Today, we are talking about olive oil. We will explain what are the main benefits it brings to your health, and the different varieties of it that you can find in the market. Let’s start!
We know that 30% of the pulp of the olive is oil. We also know that the way in which the olive oil is extracted, will mark the final result of the oil.
The most traditional method known for doing this is by pressing, through a press, and, in fact, this is the technique that best preserves all the characteristics of the food, although it is not in use due to its complexity.
Another method used is through centrifugation, where the different elements of it are separated, and then crushed. It is the most common technique, today, and thanks to which, a high-quality olive oil is obtained.
There is also a last method from which only lower quality oils are obtained. It is to extract again the oil that remains in the pulp after having carried out a previous mechanical extraction.
And now that we have already seen the different types of extraction, let us go on to see the different types of oils obtained and their characteristics:
We start with virgin and extra virgin olive oil, which are obtained through mechanical extraction and without using refined.
The Extra Virgin Oil must not exceed 0.8º of acidity, and it will be considered the highest quality oil. Specifically, the EVOO is always extracted through pressing, but carried out cold and only the oil obtained exclusively from the first pressing is stored.
Virgin olive oil is somewhat worse in terms of quality. Its acidity level is usually 2º.
The olive oil (dry) will be a mixture between virgin olive oil and refined olive oil. (Of the three, it is the worst quality). Refined olive oil receives this name because a refining process has been applied based on the use of high temperatures, which allows it to eliminate the acquired negative organoleptic properties but which will obviously also decrease its quality.
As you can guess, the benefits provided by EVOO are not extensible to other oils, which provide benefits, yes, but in less quantity. That is why spending money to buy a good oil is one of the best investments you can make, because you are investing money in health.
Among the properties attributed to olive oil are:
- It has a low content of polyunsaturated fatty acids. It produces less dangerous substances for the health against oxidation.
- It helps decrease cardiovascular risk due to its content in oleic acid and antioxidants.
- Prevents premature skin aging.
- It is attributed an anti-inflammatory action in the human body, therefore, it helps to reduce joint and muscle pain.
- Naturally prevents constipation.
- Its consumption is related to a lower risk of obesity and type II diabetes.
And now that you know what types of olive oils there are, and why, could you tell us what type of oil you usually have at home?
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