Eat good oil and stay away from cardiovascular diseases! Are you eating olive oil correctly? Oil tasters reveal three myths

People who know how to maintain their health, please take a look. The Mediterranean diet has been ranked as the best diet in the world for two consecutive years because it helps prevent dementia, reduce cardiovascular disease, and helps control weight! In particular, olive oil, the soul protagonist, is the representative of good oil! However, many people still have many myths about how to eat olive oil in a healthy way, such as olive oil can only be used for cold dishes and not for high-temperature stir-frying, and whether olive oil should be refrigerated? Let the oil taster explain the three major myths in detail at once. (Video/Photography by Zheng Mingjun and Jiang Minjun)

To prevent cardiovascular disease, eat good oil, good salt and good meat

In a lecture titled "Are You Eating Olive Oil Correctly? Oil Tasters Reveal Common Myths About Olive Oil" recently held by the Health Elementary School, Zhang Yiyao, a nutritionist and internationally certified oil taster, said that in order to prevent cardiovascular disease, it was believed that the diet should contain less oil, less salt and less meat. In fact, this concept may not be correct. Because our body's bones, muscles, red blood cells, white blood cells and immunoglobulins in the blood all need protein, and many of our body's hormones, even brain cells and many cell membranes, need good fats, so we should eat good oils, good salt and good meat.

Fatty acids that help prevent cardiovascular disease are: Omega-3 and Omega-9

Eating more oil does not necessarily cause a burden on the cardiovascular system. However, if we eat the right oil, it can help remove some bad substances from our blood. For example, deep-sea fish oil, flaxseed oil and nuts and seeds containing Omega 3 are all good oils that belong to Omega-3. They also have the effect of lowering cholesterol and preventing inflammation in the body. In addition, Omega-9 is called monounsaturated fatty acid, such as olive oil, camellia oil and avocado. It has a very good property, which is that it can lower bad cholesterol without affecting good cholesterol. Therefore, to prevent cardiovascular diseases, it is not about not eating oil, but about eating the right oil wisely.

Zhang Yiyao, a nutritionist and internationally certified oil taster, said that to prevent cardiovascular disease, one must eat good oil, good salt and good meat. (Photography by Zheng Mingjun and Jiang Minjun)

As for the classification of fatty acids, they can be divided into: Omega-3, Omega-6, Omega-9 and saturated fat. What are really helpful for cardiovascular prevention are Omega-3 and Omega-9. Therefore, it is recommended that you eat more so-called deep-sea fish, flax seeds and nuts, as well as monounsaturated fatty acids, the most representative of which are olive oil, camellia oil and avocado.

Olive oil is perfect for any medium to low temperature stir-fry. Chef Fan Bingwen demonstrates olive oil cooking on site. (Photography by Zheng Mingjun and Jiang Minjun)

After the lecture "Are you eating olive oil correctly? Oil tasters reveal common myths about olive oil" held by "Healthy Primary School" a few days ago, participants took a group photo with nutritionist Zhang Yiyao. (Photography by Zheng Mingjun and Jiang Minjun)

Extra virgin olive oil features: good flavor, smells fragrant, tastes a bit bitter and spicy

Nutritionist Zhang Yiyao said that although olive oil has so many benefits to health, it does not mean that all olive oils are good. Why? In fact, after olive oil is harvested and bottled, it must be classified into grades. Only the one with good flavor, fragrant smell, and may taste a bit bitter and spicy is the real extra virgin cold-pressed olive oil. In contrast, if the olive oil tastes a little bit bad, it may be classified as ordinary grade or even so-called inferior olive oil.

There are many labels on the market for refined olive oil. In fact, it is often low-quality olive oil that has been refined through a process to remove impurities and become refined olive oil. However, in this process, many of the nutritional values ​​of the olive oil itself will be lost. Therefore, if you want the best, top-quality, delicious and healthy olive oil, it is best to choose the so-called extra virgin cold-pressed olive oil. Therefore, when purchasing olive oil, remember to look carefully for the label called extra virgin, or extra virgin cold-pressed olive oil.

The interaction at the lecture "Are you eating olive oil right? Oil tasters reveal common myths about olive oil" held by the Health Primary School a few days ago was very lively. (Photography by Zheng Mingjun and Jiang Minjun)

At the event, nutritionist Zhang Yiyao also took all the guests attending the lecture to experience three different flavors of olive oil and have an oil tasting experience, such as the Spanish Castile Penarubia olive oil with floral and fruity aroma, and Italian yellow lemon olive oil. Chef Fan Bingwen naturally incorporated these unique olive oils into the dishes, making three delicious snacks and soups for the guests to taste, and everyone spent a relaxing and happy afternoon together.

Myth 1: Can olive oil withstand high temperatures? Can I fry it in high temperature oil?

Now let's take a look at the many myths that many people still have about olive oil, such as "Can olive oil withstand high temperatures? Can it be fried with high-temperature oil?" Nutritionist Zhang Yiyao said that in the past we thought that olive oil was not resistant to high temperatures, but in fact we know from scientific experiments that the smoke point of unrefined cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil is 191 degrees. Of course, if it is refined, it can become above 230 degrees, but we do not need to pursue such a high temperature. As long as it is extra virgin cold-pressed olive oil, it can actually retain the most original nutritional value. Therefore, it is suitable for general stir-frying, such as stir-frying vegetables and frying eggs. The smoke point is only about 160 degrees. Therefore, olive oil is very suitable for any medium or low temperature stir-frying.

The smoke point of unrefined cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil is 191 degrees, which is also suitable for stir-frying. (Photography by Zheng Mingjun and Jiang Minjun)

Myth 2: Should olive oil be stored in the refrigerator?

The second myth, which is also a question that everyone often asks, is "Should olive oil be stored in the refrigerator?" Nutritionist Zhang Yiyao said that, in fact, it is not necessary. Why? Because olive oil has a very high content of monounsaturated fatty acids, it is easy for it to crystallize after being placed in the refrigerator. After crystallization, if it is brought back to room temperature for cooking, it needs to be thawed. The temperature will go up and down, which will make the olive oil spoil easily. Therefore, olive oil can actually be preserved very well as long as it is stored in a cool place, not near a stove, not near a windowsill, or exposed to damage by light.

Generally speaking, the shelf life of olive oil is 18 months if it is unopened. However, if it has been opened, the olive oil will slowly begin to oxidize after being exposed to the temperature and air. Therefore, it is recommended to use up the opened olive oil within 3 months to best preserve its aroma and freshness.