Cooking with Olive Oil

KnightOwl

I love sauteeing a ton of garlic with a bit of olive oil and then throwing in an array of fresh veggies. It's always delicious. Tonight I sauteed a little zucchini. yum! My question is, is cooking with extra virgin olive oil bad for you? Are there healthier options? Do you count the olive oil in your calorie count? How does everyone else cook their veggies?

leanmass24

I like to cook with olive oil also. I dont add it in my calories. I usually dont use that much. Maybe a tablespoon. I usually add it up to seasonings. I dont use salt so I dont track seasonings. Olve oil is supposed to be good for you:

Nutrition and health effects
Olive oil Nutritional value per 100 g (3.5 oz)
Energy 3,701 kJ (885 kcal)
Carbohydrates 0 g
Fat 100 g
saturated 14 g
monounsaturated 73 g
polyunsaturated 11 g
omega-3 fat <1.5 g
omega-6 fat 3.5-21 g
Protein 0 g
Vitamin E 14 mg (93%)
Vitamin K 62 μg (59%)
100 g olive oil is 109 ml
Percentages are relative to US recommendations for adults.

Evidence from epidemiological studies suggests that a higher proportion of monounsaturated fats in the diet is linked with a reduction in the risk of coronary heart disease.[26] This is significant because olive oil is considerably rich in monounsaturated fats, most notably oleic acid.

In the United States, producers of olive oil may place the following health claim on product labels:

Limited and not conclusive scientific evidence suggests that eating about 2 tbsp. (23 g) of olive oil daily may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease due to the monounsaturated fat in olive oil. To achieve this possible benefit, olive oil is to replace a similar amount of saturated fat and not increase the total number of calories you eat in a day.[27]
This decision was announced November 1, 2004, by the Food and Drug Administration after application was made to the FDA by producers. Similar labels are permitted for foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids such as walnuts and hemp seed.[28]

There is a large body of clinical data to show that consumption of olive oil can provide heart health benefits such as favourable effects on cholesterol regulation and LDL cholesterol oxidation, and that it exerts antiinflamatory, antithrombotic, antihypertensive as well as vasodilatory effects both in animals and in humans.[29]

As they are the least processed forms of olive oil, extra virgin or virgin olive oil have more monounsaturated fatty acids than other olive oil. These types also contain more polyphenols, leading to a healthier heart and lower "bad" cholesterol.[30]

[edit] Phenolic content
Some clinical evidence suggests that it is olive oil's phenolic content, rather than its fatty acid profile, that is responsible for at least some of its cardioprotective benefits. For example, a clinical trial published[31] in 2005 compared the effects of different types of olive oil on arterial elasticity. Test subjects were given a serving of 60 g of white bread and 40 ml of olive oil each morning for two consecutive days. The study was conducted in two stages. During the first stage, the subjects received polyphenol-rich oil (extra virgin oil contains the highest amount of polyphenol antioxidants). During the second phase, they received oil with only one fifth the phenolic content. The elasticity of the arterial walls of each subject was measured using a pressure sleeve and a Doppler laser. It was discovered that after the subjects had consumed olive oil high in polyphenol antioxidants, they exhibited increased arterial elasticity, while after the consumption of olive oil containing fewer polyphenols, they displayed no significant change in arterial elasticity. It is theorized that, in the long term, increased elasticity of arterial walls reduces vascular stress and consequentially the risk of two common causes of death—heart attacks and stroke. This could, at least in part, explain the lower incidence of both diseases in regions where olive oil and olives are consumed on a daily basis.

