If you read my food posts, you'll know that one main ingredient exists among all of them...extra virgin olive oil. There is a reason for all of this, and I am going to attempt to explain why. I say attempt, because, in reality a short blog post cannot even begin to cover the vast amount that this ingredient has to offer. I do say ingredient for people do not usually consume olive oil on its own. Cause that would be weird.
One time I can recall seeing this documentary about a family owned olive oil producer whom were proudly showing off their whole entire operation. But, speaking of weird, it got weird for sure. At least to me. You see, after finishing showing off their process to press olives for oil extraction came a taste test for the interviewer. As everyone was soaking up some oil with bread the attractive, and nicely dressed, middle aged Italian woman giving the tour took one look at a bowl of this green liquid gold and said in her accent, “It’s even great for your skin...”. At which time she proceeded to dunk her hands in and smear it ALL over her face like she was doing a beauty mask or somethin'. My reaction was some version of the following.
So much weird. I shot up off my couch and screamed at my TV.
That was a real moment, but funny stuff aside it was an interesting look into the whole operation. Olive oil is a commodity that is very very worth while. It trumps other oils, and fats, by large quantities. It has been exalted in Mediterranean cuisine by its regular consumers and fans. Both for cultural significance, nationalism, and perhaps secondary for its health benefits.
Olive oil is very prominent in the Mediterranean because its climate, that being warm and dry, allows olive trees to exist. How and why olives evolved into being pressed for their oil is beyond this post, but perhaps I will tackle this in the future. Right now, I just want to explain why you see it used so much in my food posts.
Of course, in cooking, the absence of any sort of dietary fat would leave the food you cook dry, and almost in a way, toasted. As a result, two main options came into popularity: dairy butter, and fruit/vegetable oil (olives are in the fruit family). Butter has a rich, but not too sweet or savory flavor. It sits in the middle, offering a unique texture when used to cook foods. Fruit/vegetable oils, on the other end, can be anywhere from odorless and flavorless, to near the exact opposite. Both can offer a unique and visible sheen to cooked foods. So with dietary fats, you can get flavors, textures, and visual cues.
But there does exist one problem with butter...that being its saturated fat content which has been shown to increase blood cholesterol.
There are two main types that you will find doctors measuring in the blood. The bad kind (aka LDL), and the good kind (aka HDL). Both of which are produced in the liver. Actually, their main function is to facilitate a closed loop system of cholesterol delivery. LDL carries cholesterol to all the cells in the body, HDL carries cholesterol away from the cells back to the liver. And, roughly 75% of your blood cholesterol is produced by your liver and other cells, leaving the remaining 25% needed from food.
Saturated fats raise both LDL and HDL levels, but predominately LDL. Consuming lots of foods high in saturated fats, and perhaps dietary cholesterol as well, will raise both HDL/LDL levels and provide greater than the approximate 25% required. In an unsatisfactory ratio.
The good news is that not all fats are bad. Saturated fats, especially if you are sensitive to them via a hereditary condition, raise LDL. Which means too much cholesterol will be distributed throughout your body. But, polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats raise HDL. So consuming foods high in these type of good fats help your body collect any unused cholesterol back to the liver. Which is a good thing. A very good thing.
Guess which type of fats extra virgin olive oil has in spades.
Here is a little breakdown.
One tablespoon of butter contains 7.3 grams of saturated fat, 0.4 grams of polyunsaturated fats, 3 grams of monounsaturated fats.
One tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil contains 1.9 grams of saturated fats, 1.4 grams of polyunsaturated fats, and 9.8 grams of monounsaturated fats.
Both are roughly 12 grams of fat in total to the tune of 120 calories.
So from butter to olive oil, saturated fats go down by roughly 75%, and just over a 200% increase in both poly/mono-unsaturated fats.
Essentially EV olive oil will bolster your body’s ability to clear unused cholesterol while simultaneously suppressing its ability to provide unneeded cholesterol.
Furthermore, your ratio of ldl to hdl will be optimized. Studies have shown that an unfavorable ratio can form plaques in your arteries, which will cause a narrowing of its walls. A recipe for heart disease, or at worst cardiac arrest (your heart stopping due to a plaque blockage).
(Just an FYI. Arteries carry blood away from your heart. Veins return blood to your heart. You need your arteries clear.)
So why, on earth, must I insist on the extra virgin olive oil...? Why not just plain olive oil?
Extra Virgin olive oil is of the highest quality. In terms of flavor, color, heat capacity, and most importantly poly/mono-unsaturated fat density.
Not to mention the higher quantities of phytonutrients, which are those plant-based nutrients that are oh so good for your health.
Given all EV olive oil has going for it, and your health, it is relatively inexpensive. But watch out. Olive oil theft is a big deal. As are counterfeit producers.
I once heard a quote from an Interpol agent assigned to the fine arts market. He said, you show me a high priced, high traffic marketplace, and I will show you counterfeits. During this time, he stated that 90% of the fine arts market is filled with fake Van Gogh's, Matisse's, what have you.
The EV olive oil market is similar. And I know from personal experience since my family produces a small quantity of it for ourselves, by ourselves. We have shipped cans of this overseas for years and have witnessed suspect activity.
Quality extra virgin olive oil is out there, but buyers beware. A little bit of due diligence goes a long way. In the end, it will be well worth it. Trust me.
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