[Health] About olive oil

Hello, I'm Tatsuo.

I often hear that olive oil is good for your health, but

Some of you may be wondering:
"What exactly is good about it?"
"Is it okay to heat it?"

Today, I'd like to talk about the basic information and health benefits of olive oil.

① Health Benefits

The primary reason olive oil is considered healthy is that it contains significantly more oleic acid than other vegetable oils.

Furthermore, its high content of antioxidants also contributes to its significant health benefits.

Oleic acid and antioxidants can help prevent and improve arteriosclerosis and lifestyle-related diseases, and also have beauty benefits.

It's also relatively resistant to oxidation, making it easier to use in cooking compared to omega-3 oils.

② Oleic Acid

Oleic acid is classified as a monounsaturated fatty acid, omega-9.
Omega-9 is characterized by its resistance to oxidation compared to omega-3 (flaxseed oil, DHA, etc.) and omega-6 (salad oil, etc.).

This means it helps reduce the intake of oxidized oils.

In addition, oleic acid reduces only bad cholesterol and activates good cholesterol, thereby reducing the encounter rate between active oxygen and bad cholesterol, and lowering the risk of arteriosclerosis.

③ Antioxidants

While olive oil is composed of 99% lipids, the remaining 1% is crucial for our health.

This 1% contains antioxidants and other nutritional components.

Antioxidants include:

・Vitamin E
・Polyphenols
・β-carotene
・Chlorophyll

Other nutrients include squalene, sterols, and vitamins A, D, and K.

Antioxidants are effective in suppressing excessive active oxygen generated in the body and preventing and improving cancer and lifestyle-related diseases.

④ Standards

Olive oil is subject to standards set by organizations like the International Olive Council (IOC) and Japanese Agricultural Standard (JAS).

In Japan, there are only two JAS standards:

・Olive oil
・Refined olive oil

"What!?"

That's right.
There is no standard for extra virgin olive oil in Japan.

This is why olive oil is often said to have many fakes.

If you choose an olive oil simply because it says "extra virgin," you might end up buying an oil that doesn't contain the expected nutrients.

⑤ Cooking

Olive oil is rich in antioxidants and oleic acid, which is resistant to oxidation, making it an easy oil to use in cooking. You can also drizzle it over salads or fish for a delicious meal.

I often eat canned mackerel with lemon-flavored olive oil.
The lemon flavor eliminates the fishy smell of the mackerel, so I can even enjoy all the liquid!👍

Summary

Olive oil is...
■ Rich in oleic acid and antioxidants.
■ Effective in preventing and improving various conditions such as arteriosclerosis and lifestyle-related diseases.
■ There is no standard for extra virgin olive oil in Japan.
■ Can be used for cooking with heat.

Next time, I'll talk in detail about olive oil standards!