[edit] Other
Another health benefit of olive oil seems to be its property to displace omega-6 fatty acids, while not having any impact on omega-3 fatty acids. This way, olive oil helps to build a more healthy balance between omega-6 fats and omega-3 fats.[citation needed]

Unlike the high amount of animal fats typical to the American diet, olive oil lowers cholesterol levels in the blood.[32] It is also known to lower blood sugar levels and blood pressure.[33]

Olive oil contains the monounsaturated fatty acid oleic acid, antioxidants such as vitamin E and carotenoids, and oleuropein, a chemical that prevents the oxidation of LDL particles. It is these properties that are thought to contribute to the health benefits of olive oil,[citation needed] eg. as shown in a rabbit study[34]

Preliminary research indicates that olive oil could possibly be a chemopreventive agent for peptic ulcer or gastric cancer, but confirmation requires further in vivo study.[35] Olive oil was also found to reduce oxidative damage to DNA and RNA, which may be a factor in preventing cancer.[36]

A high consumption of omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are found in most types of vegetable oil including olive oil, may increase the likelihood that postmenopausal women may develop breast cancer.[37] A similar effect was observed on prostate cancer.[38] Other analysis suggested an inverse association between total polyunsaturated fatty acids and breast cancer risk.[39]

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came from wiki

Morgan716

I cook with extra virgin olive oil and I do add it to my calories.....even though I may only use a tbsp. or so. I even add it when it's used to grease baking sheets, etc. Olive oil has fat in it, the same as a vegetable oil or canola oil - but the ratio of good fat is higher in the olive oil. You might also try organic extra virgin olive oil in the spray aerosol can (like Pam), that way you still get the flavor of olive oil but you use less of it.

Melanie1967

I use olive oil alot also to cook with. I do include the amount used in my daily journal though.

sharonuk10

I cook with olive oil and also add to my food diary. I have spray cans that I put olive oil in and then use it that way. I tend to use less.

dutchliz

Heya - firstly, defo add it to calories. It goes into the food that you cook with so it is being consumed! There's about 119/120 kcal per tbsp and you shouldn't need more than that. A better option for cooking with is the 1kcal spray. It spreads itself all over the pan and obviously you only need a couple of sprays - so only a couple of kcals!

Secondly, from what I understand olive oil is particularly good for you when it has not been cooked. It's high in monounsaturates/polyphenols which have GREAT health benefits - especially cardiovascular! Different olive oils have different boiling points - and when any oil reaches 'smoking' point, it loses all health benefits. They should normally be used for low-medium heat cooking.

I have heard that when olive oil is cooked it loses its nutritional value, but I think it's more about the flavour which is lost. Obviously olive oil has quite a distinct flavour uncooked, and when it's cooked you do lose some of this flavour. There is a tiny risk of hydrogenation I believe (i.e. the good oil becomes a bad oil), but this isn't something we normally have to worry about over a home kitchen hob at the amounts we use/the temperatures we use.

I guess the lesson is just to make sure it's not heated excessively, it's probably best uncooked (as it tastes AMAZING - I love it with a bit of salt over my romaine lettuce, and is highly monounsaturated), and the 1kcal sprays would be better for cooking (less kcal, less volume) .

Hope this helps - it is really confusing with all the conflicting evidence out there. Different oils have different properties when heated above certain temperatures, but it seems that extra virgin olive oil (especially the cold pressed I believe? May be wrong!) is quite stable at low-medium temperatures. Therefore it retains most of it's health benefits when cooked........

I think! x

akaDumbo

I use extra virgin organic olive oil and I do count it in my calories because it contains quite a lot. I always pour it onto a spoon not straight from the bottle so my measurement is accurate. I tend not to use the 1 cal because I want the good fat that is in olive oil our bodies need it. Stir fry veggies keep a lot more of their vitamins than either steamed or boiled so it is a good tasty way to cook.

When I want to treat myself I have home made oven chips (fries for you Americans in the UK what you call chips we call crisps). I put the cut potatoes in a freezer bag, add 1 teaspoon of olive oil and some paprika (sometimes cajun spices, or mixed herbs. depending how I'm feeling) Then I squige them up to make sure they are all coated ( using paprika lets you know when each chip is coated) that 1 teaspoon of oil goes a long way. Then I cook them on a preheated roasting tin in the oven for about 15/.20 minutes (depending how thick the chips are). Some times I put a piece of fish on the roasting dish too. Low fat fish and chips so yummy and good for you. I have thrown my chip pan away.

Unlike most oils, olive oil (and avocado oil) maintain their good properties when heated, it is only the taste that is altered.

raymj61

I sautee pretty much exclusively with olive oil. I do add it to my calories however, if the olive oil puts me over on my cals, I don't really stress about it.