2019s other trace nutrients, such as vitamins and antioxidants, can also start to burn and give off smoke \u2014 sometimes at lower temperatures than the oil itself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Usually, a portion of the fatty acids in an oil are free fatty acids. The more free fatty acids there are in an oil, the lower its smoke point (16Trusted Source<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Because refined oils are lower in trace nutrients and free fatty acids, they usually have a higher smoke point.<\/p>\n\n\n\n What\u2019s more, heating causes more free fatty acids to form \u2014 so the smoke point goes down the longer you cook it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While it\u2019s difficult to determine an oil’s exact smoke point, a range can provide a good estimate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some sources put the smoke point of olive oil somewhere around 374\u2013405\u00b0F (190\u2013207\u00b0C) (17<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n This makes it a safe choice for most cooking methods, including most pan frying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n SUMMARY<\/strong>Extra virgin olive oil’s smoke point is somewhere around 374\u2013405\u00b0F (190\u2013207\u00b0C). This makes it a good choice for most cooking methods.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Normal cooking use is unlikely to oxidize or significantly damage olive oil.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, it may degrade some of the antioxidants and vitamin E, which are sensitive to heat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In one study, heating olive oil at 356\u00b0F (180\u00b0C) for 36 hours lead to a decrease in antioxidants and vitamin E, but most of the trace compounds were intact (18<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n One of the main active compounds in extra virgin olive oil is oleocanthal. This substance is responsible for olive oil’s anti-inflammatory effects<\/a> (19Trusted Source<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Heating olive oil at 464\u00b0F (240\u00b0C) for 90 minutes reduced the amount of oleocanthal by 19% according to a chemical test and 31% according to a taste test (20Trusted Source<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n In another study, simulated frying for 24 hours reduced some beneficial compounds, but 10 minutes in a microwave or boiling in water had only minor effects (21Trusted Source<\/a>).<\/p>\n\n\n\n The trace compounds in olive oil are also responsible for some of its flavor. Therefore, overheating olive oil can remove some of its taste.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Keep in mind that these studies use rather extreme conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\nHigh in Heat-Stable Monounsaturated Fats<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
High in Antioxidants and Vitamin E<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Resistant to Oxidative Damage<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Moderately High Smoke Point<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Cooking May Destroy Some of Its Antioxidants<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n