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Olive oil is one of the oldest, most celebrated foods on the planet. In fact, this culinary staple has been consumed for thousands of years.

Way back in the day, olive oil was made by either crushing fresh olives underfoot when wearing wooden sandals, with a mortar and pestle, with a stone roller, or in presses with circular millstones.

Today, the procedure has definitely been modernized in several ways, but for the best quality, most flavorful olive oils (think: extra virgin), it's still somewhat similar--olives are cleaned and then crushed in a mechanical mill, without the use of heat or chemicals, and the oil is separated from solids in a centrifuge.

This mechanical process preserves many of olive oil's health benefits:

Olive oil is absolutely packed with a variety of polyphenol compounds, which have antioxidant properties.
Thanks to its polyphenols and healthy fats, olive oil has been associated with reduced inflammation, improved heart, brain, and gut health, and more.

It primarily consists of healthy monounsaturated fats, such as anti-inflammatory oleic acid. It has a small percentage of omega-3s.

Olive oil contains phytosterols, which are bioactive compounds associated with reduced cholesterol and even certain types of cancer.


Olive oil differs from other popular oils such as canola oil, vegetable oil, and soybean oil in a few important ways. For one, these oils are almost always extracted using very large heat and plenty of chemicals, leading to less flavor and health benefits.

Plus, their fatty acid profile isn't nearly as impressive. Olive oil, on the other hand, is powerful in health benefits and flavor, making it great for use in dressings, as a dipping oil, or drizzling onto finished dishes.

In fact, any olive oil from the list below can be regarded as a healthier, more nutrient-dense pick than most other cooking oils on the market.

That said, not all olive oil is created equal. Different kinds of olive oil have different health benefits, flavors, and culinary applications. Keep reading to see which type is right for your pantry!

Extra Virgin Olive Oil


Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is often considered the gold standard in terms of flavor and health benefits. Here's what makes it special:

It's made only via mechanical methods (think: olives are pressed, the oil is separated from the pulp via centrifugation, and then the oil is filtered to remove any remaining solids), and never exposed to chemicals or heat.

EVOO is unrefined and cold-pressed, so it maintains very high levels of bioactive compounds, including oleuropein, hydroxytyrosol, and oleocanthal, which have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-microbial properties.

It often has greenish hue, fresh grassy and floral aroma, and daring peppery flavor, which you can actually feel at the back of your throat. Milder (but still flavorful) varieties of EVOO also exist.
EVOO contains small levels of vitamin E (about 13% of your daily value per tablespoon ) and vitamin K (about
7% of your daily value).

Like all types of olive oil, EVOO contains beneficial phytosterols and oleic acid.
Regulations require that authentic EVOO not have any flavor defects.
How To Use It
To preserve the most nutrients and showcase it's bold flavor, try using extra virgin olive oil in one of these ways:

Salad dressings
Dipping oil
Finishing oil
Some people even take a spoonful straight daily for the health advantages!


Fun fact: Contrary to popular belief, EVOO has a surprisingly large smoke point of (350 to 410 F), so these cooking styles are a-okay (just skip the deep frying!) :

Sautéing
Roasting
Light frying (think: frying eggs)
Baking (in recipes where you want that classic olive oil flavor, such as this Gluten Free Lemon Olive Oil Cake)

Virgin Olive Oil


Not to be confused with extra virgin olive oil, virgin olive oil is actually pretty rare and hard to find--you often won't see it at your local grocery store. It is quite similar to EVOO, with a few minor differences:

Virgin olive oil is still mechanically extracted (meaning, with no chemicals or heat), so it contains many of the same health benefits as EVOO, such as high levels of polyphenol antioxidants.

Compared to EVOO, virgin olive oil is allowed to have some minor flavor defects, which may not even be noticeable to an untrained taster.

Virgin olive oils range in flavor and aroma, with some varieties being even stronger than certain EVOOs.

Like all types of olive oil, virgin olive oil contains beneficial phytosterols and oleic acid, and modest amounts of vitamin E and vitamin K.
How To Use It
If you can actually find it, you can use virgin olive oil in all the ways you'd use extra virgin olive oil--salad dressings, dipping or finishing oil, sautéing, roasting, light frying, baking.

