Olive Oil and Frying...Shedding Light

Amy McDougal in an olive grove

For years, we have been told that using extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) at a high heat was causing it to lose its anti-oxidant properties. I recently found 2 studies showing that olive oil is safe to fry with and can be much healthier than any other frying choice, even coconut oil.  One study showed that frying vegetables with EVOO, even deep frying, may be healthier than boiling with vegetables. Frying with EVOO actually increased the anti-oxidant value of the vegetables fried in the study.  The other study showed olive oil to be more stable than vegetable oil for deep frying.  I even tried it cooking popcorn the other day and it was delish!  Dig in.

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308814615006810

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20678538/