References

Categories, Grades and Types of Olive Oil

Information about the difference between the different grades of olive oil and the definition of extra virgin olive oil.

Olive Oil and Olive-Pomace Oil Grades and Standards | Agricultural Marketing Service. (2020). Usda.gov. https://www.ams.usda.gov/grades-standards/olive-oil-and-olive-pomace-oil-grades-and-standards‌

International Olive council. (2019). Olive Oil - International Olive Council. International Olive Council. https://www.internationaloliveoil.org/olive-world/olive-oil/

Health Benefits of Olive Oil

Heart Health: Replacing less healthy fats like butter with olive oil resulted in a 15% lower risk of cardiovascular disease and a 21% lower risk of coronary artery disease.

Guasch-Ferré, M., Li, Y., Willett, W. C., Sun, Q., Sampson, L., Salas-Salvadó, J., Martínez-González, M. A., Stampfer, M. J., & Hu, F. B. (2022). Consumption of Olive Oil and Risk of Total and Cause-Specific Mortality Among U.S. Adults. Journal of the American College of Cardiology, 79(2), 101–112. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jacc.2021.10.041

Brain Health: olive oil may protect against memory deficits and Alzheimer’s and even slow the decline of Alzheimer’s.

‌A Randomized Clinical Trial of Greek High Phenolic Early Harvest Extra Virgin Olive Oil in Mild Cognitive Impairment: the MICOIL Pilot Study | Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease. (2020). J-Alz.com. https://www.j-alz.com/content/randomized-clinical-trial-greek-high-phenolic-early-harvest-extra-virgin-olive-oil-mild

Cancer: antioxidants and polyphenols (plant-based compounds) only found in olive oil may be protective against a host of chronic diseases like cancer.

‌LeGendre, O., Breslin, P. A., & Foster, D. A. (2015). (-)-Oleocanthal rapidly and selectively induces cancer cell death via lysosomal membrane permeabilization. Molecular & Cellular Oncology, 2(4), e1006077. https://doi.org/10.1080/23723556.2015.1006077

Obesity/Metabolic Health: weight gain can be reversed by substituting carbohydrates with quality good-fat foods such as olive oil. Olive oil also may help you feel fuller longer, while improving both body composition and blood pressure. 

A new framework for understanding obesity | Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. (2021, September 13). Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health; HSPH. https://hsph.harvard.edu/news/obesity-framework-carbohydrates/

Galvão Cândido, F., Xavier Valente, F., da Silva, L. E., Gonçalves Leão Coelho, O., Gouveia Peluzio, M. do C., & Gonçalves Alfenas, R. de C. (2017). Consumption of extra virgin olive oil improves body composition and blood pressure in women with excess body fat: a randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled clinical trial. European Journal of Nutrition, 57(7), 2445–2455. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-017-1517-9

‌Cooking With Olive Oil

Extra virgin olive oil is the most stable and safest cooking oil—even at high temperatures.

Alzaa, D. (2018). Evaluation of Chemical and Physical Changes in Different Commercial Oils during Heating. Acta Scientific Nutritional Health, 2. https://actascientific.com/ASNH/pdf/ASNH-02-0083.pdf

Cooking with extra virgin olive oil increases the health benefits of our food.

‌Ramírez-Anaya, J. del P., Samaniego-Sánchez, C., Castañeda-Saucedo, Ma. C., Villalón-Mir, M., & de la Serrana, H. L.-G. (2015). Phenols and the antioxidant capacity of Mediterranean vegetables prepared with extra virgin olive oil using different domestic cooking techniques. Food Chemistry, 188, 430–438. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2015.04.124

Olive oil helps the food it’s cooking release its own bioactive compounds and improves their absorption.

‌Rinaldi de Alvarenga, J. F., Quifer-Rada, P., Francetto Juliano, F., Hurtado-Barroso, S., Illan, M., Torrado-Prat, X., & Lamuela-Raventós, R. M. (2019). Using Extra Virgin Olive Oil to Cook Vegetables Enhances Polyphenol and Carotenoid Extractability: A Study Applying the sofrito Technique. Molecules, 24(8), 1555. https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules24081555

Smoke Point? EVOO Can Take the Heat!  www.aboutoliveoil.org. https://www.aboutoliveoil.org/evoo-smoke-point 

‌Sustainability

Global production of olive oil absorbs the carbon emissions of a city of 7 million people each year.

World olive oil production could absorb the CO2 emissions of a city the size of Hong Kong. (2018, April 19). International Olive Council. https://www.internationaloliveoil.org/1074-world-olive-oil-production-could-absorb-the-co2-emissions-of-a-city-the-size-of-hong-kong/

‌Olive Oil Purity and Authenticity

A study by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), whose peer-reviewed research was published in the Journal of American Oil Chemists’ Society, tested 88 extra virgin olive oil samples off the shelves of Washington, D.C.-area retail outlets and found no confirmed adulteration in any of the samples tested. 

Srigley, C. T., Oles, C. J., Kia, A. R. F., & Mossoba, M. M. (2015). Authenticity Assessment of Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Evaluation of Desmethylsterols and Triterpene Dialcohols. Journal of the American Oil Chemists’ Society, 93(2), 171–181. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11746-015-2759-4