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EGREGIO organic extra virgin olive oil is recognized for its high quality in LONDON

Tue, 22 Jun 2021 12:26:23 GMT

Our brand Egregio has recently been awarded with a GOLD medal in one of the most prestigious EVOO contest in the world, the LONDON International Olive Oil Competition (LONDON IOOC).

This recognition corroborates the one recently received as the best #EVOO of the 2020-21 Harvest in the Estepa Denomination of Origin contest, which was organized by its Regulatory Council. To this award is added the recognition of its high quality achieved in competitions in NEW YORK, CANADA and JAPAN.

This excellent EVOO was cold extracted in our mills from Lora de Estepa in November, using only early-harvest organic Hojiblanca olives. The result is a very fruity EVOO, with aromas reminiscent of green olives and hits of ripe olives, freshly grass and artichoke. Spiciness and bitterness are mild and balanced, and there is a hint of sweetness.

EGREGIO is available in gourmet stores and in the online store: https://www.egregioextravirgin.com/store

Egregio demonstrates once again our strict commitment to quality

Thu, 27 May 2021 10:40:07 GMT

Our brand Egregio has recently been awarded with a GOLD medal in one of the most prestigious EVOO contest in the world, the NEW YORK International Olive Oil Competition (NYIOOC).

This recognition corroborates the one recently received as the best #EVOO of the 2020-21 Harvest in the Estepa Denomination of Origin contest, which was organized by its Regulatory Council.

EGREGIO is available in gourmet stores and in the online store: https://www.egregioextravirgin.com/store

EGREGIO Organic EVOO by Oleoestepa gets the award for the best EVOO of the Estepa Designation of Origin

websitebuilder@1and1.de — Tue, 23 Mar 2021 11:37:30 GMT

This award recognizes the great work of the associated oil mills located in the territory protected by the Estepa Designation of Origin in the development of a sustainable olive grove and an extra virgin olive oil of the highest quality.

The Estepa Protected Designation of Origin has celebrated the first edition of the award for the quality of extra virgin olive oil produced in its territory. The award for the best EVOO of the Estepa PDO for the 2020/21 harvest campaign has gone to one of the associated oil mills of Oleoestepa SCA, named San José de Lora de Estepa oil mill.

Oleoestepa bottle the awarded EVOO under the brand of organic extra virgin olive oil EGREGIO , a Premium reference available in gourmet stores and its online store by clicking here .

EGREGIO EVOO comes from organic farming, early harvest and cold extraction. It presents a complex and balanced profile, very fruity, with a diversity of aromas reminiscent of green olives, with hints of ripe olives, fresh grass, green leaf, artichoke and green branch wood. In the mouth, the spiciness and bitterness stand out, harmonious and very balanced, complemented with a touch of sweetness.

The contest organized by the Estepa Denomination of Origin is based on two unique milestones that are not presented in any other contest in the world. First of all, participants must have a deposit of at least 40,000 kg of extra virgin olive oil, which forces participants to have a high level of generalized demand in its production. Secondly, all the oils presented must comply with the specifications of the Estepa Designation of Origin, the most demanding in the world on certifying the high quality of an extra virgin olive oil.

This award recognizes the great work of the associated oil mills located in the territory protected by the Estepa Designation of Origin in the development of a sustainable olive grove and an extra virgin olive oil of the highest quality.

Why organic olive oil?

Wed, 03 Feb 2021 12:28:02 GMT

The consumption of organic products is becoming more and more important, for their health benefits, the sustainability of their production and their unmistakable quality make consumers prefer organic products over conventional more and more.

It´s important that we know the definition of organic extra virgin olive oil, which is: “oil that comes from organic farming, a production system that uses agricultural methods that respect nature and the environment, with very strict rules on the use of herbicides, pesticides and synthetic chemical fertilizers”

Egregio Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil is produced in Estepa, a small town in the south of Spain where each olive is harvested in a sustainable way while protecting nature and the environment as much as possible. For us, the most important thing about extra virgin olive oil is not only the quality but also how the oil has been harvested and produced.

