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UPDATE: 17 August - Oil Gets Low Grade
...many of the imported oils failed to meet international and U.S. standards for EVOO. Worse, sensory panelists found that some oils tasted rancid, fusty and musty. Apparently, they had oxydized–or deteriorated, like the above-mentioned 1989 Taurus–and were adulterated with cheaper oil and/or made from poor quality or overripe olives. California-produced oils did better; only 10 percent failed the tests. Some of the best-known brands didn’t qualify as EV: Bertolli, Pompeian, Colovita, Carapelli, Newman’s Own, Mezzetta and Mazola. Even Rachael Ray’s EVOO underperformed. McEvoy Ranch and Caliornia Olive Ranch were the top scorers, but turning in a not too shabby performance was Kirkland Organic, which comes to you courtesy of humble Costco. READ more
Is it true that the less expensive olive oils on the market are inferior to the expensive ones?
Unfortunately, the best quality olive oils are also usually the most expensive. The best quality oil is an extra virgin olive oil made from organically grown olives.
Extra virgin olive oil is made from the first pressing of the olives, contains the lowest level of acidity (the marketplace standard for labeling is less than 1%), the best taste, and the highest level of antioxidant phytonutrients. The next best after extra virgin would be virgin olive oil. While it is also made from the first pressing of the olives, it has less antioxidants, more acidity (up to 2% is allowed), and a taste that is not as rich as extra virgin olive oil.
You'll notice that "pure" olive oil and "light" olive oils are less expensive, but in this case you get what you pay for. These olives oils are by no means as beneficial (let alone flavorful) as extra virgin olive oil.
"Pure" olive oil is actually refined oil that is created through chemical processing. One method of refining olive oil involves the use of a strong sodium hydroxide solution to "wash" the oil; other methods involve steam distillation of the oil. All refinement methods expose the oil to heats of at least 140-160˚F (60-71˚C).
"Light" olive oils are only light in terms of their taste and color; they are not lower in calories or fat. To a certain extent, the richer and deeper shades of color in an olive oil correspond to the concentration of polyphenol phytonutrients in the oil. These polyphenols may be the most heart-supportive nutrients that olives have to offer. Once they are processed out, the oil may become classified as "light," but light and other refined olive oils are nutritionally inferior to extra virgin and virgin olive oils because of this more extensive processing.
The other consideration would be whether or not to buy organic olive oil. There's no question about organic olive oil being your best choice. Although the nutrient richness of the organic oil may not be vastly greater than the nutrient richness of non-organic oil, the presence of toxic residues is likely to be very different. You're very likely to get fewer toxins in the certified organic oil-especially pesticides and fungicides. from WHFOODS.
Olive Oil and Health
UPDATE: 10 May DHA “appears to be a vital constituent of marrow” and enhances bone mineral content
UPDATE:20 April, 2010 MORE HEALTH BENEFITS FROM OLIVE OIL
More on Fats
How olive oil helps 'switch off' genes which lead to conditions including heart disease and arthritisOLIVE OIL BEAUTY BENEFITS - "Truly one of the world's best beauty secrets. It is a natural, hypoallergenic, inexpensive way to moisturize skin. It also provides valuable antioxidants, like Vitamins A and E that can help repair and renew skin that has been damaged from the sun, air pollution, and cigarette smoke. The antioxidants in olive oil help to stimulate health skin cell growth and return skin to a firmer, smoother, and healthier state. Olive oil can be applied to your face and body and helps to keep skin well-moisturized. You can use it as either a night cream or daily moisturizer. Just be sure to apply it to damp skin. Olive oil can also be used as an eye makeup remover, just add a drop or two to a cotton pad it gently removes eye makeup without irritating the delicate skin around the eye area. Over time, it can even help to smooth our under eye wrinkles."
By Jenny Hope, 20th April 2010
Olive oil's health-giving benefits stem from its ability to help 'switch off ' genes that inflame conditions ranging from heart disease to arthritis, claim researchers.
Their discovery shows how the much-praised Mediterranean diet can suppress chronic disorders.
Spanish researchers identified almost 100 genes whose inflammatory activity is dampened by consumption of olive oil, in particular extra virgin olive oil.
Spanish researchers have found a whole new use for olive oil, in particular extra virgin olive oil
Spanish researchers have found a whole new use for olive oil, in particular extra virgin olive oil
Greeks are the biggest consumers of olive oil in the world - eating 20 times more than Britons - while Italians eat ten times as much.
Eating healthy mono-unsaturated fats such as olive oil is known to lower the risk of heart disease.
In Britain, which has one of the highest heart attack rates in the world, much higher levels of animal or saturated fats are eaten.
In the study, 20 patients with metabolic syndrome, which puts them at high risk of developing cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes, were asked to eat breakfast foods covered in two types of olive oil.
One was extra virgin olive oil high in phenol compounds - natural antioxidants - while the other type of oil had low levels of phenols.
The volunteers had to avoid drugs, vitamins and other supplements for six weeks before the study started.
Dr Francisco Perez- Jimenez, from the University of Cordoba, said: 'We identified 98 differentially expressed genes when comparing the intake of phenol-rich olive oil with low-phenol olive oil.
'Several of the repressed genes are known to be involved in pro-inflammatory processes, suggesting the diet can switch the activity of immune system cells.'
Olive oil contains omega-6 fats, a form of 'healthy' polyunsaturates known to block the body's response to inflammation in chronic conditions such as heart disease and arthritis.
But the latest study, whose findings are published today in the science journal BMC Genomics, provides a gene-related explanation for some of the anti-inflammatory effect.
Dietitians say a Mediterranean diet also appears to improve vascular function - the flexibility of cells lining the walls of blood vessels, particularly in the heart and circulatory system.
Eating meat increases the risk of bladder cancer, according to research by scientists at the University of Texas.
Xifeng Wu, the 12-year study's lead author, said: 'People who eat a lot of red meat, particularly well-done red meat, seem to have a higher likelihood of bladder cancer.'
More than 10,000 Britons are diagnosed with bladder cancer every year.
ORIGINALLY POSTED 22 Feb, 09
Olive oil has women bone-preserving properties
by S. C.
A study from the Harokopio University of Athens (Greece) determines that adherence to a dietary pattern close to the Mediterranean diet, with high consumption of fish and olive oil and low red meat intake, has a significant impact in women skeletal health.
Results suggest that this eating pattern could have bone-preserving properties throughout adult life.
Diet is one of the modifiable factors for the development and maintenance of bone mass. The nutrients of most obvious relevance to bone health are calcium and phosphorus because they compose roughly 80% to 90% of the mineral content of bone; protein, other minerals and vitamins are also essential in bone preservation.
Traditional analysis has focused on the relation between a specific nutrient (e.g. calcium) and bone health. But, researchers of the Harokopio University of Athens, Greece, carried out a study in two hundred twenty adult Greek women, which is valuable for the understanding of the effect of meals, consisting of several food items, in skeletal mass.
Scientists examined whether adherence to the Mediterranean Diet, rich in plant foods and olive oil, low in meat and dairy products, and with moderate intake of alcohol, or other dietary patterns, have any significant impact on bone mass maintenance in adult Greek women. They determined that adherence to a dietary pattern with some of the features of the Mediterranean diet, i.e., rich in fish and olive oil and low in red meat and products, is positively associated with the indices of bone mass.
Teatro Naturalle, by S. C. 22 February 2009 TN 1 Year 1
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