Olive oil is world renowned for its health benefits. The Mediterranean diet has olive oil as one of its centerpieces, and those countries where people eat a traditional Mediterranean diet, such as Greece and Italy, enjoy the benefits of one of the longest life spans and lowest cancer rates in the world. Over the last couple of decades, the health benefits of olive oil have started to gain traction in the American culinary arena. How does olive oil benefit health? Although most people today have a vague notion that olive oil is good for them, many people don’t understand exactly why. For instance, olive oil is almost pure fat, so how can it really be good for you since we are taught that we should lower our intake of fats to reduce our risk or cardiovascular disease. The fact is that our body needs fat as it is one of the […]

Olive oil is 100% fat, but it should not be considered “fattening” because that is a negative term. Olive oil consists of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats which are the good kind of fats that enhance your health.  Studies show that these unsaturated fats help to increase the “good” cholesterol levels in your blood which reduce your risk for heart attack and stroke. A healthy diet should get about 30% of its calories from fat but the type of fat you eat, either saturated or unsaturated, is critical to your cardiovascular health.  You should try to get the vast majority of your fat from vegetable sources such as olive and canola oil, as opposed to saturated fat which comes from animal sources and is linked to increased cholesterol levels and hardening of the arteries. All fats are high in calories If you’re worried about weight gain from olive oil, remember that […]

Yes, olive oil does go bad after a period of time that is influenced heavily by the conditions in which the oil is stored.  Once olives are picked, they slowly start decay just like any other food, and the nutrients and enzymes that make olive oil famous for its healthful properties begin to break down and turn rancid. The best time to consume olive oil is within the first six months after production, as it will have the most flavor and antioxidant retention during that time.  After about a year, the oil will not have the same taste as before, though some people are more sensitive to the degradation than others.  The oil will not make you sick, but it will not be as good for you as when it was fresh. Olive oil bottles are supposed to have manufacturing dates and expiration dates printed right on the label, however, […]

When comparing the health, cooking, and nutritional properties of rice bran oil versus olive oil, you’ll find more similarities than you will differences. Because both are natural vegetable oils, they have many things in common, but with some subtle differences. In the Western world, extra virgin olive oil is renowned for its healthful properties. But in much of the Far East, rice bran oil takes its place near the pinnacle of healthiest oils, due mainly to rices ubiquity in that part of the world. I live in Thailand, and in Thai language the word for “eat” literally means “eat rice”. That is how ingrained into the culture rice is in this part of the world. So here, rice bran oil is king, and many Thai people have never even tasted olive oil. Which is healthier? The research on olive oil is quite conclusive that it is very healthy when consumed […]