Here you have just a few reasons to consume Egregio Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil:

- Avoid chemicals. ...

- Benefit from more nutrients. ...

- Enjoy better taste. ...

- Avoid GMOs. ...

- Preserve our ecosystems. ...

- Reduce pollution and protect the quality of the water and soil. ...

- Preserve agricultural diversity.

From Egregio we encourage you to consume organic extra virgin olive oil and enjoy its benefits!

The importance of recently harvested: fresh olive oil

Mon, 25 Jan 2021 12:04:54 GMT

"The fresher the better"

Did you know that great olive oil is the opposite of great wine? While some quality wine gets better over time, all great extra virgin olive oil gets worse. The fresher the better.

Consuming fresh extra virgin olive oil will allow you to experience the most all of the amazing flavors and aromas, adding more flavor to each dish. Consuming fresh harvest oil also ensures low levels of oxidation, high content of polyphenols and oleic acid, which have a direct impacts on your health.

Our November 2020 harvest Fresh Egregio Extra Virgin Olive Oil has just arrived! Egregio Intense for hearty plates such as meats or veggies, Egregio Delicate for fish or poultry, and Egregio Organic for your everyday needs. All Egregio Extra Virgin Olive Oil is farmed sustainably from our family of farmers.

Thanksgiving turkey recipe

Thu, 26 Nov 2020 16:08:31 GMT

Healthy recipe with egregio delicate fruit olive oil

Preparation:

For the stuffing:

1. Cut the bread into small cubes, dice the onion and celery and chop the parsley.

2. Bake the bread in the oven for several minutes until golden.

3. Heat the Egregio delicate fruit olive oil in a pan and sauté the onion and celery until soft.

4. Mix the onion and celery with the remaining ingredients in a large bowl.

For the turkey:

1. Preheat the oven to 325ºF (165ºC).

2. Mix the Egregio delicate fruit olive oil with the garlic, rosemary, basil, oregano, parsley, onion powder, thyme, red pepper flakes, black pepper and salt in a bowl. Set aside.

3. Wash the turkey inside and out. Leave it to dry.

4. Remove any large fat deposits and gently loosen the skin from the breast without tearing it, working your fingers into the area between the breast and skin.

5. Place the stuffing inside the turkey cavity.

6. Spread the Egregio delicate fruit olive oil and herb mixture over the outside of the turkey and between the breast and skin.

7. Place the turkey in a roasting pan with a rack and put it in the oven. Add about half a cup of water to the bottom of the pan and leave the turkey to roast for three to four hours.

Ingredients

For the turkey:

• 1 whole turkey (about 4kg)

• 250ml Egregio delicate fruit extra virgin olive oil

• 3 tablespoons minced garlic

• A pinch of chopped fresh rosemary

• A pinch of chopped fresh basil

• A pinch of dried oregano

• A pinch of dried parsley

• A pinch of onion powder

• A pinch of dried thyme

• A pinch of red pepper flakes

• 1 teaspoon ground black pepper

• Salt to taste

For the stuffing:

• 450g crusty bread

• 2 onions

• Two celery stalks

• 50g fresh parsley

• 1 teaspoon dried sage

• 1 teaspoon dried thyme

• Salt to taste

• Pepper to taste

• 2 eggs

• 50ml chicken broth

Zucchini, Ricotta and Egregio Intense Fruit Frittata recipe

websitebuilder@1and1.de — Thu, 09 Jul 2020 17:28:06 GMT

How to prepare this delicious recipe and indulge yourself and your beloved ones

Portions: 4

Time of preparation: 30 minutes

Ingredients:
6 large eggs
½ cup ricotta cheese
⅓ cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
¼ teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
¼ cup chopped spring onion
¼ cup of EGREGIO Extra Virgin Olive Oil Intense Fruit
2 small zucchini, or one larger one, washed and sliced into thin rounds (about 3/4 pound)