Pure Olive Oil or Regular Olive Oil


Along with extra virgin olive oil, pure/regular olive oil (sometimes simply labeled"olive oil") is another common variety you'll find in grocery stores or online. Here's what makes it different:

Pure/regular olive oil is a combination of refined olive oil and 15%-25% virgin olive oil. The refined oil component is treated with some heat and chemicals to eliminate flavor defects.
Because the refining process does reduce levels of certain compounds, pure/regular olive oil has fewer health-boosting bioactive compounds than EVOO or virgin olive oil.

These oils are noticeably lighter in color than EVOO, and have a much more neutral flavor and aroma.
Pure/regular olive oil is still a good source of beneficial phytosterols and oleic acid, and contains modest amounts of vitamin E and vitamin K.
How To Use It
Many chefs believe pure olive oil a good general purpose cooking oil, because it has a higher smoke point than EVOO (around 470 F), mild flavor, and holds up well to high-heat cooking. Here are some good ways to use it:

Sautéing
Roasting
Baking
Searing
Grilling
Frying

Infused oils (combine some fresh herbs and olive oil in a sealed bottle and allow those flavors marinate for 1-2 weeks)


Regular olive oil also has some applications beyond the kitchen! Smooth it directly on your skin, or scrub it into your scalp for an extra dose of moisture.

Light Olive Oil or Extra Light Olive Oil


Along with extra virgin olive oil and pure olive oil, the other sort of olive oil you are going to see in grocery stores is light olive oil.

Light and extra light olive oils are a combination of refined olive oil and 5%-10% virgin olive oil. The refined oil component is treated with some heat and chemicals to eliminate flavor defects.

Because these oils have an even lower percentage of virgin olive oil than regular olive oil, their health benefits are proportionally reduced.

Don't confuse"light" for low in calories--in this case, light refers to the oil's almost completely neutral flavor and aroma.

Light and extra light olive oils are still a good source of beneficial phytosterols and oleic acid, and contain modest amounts of vitamin E and vitamin K
How To Use It
Because of its high smoke point (around 470 F), light olive oil is less likely to break down under very high temperatures--so it's a decent alternative for high heat cooking methods.

Sautéing
Roasting
Searing
Grilling
Frying
Baking (only in recipes where you don't want that classic olive oil flavor)


As a result of its relative lack of taste, you may not want to bother using mild olive oil as a dipping or finishing oil. It's too bland to impart much flavor of its own.

Bottom Line
The wide world of olive oil can be confusing. But essentially, there are three main types of olive oil you'll find in grocery stores or online retailers: extra virgin olive oil, pure or regular olive oil, and light and extra light olive oil.

These olive oil types have different procedures of production, and so, different health benefits and flavor profiles--giving them each unique culinary uses. Our top pick? Well, we'll always be partial to a fantastic EVOO, but keeping one of these other types on your pantry--particularly for high heat cooking--isn't a bad idea either.

Whenever someone asks about healthy edible oil alternatives, the first thing that springs to mind is Olive oil. Olive oil is a staple of the Mediterranean diet which is derived from olives. The oils nutritional benefits are unrivaled when compared to other oils.

From lowering risks of cardiovascular diseases to decimating chances of certain types of cancer, olive oils benefits are many and still being discovered.

A study conducted on 46000 participants aged 26 to 49 years. Over 4 years showed that consumption of virgin or extra virgin oil reduced the overall risk of mortality, such as incidents of cancer and cardiovascular diseases.

So without wasting any more time, let us take a look at the 8 most prominent health benefits of Olive oil.

Good Fats

Olive oil is known to contain good unsaturated fats. The main fat it contains is monounsaturated. Monounsaturated fats have been found to reduce cholesterol levels and also help normalize blood clot amounts.

When your bad cholesterols are reduced, the body's arteries will be clogged. This all leads to reduced risks of heart attacks and other cardiovascular problems.

Powerful Antioxidant

Olive oil comes loaded with antioxidants, vitamin E, carotenoids, and phenolic compounds. All these powerful antioxidants combined function to eliminate the free radicals that might roam freely inside your body.

Free radicals aren't something you want in your body. They are a group of rogue DNA cells that attach themselves to healthy cells, thus causing an adverse chain reaction. The result could be injured blood vessels, damaged DNA, and subtle changes to the enzymes that may wind up causing cancer.

Prevent High Blood Pressure

We have talked about monounsaturated fatty acids above; there is more to this particular nutrient than reducing heart disease. Monounsaturated fatty acids also contain omega 3 fats.

