When I'm Wrong I'm Wrong: Cooking with Olive Oil
One of the drawbacks of being in the public eye is that all your statements are there for posterity- in books, videos, TV shows, YouTube. So when your opinions evolve or change over the years, you've still got to contend with the fact that you've gone "on record" as saying something that might be a lot different from what you believe today.
For years and years I've been recommending extra virgin olive oil as a great oil to cook with because it stands up to heat, is heart healthy and has a lot of great stuff in it (from monounsaturated fat to the- probably more important- olive phenols).
But a sharp eyed reader of my blog (Xenia) recently commented that extra virgin olive oil was a delicate oil that would be damaged by heat. After all, "extra-virgin" means it's cold pressed- by definition, that means it wasn't exposed to high heat in processing. Why spend all that money for the nutrient-saving "extra virgin" processing if you're going to destroy it by heating?, she asked.
A fair question.
So I did some digging.
First thing I found is that the "smoke point" of extra virgin olive oil is all over the map, depending on which manufacturer's information you read. Some olive oil websites say it's 410-450 (very high) but some manufacturers say it's only in the 200's.
It actually has to do with the processing. One of the reasons for refining any oil is to increase the smoke point. (Unrefined oils have a lower smoke point in general.) Really good extra virgin olive oil could be as low as in the 200's, where as the much less nutritious highly processed oil could be in the mid 400's.
Now if you're using extra-virgin olive oil at low heat, or if you're adding it to foods right before the end of cooking, no problem. But if you're really turning up the heat, it's not such a great idea.
My go-to guy for all things oil is Fred Pescatore, MD who knows more about this than almost anyone. I asked him, and he agrees- don't overheat olive oil. Fred recommends higher heat cooking with macadamia nut oil, avocado oil or hazlenut oil all of which naturally have higher smoke points without having to be refined and all of which contain many healthful compounds.
I'd add to that list my own favorite for cooking, Barlean's extra-virgin coconut oil, which has a whole host of health properties that I covered in my book The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth, not to mention that it's absolutely delicious.
So bottom line: I certainly wouldn't give up my extra virgin olive oil, which is a rich source of protective olive phenols.
But from now on, I'll think twice about turning up the heat too high and too long.
For years and years I've been recommending extra virgin olive oil as a great oil to cook with because it stands up to heat, is heart healthy and has a lot of great stuff in it (from monounsaturated fat to the- probably more important- olive phenols).
But a sharp eyed reader of my blog (Xenia) recently commented that extra virgin olive oil was a delicate oil that would be damaged by heat. After all, "extra-virgin" means it's cold pressed- by definition, that means it wasn't exposed to high heat in processing. Why spend all that money for the nutrient-saving "extra virgin" processing if you're going to destroy it by heating?, she asked.
A fair question.
So I did some digging.
First thing I found is that the "smoke point" of extra virgin olive oil is all over the map, depending on which manufacturer's information you read. Some olive oil websites say it's 410-450 (very high) but some manufacturers say it's only in the 200's.
It actually has to do with the processing. One of the reasons for refining any oil is to increase the smoke point. (Unrefined oils have a lower smoke point in general.) Really good extra virgin olive oil could be as low as in the 200's, where as the much less nutritious highly processed oil could be in the mid 400's.
Now if you're using extra-virgin olive oil at low heat, or if you're adding it to foods right before the end of cooking, no problem. But if you're really turning up the heat, it's not such a great idea.
My go-to guy for all things oil is Fred Pescatore, MD who knows more about this than almost anyone. I asked him, and he agrees- don't overheat olive oil. Fred recommends higher heat cooking with macadamia nut oil, avocado oil or hazlenut oil all of which naturally have higher smoke points without having to be refined and all of which contain many healthful compounds.
I'd add to that list my own favorite for cooking, Barlean's extra-virgin coconut oil, which has a whole host of health properties that I covered in my book The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth, not to mention that it's absolutely delicious.
So bottom line: I certainly wouldn't give up my extra virgin olive oil, which is a rich source of protective olive phenols.
But from now on, I'll think twice about turning up the heat too high and too long.
Jonny Bowden, PhD, C.N.S. is a nationally known expert on weight loss, nutrition and health and is the author of several best-selling books.
It's funny you wrote an entire blog about this because I was going to ask you this same question in an email just a few days ago, but then decided against it.
I noticed in the "Healthiest Meals on Earth" that you suggest cooking with it in some meals, but then it is not recommended for cooking (produces free radicals) in the section on smoke points. I usually don't cook with it and instead use extra virgin coconut oil. I'm thinking that I'll go ahead and purchase some avocado oil, too. Thanks for pointing that out!
Hi there - I was wondering then about extra virgin coconut oil - is this not the same as unrefined extra virgin olive oil? Would jsut virgin or regular coconut oil be better for cooking than the extra virgin?
What are your thoughts on hemp oil?
I'm new to this so excuse me if you've commented before. What about peanut oil? It's not on your 150 list.
I think hemp oil is great. Remember, tho, it's high in omega-3's (which you want), but you can't cook with it.
Peanut oil is good for cooking- high smoke point- but very high in omega 6's, not always a bad thing, but i feel we get too many omega 6's and not nearly enough 3's... but for high heat on ocassion, it's fine!
warmly
jb
hi to free form fitness
I LOVE love love extra virgin coconut oil. My favorite- the one i use- is Barlean's Organic. I cook with it regularly
warmly
jb
I've used Virgin coconut oil for several years for cooking. It has a unique flavor profile, but I like it. I also snack on raw coconut flakes, yum!
For the record, for coconuts, "extra virgin" is a marketing term. Unlike Olive oil, "refined" and "virgin" are the only defined differences. I use Tropical Traditions brand. I like that they don't falsely distinguish their product with the term "extra virgin". It's made by hand in the Philippines rather than being mass produced in a factory. And perhaps most importantly, it comes in glass containers rather than VOC laden plastic (unless you buy by the gallon).
For information on the virgin/refined nomenclature issue, see: http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/what_is_virgin_coconut_oil.htm
You are right about the fact that there is no defined term "extra virgin" when it comes to coconut oil, and that it is borrowed from the olive oil industry where there is indeed a difference between virgin and extra virgin. However, I don't necessarily see this as the worst thing in the world. Barlean's- which uses the term- needs a way of getting out its message that this is the highest quality, organic, hand pressed, cold processed, etc.. and since many people are mistakenly under the impression that there are two qualities, it is simply a nod to the general consensus. Much like, as a trainer, I used to talk about "lower abs" even though there is no such thing. People thought there was, it was a convenient shorthand to speak to their concerns.
And I have never seen a single piece of evidence that packaging coconut oil in glass is any better than in a dark tub. I think THAT might be a marketing gimick on the part of Tropical Traditions.
Anyway, I'm not partisan for any one brand. My point is that it's a great oil, and the good brands that make it responsibly are the ones we should buy.
warmly
jb
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