Preparation:
In a large bowl beat the eggs until frothy. Add the Ricotta and Parmesan and beat to combine. Add the salt and freshly ground black pepper. Set aside.
Heat the EVOO in a 10-inch oven-proof stick-free skillet on medium high. When the oil is hot and begins to shimmer, add the chopped spring onions, sauté for a minute. Then add the zucchini slices. Stir so that the zucchini slices are all coated with some of the oil.
Cook, stirring only occasionally (if you stir too much the zucchini won't brown), until the zucchini slices are lightly browned, about 5-6 minutes. Remove from heat. Remove zucchini slices from the pan with tongs or a slotted spoon to a bowl.
Let cool for 30 seconds or so, and then stir the zucchini slices to the egg mixture.
Reheat the skillet. There should be a couple of tablespoons of oil left in the pan, if not, add some. When the oil is hot, pour the egg mixture into the pan. Do not stir it. Reduce the heat to medium. Let the egg mixture cook.
Run a spatula along the edge of the frittata, separating the cooked edges from the pan. Let the egg mixture cook until the bottom is golden brown and the top is beginning to set, about 5-6 minutes.
Set the top rack 5 inches from the heating element in the oven. Preheat the oven broiler. Once the top of the frittata has started to set in the pan on the stove top, remove the pan from the stove and place it in the oven.
With the broiler on, the door of the oven needs to be open. You can let the pan's handle stick out from the oven through the open door. Cook under the broiler until the top starts to become lightly browned, about 2 minutes.
Alternatively, instead of using the broiler, you can place a plate face-down on top of the skillet. Flip the skillet over to release the frittata on to the plate. Then slide the frittata from the plate back on to the skillet.
Let cook for a couple of minutes more until the bottom side gets browned. Slide the frittata out of the skillet onto a serving plate. Let cool for a minute or two and serve. Serves 2 to 3.

For more details about Egregio Intense Fruit -click here-

How To Make Homemade Ricotta Cheese

Thu, 09 Jul 2020 00:06:57 GMT

Milk, lemon juice, and about a half-hour of your time — that’s all you need to make a batch of fresh, creamy homemade ricotta.

You’re not going to believe how easy and foolproof this is! And trust me — once you make your own ricotta, it’s hard to go back to the stuff from the tub. When I say this only takes a half hour, I should clarify that most of that time is actually hands-off. You bring the milk almost to a simmer, add lemon juice or vinegar, and then let it sit while you work on the rest of dinner.

Another 10 minutes or so goes into straining the curds, and then the ricotta is ready for your lasagna, pizza, or whatever delicious plans you have in store.

This process for making ricotta works best if you’re using whole milk, although I’ve had success with 2%. Just avoid skim or nonfat milk as there just isn’t enough milk fat left in the milk to actually separate into curds and whey. Also avoid using ultra-high temperature (UHT) pasteurized milk, as this process changes the protein structure of the milk and prevents it from separating. Unfortunately, many organic milks are UHT pasteurized, so if organic ricotta is your aim, definitely check the carton before buying.

Homemade ricotta really does have better texture and flavor than anything I’ve ever bought at the grocery store. I suspect that this is due in large part to the fact that it’s freshly made. I like that I can control just how wet or dry the ricotta is simply by how long I let it drain — I like wetter, looser ricotta for things like pizzas, and drier, firmer ricotta for cannoli and other desserts. If you wrap the drained ricotta in cheese cloth and press it beneath a weighted plate in the refrigerator overnight, you can also make a simple ricotta salata, paneer, queso fresco, or other fresh farmers cheese.

I also like that I can make exactly the amount of ricotta that I need. I find that a half gallon of milk dependably makes about two cups of ricotta depending on how long I let it drain, and the recipe can be scaled up or down to fit my recipe. Of course, if and when I do have leftover ricotta, I know there are plenty of ways to use up those last few dabs!

Making ricotta yourself also gives you a bonus: the leftover whey. This whey is fantastic in baked goods — try using whey instead of water in your next batch of bread or pizza dough. So good. You can also use a few spoonfuls of whey to jump-start the lacto-fermentation process when making things like sauerkraut and kvass.

