Olive oil is indisputably one of the basic pillars of the so-called Mediterranean diet.
Olive oil is the result of pressing the olive. It's the juice of the olive, to speak clearly. The first product of the first pressing is called extra virgin oil and the next, the second, is simply called virgin. The difference between the two is acidity. In the first it is below 0.8º and in the second it is below 1.5º. The difference in quality, ONLY APPLICABLE in virgin and extra virgin oils, is marked by acidity. In other words, a virgin oil of 1.0º is theoretically superior to another of 1.4º. It means that the harvesting, handling and pressing have better served the quality needs of the olive. Above 1.5º the oil is not suitable for consumption since the free fatty acids give the oil an extremely unpleasant taste.
Even so, there is a significant amount of oil that is generated in the pressing and whose acidity is above 1.5. But since this is not profitable, in order to be used, various chemical techniques are used to eliminate color defects, acidity, etc., leaving a "neutral" oil practically devoid of taste or odor.
In order to recover the qualities that the oil has at its origin, some extra virgin oil is mixed to this neutral fat, generally 15%. For the resulting oil where the acidity has been altered chemically, this property should not be considered already to qualify of the oil. The resulting oil is called "refined" and therefore is similar to the one obtained from corn, sunflower or any other seeds. Olive oil virgin is the only one that is obtained by pressing the fruit, without any chemical procedure involved.
There are many refined oils on the market with acidity of 0.4 that could seem of high quality (in fact they are below the 0.8 that the extra virgin ones have) and that nevertheless do not have, even remotely, the qualities of virgin oil. Only in the case that the label on the container indicates virgin or extra virgin, we must pay attention to the degree of acidity in order to compare.
As I have said, the pressing product can be all extra virgin, virgin, or partially virgin and lampante (the one that exceeds an acidity of 1.5 is called lampante). The acidity of an oil measures the percentage of free fatty acids it contains. The fact that the olive touches the ground during the harvesting process increases the acidity. But above all, it increases according to the pressure or heat that we apply during the extraction. In other words, with a lot of heat and a lot of pressure we do things "fast", we industrialize the production (we obtain much more oil), but the result contains many fatty acids and is far from the "ideal" virgin oil.
Neutralization is another refining process that consists of the elimination of free fatty acids. This is achieved by adding caustic soda which is subsequently removed by centrifugation. Some may have noticed that adding caustic soda is a process similar to that used in the past to make soap. In effect, we are adding caustic soda to react with free fatty acids and thus facilitate their elimination. Finally, a bleaching is carried out to eliminate the minerals and carotenoids that the oil intrinsically carries. From all this it follows that refined oil is a mere fat whose only properties reside in the little virgin oil that is added to it so that it continues to look like olive oil.
Oleic acid is a type of monounsaturated fat typical of vegetable oils such as olive oil and others such as avocado. It is clearly shown to have a beneficial effect on human health by preventing cardiovascular diseases. This occurs because olive oil increases the amount of "good" cholesterol (HDL) and decreases the bad or LDL. Olive oil also provides iron and vitamins such as E, A, D and K. Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant. Its use has been shown to be beneficial for the functioning of the stomach and pancreas, as well as for the skin and the endocrine and bone systems by promoting metabolic and calcium absorption functions. It also appears to possibly help reduce the incidence of allergies, especially in young people. In principle, all the properties described are preserved in the extra virgin oil and that is why it should be consumed raw, preferably in salads. The rest is suitable for frying and other preparations where the heat was going to destroy anyway part of the positive characteristics of the oil.
Another important aspect is the color, smell and taste of the oil. This does not depend on anything other than the type of olive pressed. There are some that generate very dark liquid and some others very light. Therefore, it is not true that the greenest oil is the best extra or the least bitter is the best quality. The Arbequina olive produces a greenish virgin, the hojiblanca golden and so on, and all of them have the same properties.
It is also a myth that olive oil makes you fat. It does, but no more than other vegetable oils. In addition, the proportion used in each recipe is really ridiculous if we compare it with the fat provided by the base food of the same. In addition, with olive oil it is possible to reach a higher cooking temperature compared to other vegetable oils. This causes the food submerged in the liquid to generate a crust that prevents the absorption of more oil, therefore the fat intake is much lower than it might seem at first. If we fry, it is very convenient to remove the excess oil by depositing the food on absorbent paper before serving. We will greatly reduce fat intake.
Virgin olive oil can be reused several times, up to a maximum of three, as long as it has not been overheated. If the oil in a frying pan has "smoked" because it has been heating up without food or because the fire was too strong, it must be discarded immediately. And if it has smoked before cooking, we should not use it because in fact it is no longer olive oil, but a fat with rather harmful effects.
Olive oil is, by far, the most beneficial for humans, being one of the best allies to protect our hearts. A salad dressed with extra virgin olive oil consumed every day is the best we can do to protect our health.
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