Extra Virgin Olive Oil vs. plain Olive Oil question

[Charpey]

On many sites and nutrition books it is recommended to choose cold-pressed extra-virgin olive oil when using oil for salad dressings, frying etc. This is because of the nutrition value (omega-3 fatty acids I think) associated with olive oil. Hydrogenated vegetable oils such as canola, corn and safflower, I understand, are not recommended. My problem is that I can't stand the taste of any kind of olive, ripe or unripe, black or green, so I do not like the taste of extra-virgin olive oil. I was wondering if the lighter colored olive oils usually sold just as 'olive oil' have the same nutritional benefits as the extra-virgin olive oil. It doesn't have the strong olivey flavor that the darker colored olive oils do. Also, is there another oil that can be substitued for olive oil that has the same nutritional benefits and also won't spoil rapidly. Thanks for your assistance. Charlene

[Atkins_Nutritionist]

Extra virgin olive oil, the cold-pressed result of the first pressing of the olives, is only 1 percent acid. It's considered the finest and fruitiest of the olive oils and is therefore also the most expensive. After extra virgin, olive oils are classified in order of ascending acidity. Virgin olive oil is also a first-press oil, with a slightly higher level of acidity of between 1 and 3 percent. Products labeled simply olive oil (once called pure olive oil) contain a combination of refined olive oil and virgin or extra virgin oil.

The new light olive oil contains the same amount of beneficial monounsaturated fat as regular olive oil and it also has exactly the same number of calories. What the term "light" refers to is that--because of an extremely fine filtration process--this olive oil is lighter in both color and fragrance, and has little of the classic olive-oil flavor. It's this rather nondescript flavor that makes "light" olive oil perfect for baking and cooking where regular olive oil's obvious essence might be undesirable. The filtration process for this light-style oil also gives it a higher smoke point than regular olive oil. Light olive oils can therefore be used for high-heat frying, whereas regular olive oil is better suited for low- to medium-heat cooking, as well as for many uncooked foods such as salad dressings and marinades.

The International Olive Oil Institute recommends using pure olive oil for frying, since the flavor of extra virgin olive oil tends to break down at frying temperatures, making the added expense a waste. In order to prevent it from spoiling rapidly, olive oil should be stored in a cool, dark place for up to 6 months. It can be refrigerated, in which case it will last up to a year. Chilled olive oil becomes cloudy and too thick to pour. However, it will clear and become liquid again when brought to room temperature.

[Charpey]

Thanks so much. Charlene

[Kimmer]

Originally posted by Charpey
Hydrogenated vegetable oils such as canola, corn and safflower, I understand, are not recommended.

I thought canola was a 'good' oil? It is what I use for high temp stir-fries.

[delaney]

Kimmer, read this:
http://www.shirleys-wellness-cafe.com/canola.htm

[NotoSugar]

As to the last post you might want to check with the Urban Legends website.

http://www.snopes.com/toxins/canola.htm

[Diana]

I feel dumb, so I can use Canola?

[Charpey]

Since I am menopausal and have recently been researching bioidentical hormones, I've been trying to learn about the relationship between diet and hormones. I've just finished reading John Lee MD's book 'What your Doctor Never Told You about Menopause' along with others on this topic. In that specific reference, he recommends sticking to saturated and monounsaturated fat, i.e. butter, lard, coconut oil, olive oil and probably others that I can't think of off the top of my head. These recommendation have to do with the chemical composition of the various oils at the temperature they are used. This involves hydrogenation, double bonds, effect of heating on etc. If you do a search on hydrogenated oils, you'll find more information than you probably want to know about this subject. In all my reading, the safest oil keeps coming back to olive oil, cold-pressed and unrefined. My problem was with the taste. As I learned from the nutritionist, you can use the less fruity olive oil in more applications without losing the nutritional value or compromising the health benefits. Vegetable oils such as corn oil, canola oil, safflower oil, and soy oil are refined products that weren't in existance before the 20th century when coronary heart disease was relatively rare despite the consumption of saturated fats, full fat dairy and the like. I haven't made up my mind totally yet, but I find the discussion interesting. Charlene

[Mona]

Here is some info on olive oils I got from doing an Internet search. I won't provide a link because the site I found it at sells products. (PS I am bummed to learn that light (in flavor) olive oil is that bad for you. I thought I was doing myself a good thing by using it for frying over canola oil, which I've read some bad things about. I was using the light olive oil because I can't stand the taste of extra virgin olive oil...and I don't think you are supposed to fry with EVOO anyhow. I don't know what oil to use now):


Olive oil is "graded" according to its flavor, color, aroma, as well as its acidity, which is the most important element in determining grade.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil:
Extra virgin olive oil is derived from the first cold pressing of olives without refining. The oil is extracted from the olives by mechanical means (pressure) which do not modify it's basic properties. This results in a completely natural product which maintains the taste plus chemical and biological characteristics of the olive. It is characterized by an acidity level of less than one percent. It is considered the finest and fruitiest olive oil and is therefore also the most expensive. It can range from pale champagne to greenish-gold to bright green in color. In general, the deeper the color, the more intense the olive oil flavor.

Virgin Olive Oil:
Also derived from the first pressing without refining, virgin olive oil has an acidity level between one and two percent. Although its flavor varies in intensity, virgin olive oil is milder than extra virgin olive oil.

Olive Oil:
Olive oil has an acidity level of no more than 1.5 percent. It is obtained by blending refined oil with 1-15% extra virgin olive oil (the percentage & quality varies). Much lighter in taste and color, olive oil is used for frying or for flavoring certain dishes requiring a more subtle taste than with the richness of extra virgin olive oil. Olive oil consists primarily of refined oils, which are very low quality and nutritional value.

Pure Olive Oil:
Pure olive oil has an acidity level of no more than 1.5 percent. It is a blend of refined olive oil and Pomace oil possibly with a small quantity of extra virgin or virgin olive oil. Since pure olive oil consists primarily of refined oils and Pomace oil, it has a low quality and nutritional value.

Refined Olive Oil:
All virgin Olive oil, extracted by cold pressing, which does not conform to the IOC (International Oleical Council) standards, is refined to correct the taste and lower the acidity level to 3%. This oil is again a refined product, it has very low nutritional value and lacks all antioxidants and other ingredients that the true 100% extra virgin olive oil has.

Olive Oil Cake Refined:
The oil extracted from olives cake by solvents, has to be refined in order to take off smell and color and lower its acidity to 3%. Stay away from this stuff. It is bad for you.

Olive Oil Cake (Pomace):
It's a mixture of refined olive oil cake with virgin olive oil, with an acidity limit of 1.5%. Stay away from this stuff. It is bad for you.

"Light & Extra Light" Olive Oil:
The olive oil that you see on the supermarket self advertised as "light" or as "Extra Light" olive oil contains the exact same number of calories as regular olive oil and is a mixture of refined olive oils that are derived from the lowest quality olive oils available through chemical processing. These oils are so bad that they cannot be consumed by humans without refining. These types of oils also contain significant portions of other lower cost oils such as Canola and Hazelnut oil which have virtually no flavor of their own. They may contain some extra virgin or virgin olive oil (1% maximum). The term "light" or "extra light" refers to the lighter color, fragrance, and flavor obtained by an extremely fine filtration and refining process and not to the amount of calories that the oil contains. Very low quality and nutritional value.