Is Olive Oil the Best Cooking Oil? An Analysis of Its Benefits and Whether It Can Be Eaten Raw

Olive oil is obtained by directly cold-pressing fresh olive fruit, without heating or chemical processing, which preserves its natural nutrients. So is it the best cooking oil? What benefits and effects does it have? Can it be eaten raw? It is said that olive oil is considered the oil best suited to human nutrition among all the oils discovered to date.

1. Is olive oil the best cooking oil?

Olive oil is simply a relatively good cooking oil, but it does not have significantly higher nutritional value than other vegetable oils. It contains more oleic acid and, like other vegetable oils, contains no cholesterol. Using it to replace animal fats in the diet is beneficial for cardiovascular health. Cold-pressed, unrefined olive oil contains relatively large amounts of polyphenol compounds and other antioxidants, which are considered to have some health value. However, the composition of olive oil does not meet the nutritional needs of infants and young children, and is even further removed from the fat composition of breast milk. Not only is it unsuitable for infant development, it can even be called a “low-quality food” for infants and young children. Stir-frying with olive oil is unlikely to produce obviously harmful substances, but its antioxidant components will be destroyed, thereby losing that bit of “nutritional advantage” that cold-pressed olive oil “may possibly have.”

2. What benefits and effects does olive oil have?

1. Promotes blood circulation

Olive oil can prevent arteriosclerosis and complications of arteriosclerosis, high blood pressure, heart disease, heart failure, kidney failure, and cerebral hemorrhage.

2. Improves digestive system function

Olive oil contains higher levels of unsaturated fatty acids than any vegetable oil, along with abundant vitamin A, D, E, F, K and carotene and other fat-soluble vitamins and antioxidants and various other components, and it contains no cholesterol, so its rate of digestion and absorption by the human body is extremely high.

3. Protects the skin

Olive oil is rich in squalene, which has excellent affinity with the skin, and in essential fatty acids, is absorbed quickly, and effectively maintains skin elasticity and moisture; the abundant monounsaturated fatty acids and vitamin E, K, A, D and phenolic antioxidants contained in olive oil can eliminate facial wrinkles, prevent skin aging, and have effects such as skin and hair care and preventing and treating chapped hands and feet. It is a beauty and skincare product that can be “eaten.” In addition, applying olive oil to the skin can resist ultraviolet rays and prevent skin cancer.

4. Improves endocrine system function

Olive oil can improve the metabolic function of the body.

5. Benefits the skeletal system

Olive oil can promote bone growth. The natural antioxidants and ω-3 fatty acids in olive oil help the human body absorb minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, and zinc, and can promote bone growth, so it also plays an important role during periods of bone growth and in preventing osteoporosis.

6. Anti-cancer effect

Because olive oil contains abundant monounsaturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids, the ω-3 fatty acids among the polyunsaturated fatty acids can reduce the amount of linoleic acid that tumors extract from the blood, depriving tumors of a nutrient they greatly need.

7. Anti-radiation effect.

8. Anti-aging

Among the many components of olive oil, carotene and chlorophyll give olive oil its yellow-green color, and chlorophyll plays a metabolic role, promoting cell growth and accelerating wound healing. It also helps beautify a person's appearance and reduces the formation of wrinkles.

9. Prevents cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases

Olive oil can protect the cardiovascular system in many ways.

10. Antibacterial and anti-inflammatory

Olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fatty acids, namely oleic acid. It can increase high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, a kind of good cholesterol that flows in our blood, and lower bad cholesterol. It also has an anti-inflammatory effect, is good for blood vessels and joints, and is rich in plant sterols and polyphenols that have anti-cancer effects.

3. Can olive oil be eaten raw?

Eating it raw is actually the best way to consume olive oil, because the vitamins, antioxidants and other nutrients in olive oil are not destroyed by high heat and are fully preserved when eaten.

However, not just any olive oil can be eaten raw. Refined olive oil, pomace oil, so-called pure olive oil, cooking olive oil, olive-sunflower oil (which is not olive oil at all) and so on cannot be eaten raw; even when heated and eaten, the nutritional content of these olive oils is very limited. For eating raw, you must choose extra virgin olive oil (extra virgin olive oil), and select a top-quality extra virgin olive oil according to the methods in the identification and purchasing section.