How does frying with EVOO improve the nutritional value of food?
The practice of frying with olive oil has been debated for decades, fueled by the myth that high temperatures degrade its healthy properties and make it a health risk. However, a recent scientific study published in the journal Foods by Chilean researchers debunks this popular belief, demonstrating that this ingredient not only withstands heat but can also positively transform the nutritional value of food.
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The research focused on analyzing how different vegetables react when cooked with extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) using three different methods: classic frying , oven and air fryer.
The results revealed a surprising fact: as long as the temperature does not exceed 190°C, olive oil retains its phenolic and antioxidant compounds intact. When frying with olive oil or using it in hot air cooking methods, the oil acts as a vehicle that transfers monounsaturated fatty acids to food , improving its lipid profile and facilitating the absorption of essential vitamins such as A, D, E, and K , which require fat to be assimilated by the body.
The study used vegetable galettes for testing, and tasters confirmed that those prepared with EVOO were not only nutritionally superior, but also more visually appealing, crispier, and noticeably tastier than those cooked without it.
This finding is crucial for home cooking, as it confirms that the smoke point of extra virgin olive oil is high enough to allow for safe cooking techniques. Therefore, frying with olive oil over medium heat or using it to brush food before placing it in an air fryer is a smart strategy that combines culinary pleasure with cardiovascular protection.
How many times can olive oil be reused?
The key lies in avoiding extreme overheating ; by maintaining temperature control, EVOO is established as the most stable and healthy fat for any type of thermal transformation in the kitchen, definitively banishing the idea that it should be reserved exclusively for raw dressings if you want to take advantage of its benefits.
Reusing olive oil is a safe and economical practice supported by science, gastronomy, and nutrition, thanks to its high thermal stability compared to other fats. Although laboratories and scientific studies indicate that stable varieties can withstand dozens of frying cycles without exceeding legal degradation limits, experts recommend limiting its use to between 3 and 5 times in home cooking.
The exact number of times olive oil can be reused depends critically on the type of food cooked and the temperature control. Foods that release a lot of moisture or residue, such as breaded foods and fish, accelerate oxidation and degrade the product faster than vegetables or potatoes.
To extend the life of this liquid gold without compromising health or flavor, basic storage rules require filtering the oil after each use to remove burnt residue, preventing it from smoking or overheating, and storing it in sealed containers protected from light and heat. If the oil turns dark, smells bad, or foams, it should be discarded immediately.
What happens to extra virgin olive oil when it's heated in a pan?
Heating olive oil? Absolutely! But above all, naturally cloudy olive oil should not be used for frying: the aromatic compounds—that is, the oil's characteristic flavor—evaporate when heated too high. If it's a high-quality olive oil ( EVOO – highest quality ), you can use it for frying, braising, steaming, deep-frying, and baking up to a maximum temperature of 190 degrees Celsius (°C).
Olive oil is a healthy and flavorful cooking oil. However, here's what you should pay attention to when heating olive oil. Whether you're frying onions or seasoning a pasta sauce, you can use most olive oils.
As long as olive oil is boiled, simmered, or baked in a pot with food containing water, it will hardly exceed 100°C.
You can even fry in olive oil, as long as you use a fryer with temperature control and don't set it above 180°C.
Be careful when frying: don't let the olive oil get too hot. The reason for this is that the olive oil can burn and lose both its delicious flavor and its beneficial health properties.
The smoke point of extra virgin olive oil: What is the limit?
The smoke point of olive oil is approximately 180°C. The higher the smoke point of an oil, the more suitable it is for frying. Above this temperature, the oil burns and produces dangerous and sometimes carcinogenic byproducts, such as the toxic substance acrolein.
If olive oil is absolutely essential, only refined, chemically extracted, and hot-pressed olive oil will be suitable for sealing. It is heat-resistant up to 220°C. However, during hot pressing, much of the oil's aroma and beneficial health properties are lost.
However, in a recent study (June 2018), Australian researchers compared the heating effects of extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) with a variety of other common cooking oils, as well as with refined olive oil. They found that EVOO is the safest and most stable option, even at high temperatures.
Incidentally, the smoke point of extra virgin olive oil in the study was around 207°C, practically the same as that of refined olive oil (208°C). The reason extra virgin olive oil is the best fat for hot cooking is its polyphenol content. These are not only healthy for humans but also protect the oil from harmful free radicals.
Frying with EVOO: Does it lose its health benefits when cooked?
However, in Mediterranean countries, extra virgin olive oil is also used for cooking and frying, as it is relatively heat-resistant. This is due to its high content of monounsaturated fatty acids, which are much more stable than polyunsaturated fatty acids.
Olive oil is composed of only 10% polyunsaturated fatty acids. This results in good stability even at high temperatures.
It also contains many plant-based antioxidants that reduce heat stress. These protective substances, as their name suggests, also counteract the oxidation of the oil and thus increase its thermal stability.
Extra virgin olive oil released fewer contaminants during frying and deep-frying than the sunflower oil used in the comparison . Interestingly, extra virgin olive oil is unstable in the microwave: for reasons still unknown, all its valuable components are quickly lost.
All oils are subject to a decomposition process due to the effects of oxygen, light, and heat. High temperatures during frying accelerate this oxidation process. The term "cold-pressed" is outdated. Olive oil may be too expensive to heat, but it's never too bad. The higher the quality of a product, the more antioxidants and fewer free fatty acids it will contain. Olive oil is even highly recommended for frying.
The myth that olive oil becomes toxic as soon as it starts to "smoke" is false. Australian researchers finally clarified this in 2018. They tested different vegetable oils, including cold-pressed (extra virgin) olive oil, refined olive oil, and virgin olive oil. The study found no toxic substances.
Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is the most stable oil when heated. Studies show that after six hours of heating at 180 degrees Celsius, olive oil still contains the highest amount of unsaturated fatty acids. These are considered very healthy. Olive oil contains very little trans fat , which is harmful to health and potentially carcinogenic.
Unlike rapeseed oil , researchers recorded a 25 times lower proportion of trans fats after heating.
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So why do many top chefs advise against frying with olive oil ? For one thing, this is because extra virgin olive oil contains many valuable ingredients considered beneficial to health, such as antioxidants like polyphenols. These break down at high temperatures.
On the other hand, high temperatures also alter the unique flavor of expensive olive oil. So, veal escalopes cooked in olive oil are certainly a waste, but they're not poisonous. The better the olive oil, the more suitable it is for heating.
