Olive oil: how to choose the best one for your health?

Why is olive oil so good for your health?

Excellent for health, olive oil helps prevent general aging, particularly that of the cardiovascular system, or that of the brain.

Olive oil is an important source of lipids in the Mediterranean diet. However, this diet is associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer.

Consult our file: Everything you need to know about olive oil

The benefits of olive oil are linked to the presence of monounsaturated fatty acids and polyphenols. Olive oil is even the richest in monounsaturated fatty acids: it contains around 73%. monounsaturated oleic acid (source: Anses), compared to around 6.5% linoleic acid (an omega-6) and only 0.6% alpha-linolenic acid (omega-3).

Polyphenols are antioxidant and anti-inflammatory compounds. It is therefore in your best interest to choose an extra-virgin oil, rich in polyphenols. Unfortunately, their content varies considerably from one oil to another, and it is not indicated on the bottle. So how to do it? Follow the leader.

How to choose an olive oil rich in polyphenols?

Choose olive varieties rich in polyphenols

These are (among others) the following:

• France: Picholine
• Spain: Cornicabra, Manzanillo, Picual
• Italy: Coratina, Moraiolo
• Greece: Koroneiki

Choose organic oils

Most olive trees receive phytosanitary treatments, but organically grown olivesapart from the fact that they do not have pesticides, also have higher levels of polyphenols, because this is the only way for the plant to defend itself against predators, whether fungi, insects, bacteria or viruses. Untreated olives therefore express more polyphenols.

Focus on table olives
We have all heard of unripe green olives dyed to make black olivesa real aberration authorized by the authorities. To recognize them, you must pay attention to the list of ingredients: candied black olives or containing iron gluconate (E579).

Choose oils from early harvests

The polyphenol content of olives decreases with maturity. Early season olives are the richest. So if you have this information, you should prefer harvests made in September-October. The harvest date should also appear on the bottles, and consumers should demand it from producers.

If you don’t have this information, you have to rely on taste: these oils from the first harvests have a greener, even spicy-bitter taste; later oils have a fruity-ripe taste. The expiration date is based on the bottling date. However, blended oils are often composed of several oils with a different harvest date, which does not guarantee the quality of the oil.olive oil.

Extra virgin olive oil: the best for health and the brain

Extra virgin oils are obtained by first cold pressing. They are preferred because they are extracted using mechanical processes that do not require heat or technological aids. Heat can potentially alter certain beneficial molecules (antioxidants, vitamins, etc.) in the oil.

The benefits of extra virgin olive oil for the brain

A study from the University of Tarragona (Spain), involving 656 adults aged 55 to 75, followed for two years as part of the PREDIMED-Plus project, offers a biological explanation for the benefits of the Mediterranean diet for the brain: it shows that the consumption ofvirgin olive oil extra is associated with better cognitive performance and greater diversity of the intestinal microbiota, unlike refined olive oil. An intestinal bacteria, Adlercreutziawould be an indicator of the beneficial link between the consumption of virgin olive oil and the preservation of cognitive functions.

Conservation and uses: how to use your olive oil correctly?

Choose oils in opaque containers

The antioxidants ofolive oil are sensitive to light. It is therefore necessary to move towards metal containers, or even very tinted glass. Don’t buy oils in clear glass containers (let alone plastic).

Choose the oil according to use

We recommend reserving extra-virgin oil for seasoning and using other “cheaper” oils for cooking. In fact, this oil loses its nutritional qualities above 200°C (even if it is hardly recommended to reach or exceed this temperature).

To find out more: Olive oil: don’t heat it too much