Olive oil
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Pressed from olives.
Pure fat, with no carbohydrate to count.
Fine for most people at normal amounts.
Rules by country
Olive oil is a food rather than an additive with an E-number, so none of the three regulators has evaluated it as an additive. It is one of the few dietary fats with consistent evidence behind it, because the monounsaturated fat and the polyphenols in extra virgin oil both move blood lipids in the right direction.
What is it?
Extra virgin olive oil is pressed cold and left unfiltered, so it can taste grassy or peppery and it darkens in the bottle. Refined olive oil is bleached and filtered to remove the bitterness, which makes it neutral and cheaper to cook with. About three quarters of the fat is oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat, with most of the rest polyunsaturated and a small saturated share.
Where it comes from: Pressed from the pit of the olive fruit. Extra virgin oil is made within a day of picking and without heat beyond the pressing itself, while refined olive oil is bleached and filtered to take away the bitterness.
Why it’s in food
- Salad dressings
- Sautéing
- Frying at moderate heat
- Brushing onto bread
- Flavoring dips
Often found in
Also listed as: Olive oil, Extra virgin olive oil, Virgin olive oil, Cold-pressed olive oil, Olive oil, extra virgin
Health & gut impact
In the PREDIMED trial, people eating a Mediterranean diet enriched with extra virgin olive oil had fewer major cardiovascular events than those on a low-fat diet.
PREDIMED trial, New England Journal of Medicine (2018)
Swapping saturated fat for olive oil lowers LDL cholesterol in controlled feeding trials, which is the part of the fat profile that tracks most closely with heart risk.
Sacks and colleagues, American Heart Association presidential advisory on dietary fats (2017)
The polyphenols are what refined oil loses. That is why the research points at extra virgin olive oil rather than at olive oil in general.
Visioli and colleagues, review of olive oil polyphenols (2018)
What can I use instead?
Ratio: Use the same volume for a milder oil with a higher smoke point
Best for: High-heat cooking
Related
More fats & oils:
Common questions
Is olive oil healthy?
It is one of the best-evidenced cooking fats. The Mediterranean trials that link olive oil to lower heart-disease rates used extra virgin oil, and the benefit shows up when it replaces saturated fat rather than when it is added on top of an otherwise unchanged diet.
Is olive oil still healthy when it is heated?
Yes. Olive oil is mostly monounsaturated fat and does not break down the way a polyunsaturated seed oil does, so it is a sound choice for sautéing and moderate frying. It is not the best oil for very high heat or for frying the same food repeatedly.
What is the difference between extra virgin and refined olive oil?
Extra virgin is pressed cold and unfiltered, so it keeps the polyphenols and has more flavor. Refined is bleached and filtered, tastes neutral, costs less, and has lost most of the compounds the health research is about.
Is Olive oil safe?
Generally safe (93/100). Olive oil is a food rather than an additive with an E-number, so none of the three regulators has evaluated it as an additive. It is one of the few dietary fats with consistent evidence behind it, because the monounsaturated fat and the polyphenols in extra virgin oil both move blood lipids in the right direction.
Is Olive oil vegan?
Yes. Pressed from olives.
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Scientific sources & regulatory citations
- PREDIMED trial, New England Journal of Medicine (2018)
- Sacks and colleagues, American Heart Association presidential advisory on dietary fats (2017)
- Visioli and colleagues, review of olive oil polyphenols (2018)
CAS 8001-25-1