Omega 3 and monounsaturated fats both work together in lowering blood pressure by cleaning the heart. The body itself can not produce omega 3. It has to be consumed from outside food sources. What can be a better choice for omega 3 than Olive oil?

Protecting from depression

Depression has got the contemporary generation in its clutches, with over 300 million people affected worldwide according to the World health organization. Although mental, depression can be associated with a poor diet.

A study was conducted by the University of Navarra and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria on 12000 people. It showed that a diet with adequate consumption of olive oil showed lower chances of suffering from mental illnesses. It can be reasoned that olive oil has both physical as well as mental benefits.

Preventing Osteoporosis

Weak bones that easily fracture are a sign of low calcium levels in the body. Olive oil has shown promise of increasing levels of calcium in the body. This can have positive effects on bone density. Hence olive oil may protect against osteoporosis from developing in the first place.

Helps to Lessen Inflammation

Extra virgin oil had for long shown effects on the body that mimic the effects of anti-inflammatory drugs.

Olive oil contains a compound called oleocanthal that can decimate pro-inflammation enzymes within the body. This means that it can help with conditions like rheumatoid arthritis.

Its effects in Preventing Alzheimer's

There are initial research on the matter of Alzheimer's that show that olive oil can cut the risk of Alzheimer's disease. Although there needs to be more research on this topic for us to back this up with confidence.

Helps in Restoring Health of Skin

Olive oil is packed with antioxidants, vitamins, and antibacterial properties that can assist the skin in multiple ways. Its antioxidant properties can help prevent premature aging, thus restoring the skins former glow.

Its antibacterial effects have shown to avoid bacteria from festering on the skin, thus preventing acne and other skin diseases. Olive oil also contains soluble vitamins like A, D, E, and K, which can treat a variety of skin conditions like psoriasis and eczema.

Final Thoughts

When it comes to cooking oil alternatives, olive oil is hands down one with the most rewards for the human body. Substituting other olive oils with olive oil will start showing positive effects on the body right away.

It can be consumed directly with our food or can also be used topically to restore the glow of your skin and hair. Beware, as there is a whole lot of fraud in the olive oil industry.

Do your due diligence before opting for an olive oil brand to serve your purposes. Also, note that olive oil is a very low heat cooking oil, it is better used as a drizzle on salad and foods as it simply isn't a good high heat cooking oil. For high heat cooking oil alternatives, you can go for coconut oil or avocado oil.

Olive oil, while loaded with nutrition, is still oil. It should be taken moderately to make certain you reap its benefits while simultaneously not falling prey to its demerits.

Medical experts tell us that all oils are not created equal. Although all of them contain fat, some fats are better for us than others.

Doctors and other health professionals recommend using oils that are low in saturated and trans fats, such as olive oil, canola or other vegetable oils, in place of butter, margarine or shortening.

Here's a quick look at the percentage of saturated fatty acids found at the total fat quantity of various oil types, figures courtesy of Cleveland Clinic:

Coconut Oil: 92 percent
Steak: 62 percent
Extra Virgin Olive Oil: 14 percent
Canola Oil: 7 percent

While canola oil has the lowest percentage of saturated fat, most doctors recommend olive oil instead because it has a higher percentage of monounsaturated fat, that, according to Mayo Clinic preventive medicine specialist Donald Hensrud, M.D., may reduce your total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels.

But, canola oil has almost four times the percentage of polyunsaturated fats containing Omega-3s that studies have shown help prevent heart disease and stroke, so some health professionals say canola oil is a fine choice as well.

Hensrud recommends using olive oil when saut?ing foods and in salad dressings, and canola oil when baking.

Olive Oil FactsOlive oil is best when kept at 57 degrees F or at room temperature of approximately 70 degrees F if kept in a dark area.

Extra virgin olive oil is the best grade olive oil available and is needed to meet more than 20 quality guidelines. No chemicals or intense heat may be used during the oil extraction procedure.

Refrigeration is not recommended for extra virgin olive oil as condensation may change the flavor. Refrigeration is fine for many other grades, but the cold temperature can turn the oil cloudy.

Olive oil is best used within six months to a year of opening the bottle.

When olives are crushed for oil, the pit is normally crushed along with the fruit.

To achieve optimal health, be sure to complement your healthy diet with a regular exercise program.