I should also add that this is a simplified method intended for making a quick batch of ricotta at home. Traditionally, ricotta is made by heating the whey leftover from other cheese-making projects (those made by using starter cultures and rennet) — if you have whey of this type, then by all means, you should try making traditional ricotta!

Ricotta cheese recipe:

(makes 2 cups)

Ingredients:

1/2 gallon whole milk, not UHT pasteurized (see Recipe Notes)
1/3 cup lemon juice (from 1 1/2 to 2 lemons), 1/3 cup distilled white vinegar, or 1/2 teaspoon citric acid (available from cheese-making suppliers)
1 teaspoon salt, optional
1/4 cup Egregio Extra Virgin Olive Oil Intense Fruit

Equipment:

4-quart pot
Instant read thermometer or candy thermometer
Measuring spoons
Cheese cloth
Strainer
Mixing bowl
Slotter spoon

Preparation:

Warm the milk to 200°F: Pour the milk into a 4-quart pot and set it over medium heat. Let it warm gradually to 200°F, monitoring the temperature with an instant read thermometer. The milk will get foamy and start to steam; remove it from heat if it starts to boil.
Add the lemon juice and salt: Remove the milk from heat. Pour in the lemon juice or vinegar (or citric acid) and the salt. Stir gently to combine.
Let the milk sit for 10 minutes: Let the pot of milk sit undisturbed for 10 minutes. After this time, the milk should have separated into clumps of milky white curds and thin, watery, yellow-colored whey — dip your slotted spoon into the mix to check. If you still see a lot of un-separated milk, add another tablespoon of lemon juice or vinegar and wait a few more minutes.
Strain the curds: Set a strainer over a bowl and line the strainer with cheese cloth. Scoop the big curds out of the pot with a slotted spoon and transfer them to the strainer. Pour the remaining curds and the whey through the strainer. (Removing the big curds first helps keep them from splashing and making a mess as you pour.)
Drain the curds for 10 to 60 minutes: Let the ricotta drain for 10 to 60 minutes, depending on how wet or dry you prefer your ricotta. If the ricotta becomes too dry, you can also stir some of the whey back in before using or storing it.
Use or store the ricotta: Fresh ricotta can be used right away or refrigerated in an airtight container for up to a week.

Recipe Notes:

Whole vs. 2% vs. Non-Fat Milk: While whole milk is our favorite for making ricotta, 2% milk can also be used, though the ricotta is slightly less rich and creamy. Avoid using skim and nonfat milks; these don't separate as easily into curds and whey.

Pasteurized Milk: Pasteurized milk is fine to use for making ricotta, but avoid UHT (Ultra High Temperature) pasteurized milk as this process changes the protein structure of the milk, preventing it from separating.

Making Fresh Ricotta Salata: If you'd like to make a fresh farmer's cheese (ricotta salata) from this ricotta, wrap it in cheese cloth and press it beneath a weighted plate in the refrigerator overnight.

For more information about EGREGIO INTENSE FRUIT -click here-

Carrot and walnuts cornbread recipe

Thu, 09 Apr 2020 00:25:43 GMT

Portions: 6-8

Time of preparation: 1 hour

Ingredients:

1 cup of cornmeal

1 cup of wheat flour

4 tsp. of baking powder

1/3 cup of sugar

1/2 tsp. of cinnamon

1 grated carrot

1/2 cup of chopped walnuts

1 egg

1 cup of milk

1/4 cup of EGREGIO Extra Virgin Olive Oil DELICATE FRUIT

1 tsp of salt

Preparation:

Preheat the oven at 425 F degrees.

Grease a baking pan of approx. 10 x 10 x 4 inches.

Mix in a bowl all the dry ingredients and add the Extra Virgin Olive Oil, egg, milk, the grated carrot and the walnuts. Pour the mix in the greased baking pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes. It will be cooked when a knife get out dry from the center of the bread.

