Sure you’ve heard Olive Oil is good for you…but here’s why!

Olive oil has been an endless source of fascination since the earliest days of the Mediterranean people; and the same fascination seems to be in our supermarkets! We just can't seem to get enough olive oil varieties and brands.

These days trying to select among extra virgin olive oils from Italy, France, Spain or even California is more confusing than ever. But have you ever wondered just WHY Olive Oil is just so special?

It all started thousands of years ago as Greek myths attributed the creation of the olive tree to the goddess Athena, who crafted the fruit during a competition for the patronage of Athens.

Centuries after Athena’s invention, olives are grown all over the world. Spain tops the list of growers with 190 million olive trees, and accounts for 40-50% of worldwide olive oil production. Other major producers are Italy, Greece, Portugal, Tunisia, Turkey and Syria, but olive oil hails from the U.S. (California makes 99% of the olive oil produced in the U.S.), Eastern Europe and Australia as well. The specific use of olive oil as a food flavoring is relatively new – in the last 50 years or so.

All olives start out green, turn color and eventually turn black. Any olive can be made into oil. However, varieties with high oil content and good horticultural characteristics are usually selected. Interestingly, only a small percentage of olive oil labeled as “Italian” or “Imported from Italy” is made from olives actually grown in Italy. Italy consumes more olive oil than it produces, so it imports oil from Spain, Greece and North Africa.

The health benefits of olive oil are dependant on olive variety and fruit maturity at harvest; oils with higher levels of polyphenols (antioxidant micronutrients) and monounsaturated fats are considered to be more heart healthy. The amount of polyphenols in a bottle of olive oil can be influenced by how the oil was processed, stored, and by its age. Non-refined or virgin oils have higher levels of phenols than more refined varieties. In fact, a recent Spanish study found that eating foods prepared with virgin olive oils that are rich in phenols may help ward off blood clots and boost heart health in people with high cholesterol. Because of the predominance of Oleic fatty acids in the oil, olive oil is classified as a monounsaturated fat – the fat proven to raise HDL (good) cholesterol. Rich in antioxidants like vitamins A and E, olive oil has a high smoke point (410 degrees Fahrenheit), making it ideal for frying and sautéing.

As a general rule of thumb, the lower the acidity the better and smoother the oil, though the acidity level of a fatty acid cannot be tasted. Extra virgin olive oil (with an acidity level not exceeding 0.8%) is the best grade, made only by mechanical means, with no heat or other methods applied to extract the oil. Olive oil (without the virgin or extra virgin label) is a blend of refined and virgin olive oil. It is often refined when the olive oil flavor is less than perfect, and results in a lower priced option.

But read those labels carefully, lots of shoppers are surprised when they reach for an olive oil that is labeled “lite” or “light” – many think they are choosing a product with less fat or less calories –the only difference is an oil with less flavor or lighter in color!