Olive oil is a key ingredient in the Mediterranean diet, which many nutrition experts consider to be the healthiest way to eat.
Swapping olive oil for other fats is one of the easiest ways to boost your health because olive oil has so many benefits. Here’s a breakdown of why olive oil is so good for you, how to shop for olive oil and when to incorporate it into your routine.
Olive oil nutrition
Olive oil has many unique nutritional properties compared to other cooking oils. For one, it has a high monounsaturated fat (MUFA) content, and MUFAs help to lower your "bad" LDL cholesterol.
It also contains more than 30 types of phenolic compounds, which are antioxidants that protect your cells from harmful free radical molecules. Over time, free radical damage can increase the risk of numerous health issues.
Polyphenols also have prebiotic activity, which encourages growth of beneficial bacteria in your gut microbiome. The microbiome plays an essential part in regulating everything from cholesterol and blood sugar levels to mood, inflammation, nutrient absorption and immune functioning. In other words, a healthy gut is imperative to your overall physical and mental health.
In addition to these bioactive compounds, a tablespoon of olive oil has:
- 126 calories
- 14 grams of healthy fat
- 2.93 milligrams of vitamin E (29% of the daily value)
Data suggests that 90% of men and 96% of women have inadequate vitamin E intake. This essential nutrient is also an antioxidant that helps fight free radical damage and boosts the activity of immune cells.
Types of olive oil
When shopping for olive oil, you will likely see three types on the shelf:
- Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is the most flavorful and nutrient-rich of the various types of olive oil. That’s because it’s the least processed, and the polyphenols contribute to its distinctive taste.
- Olive oil is a blend of EVOO and more processed, refined olive oil. Therefore, it has fewer polyphenols and a milder flavor.
- Light olive oil has the same amount of fat and calories as other types of olive oil, but "light" refers to the taste, which is flavorless as a result of processing.
The North American Olive Oil Association recommends purchasing olive oil in dark bottles that are undamaged and dust-free. The label will tell you the country of origin, such as Spain, Greece or Italy. The country of origin lends to certain flavor characteristics and is not an indicator of quality concerns. You’ll also see a best-buy date on the label. Though it’s helpful to select a bottle with a date that’s as far out as possible, they say that properly stored olive oil can last for up to two years.
Once home, store your olive oil in a cool, dark place, such as a pantry cabinet. Storing your olive oil in the fridge may seem like a good idea, but repeatedly cooling it and bringing it back to room temperature puts stress on the oil.
Olive oil benefits
When you’re using olive oil, chances are you’re using it instead of an unhealthy fat, such as butter. Limiting unhealthy fats and replacing them with olive oil — with its high antioxidant content and anti-inflammatory properties — is a primary reason olive oil is associated with numerous health benefits.
Skin and hair
Applying olive oil topically can potentially aid in wound healing and may protect against skin cancer. Research suggests that olive oil may increase collagen in the skin and combat oxidative stress, contributing to younger-looking skin.
However, there’s also evidence that olive oil may allow water to escape from the skin, which could produce itchy, dry and irritated skin. Therefore, it’s a good idea to talk to your dermatologist before applying olive oil topically.
Olive oil can be applied to hair to help seal in the cuticle, smoothing hair and reducing frizz. It can also moisturize hair and add shine.
Heart health
The polyphenols and MUFAs in olive oil play a role in protecting your heart, particularly when you substitute olive oil for less healthy fats. A 2019 study among more than 63,000 women and nearly 30,000 men found that replacing trans fats, carbs or saturated fats with the same amount of calories from plant-based MUFAs (like olive oil) resulted in a 14% to 20% lower risk of dying from heart disease.
Brain health
Another reason to use olive oil instead of unhealthy fats is because it’s better for your memory and brain. Regularly incorporating olive oil into your diet has been found to protect against cognitive decline and has been associated with a 28% lower risk of fatal dementia. Alzheimer’s disease, which affects about 5.7 million Americans, is a form of fatal dementia.
In fact, a study published in JAMA on May 6 found that in U.S. adults, higher olive oil intake is linked to lower risk of dying from dementia, regardless of other aspects of diet. Study authors recommended substituting olive oil for margarine and mayonnaise.
Cancer
Olive oil has potent antioxidant properties, which may be why it offers protection against cancer. Data analysis from 45 studies found that the people who consumed the most olive oil also had a 31% lower risk of cancer when compared with those who consumed the least — including breast, gastrointestinal and urinary tract cancers.
How much olive oil should you consume daily?
Experts suggest you can benefit from consuming 1 to 4 tablespoons of olive oil daily. You can reach this target by using olive oil when cooking and in place of other fats in your diet.
Is drinking olive oil good for you?
You’re better off incorporating olive oil into a meal than drinking it straight. Chewing your food boosts fullness and can help you regulate your food intake by reducing hunger. Drinking calories doesn’t produce the same appetite-regulating effect, and since olive oil is a high-calorie substance, drinking it might result in weight gain if you were to consume more calories than your body needs.
Ways to add olive oil to your diet
Much has been said about olive oil’s smoke point and whether it’s OK to cook food in olive oil at high temperatures. Although olive oil has a moderate smoke point, this does not mean it easily breaks down or loses stability.
One study examining the stability of various cooking oils found that EVOO was the most stable among the 10 oils tested. Another study that tested various types of olive oil found that oils were only harmful after 24 to 27 hours of frying.
Other research has found that antioxidants and phenol compounds in EVOO get transferred to veggies cooked in it, which makes them even healthier. So go ahead and incorporate olive oil in the ways you may be using other fats, such as roasting, baking, sautéing and stir-frying, in addition to using it for salad dressings and marinades.
You can drizzle a good quality EVOO on just about anything, too. For instance, elevate your store-bought hummus by adding a spoonful of EVOO on top. Add a small splash to scrambled eggs, along with some salt and pepper. You can even use it over yogurt and vanilla ice cream.