Extra virgin olive oil — why it is the best variety of olive oil

Olive oil is known to be healthy cooking oil due to its high nutrient value and low content of saturated fats. With different varieties of olive oil, it is difficult to choose the right type of olive oil suiting your needs. Deepshikha Agarwal, a Mumbai-based dietitian and sports nutritionist says, ‘Of the different varieties of olive oil, extra virgin olive oil is the best because it is less processed (i,e originality is maintained) and thus, it has high nutritive value as compared to other types (bioavailability is high).’

Is extra virgin olive oil good for health?

As extra virgin oil is least processed i.e., the oil is obtained from the first pressing of the olives without any use of chemicals or heat, it is packed with many health benefits. Apart from this, this oil also contains more polyphenols and antioxidants which play a key role in the protection of various health conditions. Being low in saturated fats, high in vitamin E and anti-inflammatory compounds, here are top 6 reasons why you need to include extra virgin olive oil in your diet.

#1 Protects your heart

It is also high in polyphenols, anti-inflammatory compounds and antioxidants (tocopherol) which keeps your heart healthy. Apart from this, it lowers bad cholesterol (LDL) and triglycerides in your blood without altering the good cholesterol levels (HDL) thereby preventing heart disease.

#2 Maintains blood pressure levels

As extra virgin olive oil forms an integral part of the Mediterranean diet, studies have shown that putting olive oil on your salad protects you from hypertension. It is mainly because of the presence of nitro fatty acids in the die which inhibit the action of the enzyme, soluble Epoxide Hydrolase, thereby lowering blood pressure. Here are 6 reasons a Mediterranean diet is great for your health.

#3 Stimulates hair growth

The extra virgin olive oil has moisturising properties that penetrate deep into the hair shaft thereby aiding in hair growth. All you need to do is warm some extra virgin olive oil, massage it into your scalp and comb your hair (so that the oil spread uniformly over the scalp). Leave it for 30 minutes and wash with a mild shampoo. Do this massage twice a week to strengthen your hair from the root and prevent further hair loss.

#4 Controls blood sugar levels

‘Diet plays a key role in maintaining blood sugar levels in diabetics and thus, choosing the right type of oil is important. As extra virgin olive oil does not cause significant fluctuations in the blood sugar levels, this oil is considered to be the best for people suffering from diabetes’, says Deepshikha.

#5 Aids in weight loss

The fat percentage of extra virgin olive oil is 13:72:8 i.e., saturated fats: mono unsaturated fats (MUFA): poly unsaturated fats (PUFA) respectively. As it contains less of saturated fats in addition to high levels of vitamin E, you can include this oil in your diet if on a weight loss regime.

#6 Moisturises dry skin

Olive oil is good for moisturising dry skin. By massaging this oil, you can improve the elasticity of the skin and its regenerative properties will help prevent the formation of stretch marks. Being high in antioxidants and good fats, this oil helps to get rid of the free radicals and also heal the skin and is highly recommended for massaging in children.

#7 Boosts brain power

Did you know that extra virgin olive oil is not only heart-friendly but helps in boosting your brain power as well? The presence of oleocanthal in this oil hinders the activity of Alzheimer inducing proteins. These proteins, called ADDL, affect neural communication by attaching themselves to brain cells. Read about 7 home remedies to help boost brain power.

What is the right way to include this oil in the diet?

According to Deepshikha, ‘The best way to include extra virgin olive oil in the diet is –

Salad dressing: You can drizzle extra virgin olive oil over healthy sautéed vegetables such as broccoli, spring onions, bell pepper and add salt, pepper and chilli flakes before serving. This makes it a wholesome meal filling your stomach and providing you numerous health benefits. Here are 6 healthy salad dressing recipes for weight loss.

Sautéing: Steam or lightly sauté foods and then dress it with olive oil immediately after cooking. Apart from this, you can consume these sautéed vegetables with brown bread thereby increasing its nutritive value.

Cake-mixing: Nowadays, olive oil is also used in the preparation of cakes (as it is healthier than other oils that are commonly used in the cake-mixes). This oil can also be used as a healthy replacement for margarine and other types of fat.

However, you should not use this oil for frying purposes as it has low to medium smoke point – the temperature it starts to burn (oxidized), producing harmful chemicals. It means if you use it to fry foods, it will start to burn and lose its nutrients. Also, always store olive oil in a cool and dark place, tightly sealed in an opaque container.

Is it harmful if used in excess?

Deepshikha explains,‘Everything above a certain limit is harmful to the body and so does the consumption of extra virgin olive oil. Although it is healthy in nature, one should not consume more than three teaspoon of oil per day per person. The side-effects of over consumption of this oil include weight gain and increase in blood cholesterol levels in the body.’ Hence, it is very important to use the right quantity of oil as anything in excess in harmful to the body.

Originally published on www.thehealthsite.com