4 reasons to stop cooking with olive oil

Portia Arthur

November 22, 2018 10:08 AM

If you’re cooking over high heat, don’t choose olive oil.

Olive oil

Due to its numerous health benefits, some people use it for cooking and end up destroying all its essential benefits.

Olive oil is high in heart-healthy antioxidants called polyphenols and monounsaturated fats, which can help lower “bad” LDL cholesterol and raise “good” HDL cholesterol levels. Olive oil is an excellent choice when it comes to salad dressing or sautéing vegetables over medium heat.

Here are reasons to stop cooking with olive oil.

You are not buying real olive oil

Some manufacturing companies adulterate their products with cheap oils like soybean oil, canola oil, hazelnut oil and low-grade olive oils. These heavily processed vegetable oils that contribute to inflammation in the body.

Olive oil has a low smoke point

If an oil is heated beyond its smoke point, it gives off toxic smoke. Because olive oil has a low smoking point, cooking with olive oil runs the risk of creating smoke that contains compounds that are harmful to human health.

Heating olive oil destroys the omega fatty acids

Olive oil contains both Omega 3 and Omega 6 Fatty acids which is sensitive to heat and can be easily destroyed when olive oil is heated.

Monosaturated fats in olive oil are not heat stable

Olive oil is made up of about 70-80% monounsaturated fat, in the form of oleic acid. This oleic acid is what gives olive oil many of its wonderful health benefits like improved insulin resistance, cancer-fighting properties, and improved heart health. It is also these monounsaturated fats that give olive oil a low smoking point, making it unsuitable for temperatures above 250’F (121’C).

Portia Arthur