Is olive oil good for cooking and frying?



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Olive oil is extremely healthy because it is rich in beneficial fatty acids and powerful antioxidants. It is also a staple food for some of the healthiest people in the world. However, many people think that it's not suitable for cooking because of its unsaturated fat content.

Others argue that it is an excellent cooking choice, even for high temperature methods such as frying. It is important to choose heat-stable cooking fats as some oils can form carcinogenic compounds during cooking. This is especially true for people rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, including most vegetable oils such as soy and canola. In case of overheating, they can form several harmful compounds, including lipid peroxides and aldehydes, which may contribute to cancer.

If you want to minimize your exposure to potentially harmful and carcinogenic compounds, cook only with stable, high-heat fats. Olive oil contains mainly monounsaturated fatty acids, largely resistant to heat. In addition, it contains vitamin E and many powerful antioxidants, which have many health benefits.

Many studies have exposed it to high temperatures for long periods. Even in these extreme conditions, it does not form significant amounts of harmful compounds. The smoke point of an oil is the temperature at which it begins to degrade and produces visible smoke. When this happens, the fat molecules separate and become several harmful compounds.

The smoke point of extra virgin olive oil is between 190 and 207 ° C. This makes it a good choice for most cooking methods. Although studies indicate that high temperatures and prolonged cooking can destroy some of its beneficial compounds, they apply extreme methods.

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