You can enjoy this cornbread warm or cold. Sprinkle some powdered sugar on it or your favorite glaze.

For more information about EGREGIO DELICATE FRUIT -click here-

Keep fit for life

Wed, 18 Mar 2020 22:43:51 GMT

Meeting the nutritional needs of older persons

In 2002, the World Health Organization actively participated in all the preparatory meetings for the Second World Assembly on Ageing (Madrid, 8 to 12 April 2002). WHO introduced its policy framework on active ageing, which focuses on such areas as:

- Preventing and reducing the burden of disabilities, chronic disease and premature mortality;

- Reducing the risk factors associated with noncommunicable diseases and functional decline as individuals age, while increasing factors that protect health;

- Enacting policies and strategies that provide a continuum of care for people with chronic illness or disabilities;

- Providing training and education to formal and informal carers;

- Ensuring the protection, safety and dignity of ageing individuals;

- Enabling people as they age to maintain their contribution to economic development, to activity in the formal and informal sectors, and to their communities and families.

In the Study KEEP FIT FOR LIFE , The World Health Organization gave very important recommendations about:

- Nutrient intakes;

- Food-based dietary guidelines;

- Phytochemicals;

- Water intake;

- Exercise and physical activity;

- Aerobic exercise; and

- Strength training.

The full Study can be downloaded here:

https://www.who.int/ageing/publications/keep_fit/en/

In the middle of the Coronavirus pandemic our planet is going through, it is very important to highlight what the nutritional and food-based dietary guidelines are, specially to maintain and to strength the immunological system of our older adults, and in general, of all the population.

"Considerable evidence indicates that ageing is associated with altered regulation of the immune system. Dysregulation of immune function contributes to the increased incidence of infectious, inflammatory and neoplastic diseases observed in older persons and to their prolonged post-illness recovery periods. The illness patterns in the elderly reflect both a deterioration of immune function and increased incidence of upper respiratory infections, shingles, tuberculosis and cancer.

Several macro- and micro-nutrients have been shown to play a regulatory role in immune system maintenance. Marginal and severe deficiencies of some of these nutrients are associated with impairments of T cell-mediated functions similar to those observed with ageing. Furthermore, supplementation with higher than the recommended dietary levels of some nutrients, e.g. vitamin E, has been shown to enhance immune response. Several investigators have suggested that the nutritional status of older persons may be less than optimal, thereby contributing to immunological changes. Nutrient intake is often compromised in older persons due to chronic diseases as well as economic, psycho social, physical and drug-related problems. Intakes below the RDA have been reported for zinc and vitamins E, C, and B6. Supplementation at or above the RDA level for a single nutrient, or a mixture of nutrients, may thus prevent and/or delay the onset of age-related immunological defects"... The Keep Fit For Life Study states.

To include in your daily diet four spoons of an authentic Extra Virgin Olive Oil is an excellent food-based source of Vitamins A, D, E, K, and Poliphenols as Oleocanthal, Oleuropein and Hydroxytyrosol . All this components associated to health improvement by reduction of blood pressure, anti-inflammatory, improvement of the immunologic system, antibacterial and antioxidant properties. To maximize the health properties of your Extra Virgin Olive Oil, when buying, be sure that it was recently produced, in a specific geographical region, not mixed or adulterated any way and well preserved from deterioration factors as light, oxygen and temperature exposure. If it comes directly from farmers and harvesters, as EGREGIO Extra Virgin Olive Oils, the better!

For more information about our Egregio Extra Virgin Olive Oils -click here-

OLEOESTEPA SCA CONTINGENCY PLAN

Mon, 16 Mar 2020 15:01:31 GMT

Measures against CORONAVIRUS (COVID 19)

SUPPLIERS AND CLIENTS:

In relation to the outbreak of Coronavirus (COVID 19) and following the recommendations of the World Health Organization and national health authorities, Oleoestepa SCA immediately applies a contingency plan with certain actions to reduce exposure and mitigate the risk for the health of its clients, employees and suppliers.

OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this report is to assess the risk and propose measures to prevent and control possible exposure to biological risk in relation to the new coronavirus COVID-19. Additionally, if necessary, prevention and control measures will be proposed to guarantee the safety and health of workers.
The recommendations of the health authorities on the advisability of controlling the biological agent in order to protect the health of workers who are or may be exposed to said agent due to their work will be taken into account.

VISIT TO FACILITIES

As access, those enabled at the entrance to the offices / reception will always be used to make the corresponding registration of visits, being prohibited to use any other, such as access doors to warehouses or the like. Temporary visits are all suspended.
Access to the production area by non-Oleoestepa personnel is prohibited.
To request exceptional access from people outside the company, it must be presented and approved by the quality manager, plant manager or R & D manager and only if they are operators of machinery and always registering in the guest book at reception.
You should wash your hands according to the instructions given in the leaflet of regulations for visitors given before entering the production area.
You must refrain from touching equipment, utensils, raw materials or finished products.

PROVISION OF SERVICES

To guarantee the continuity and provision of services, Oleoestepa SCA is in permanent contact with its suppliers to coordinate the necessary measures to guarantee the continuity of the activity.
In the scenario that a supplier detects that they have had a COVID 19 contagion episode, they must immediately inform Oleoestepa SCA so that we can take appropriate measures according to our internal protocol.
Information regarding the safety and prevention measures that our employees must take has been provided to all work centers and an internal action protocol against the virus has been created.
These guidelines may vary depending on what is recommended from the health authorities. Based on these, Oleoestepa SCA will adapt its protocols and inform clients of the changes.
Oleoestepa SCA works to maintain, as far as possible, the continuity of the services provided.

MEETINGS

Oleoestepa SCA temporarily postpones all meetings of its employees with external personnel within the work centers, leaving all scheduled appointments canceled until further notice. In the case of the appointments of associates to fulfill the aid of the PAC 2020 they are all postponed until a new order is issued. Attendance at events or congresses is also restricted, as well as attendance at public forums such as conferences, conventions or training courses.
It is also recommended, as far as possible, to hold meetings, via the use of technological means that the employees of Oleoestepa SCA have available.

Estepa March 13, 2020.

Mediterranean Salad drizzled with Organic Egregio Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Sat, 08 Jun 2019 19:48:51 GMT

Temperature is rising and this is a perfect option for your summer dinner or lunch...

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cups of spinach

1/2 onion

1/2 red sweet pepper

1 tomato

50g of black olives

100g of goat cheese crumbs

Egregio Extra Virgin Olive Oil Organic

Lemon

Sea salt

Pepper

Instructions:

Wash and dry all the veggies.

Slice the onion, red pepper and tomato.

Lay out the spinach on a nice plate, the peppers, tomato and onion rings. Then add the black olives and the goat cheese crumbs.

Drizzle it with enough Egregio Extra Virgin Olive Oil Organic , lemon juice, salt and pepper.

Brownies for Those Who Live to Lick the Bowl

Wed, 28 Nov 2018 19:04:19 GMT

Olive oil and a touch of sea salt make this recipe both gooey and slightly savory.

A latke fried in bubbling fat may be a classic way to celebrate Hanukkah, but it’s not the only nosh that can commemorate the oil-centric holiday. Olive oil brownies are another, albeit less traditional, option.

This recipe is particularly suited to the task because, unlike others of its ilk, it skips the butter, relying instead on olive oil and the natural cocoa butter in chocolate to enrich the batter. The result is moist in the center, crisp at the edges and perfectly smooth but for the occasional crunch of a chocolate chip. Closer to ganache than to cake, these dense, dark treats are not for anyone who prefers a lighter, feathery type of brownie. They’re for people who live to lick the icing bowl.

Because there’s no butter to soften its intensity, the flavor of the olive oil here matters a lot. Don’t use the grassy, sharp, highly aromatic stuff you’d drizzle on lettuce leaves. Choose something milder and more neutral. I use the same extra-virgin oil I cook with — a good-quality, midpriced workhorse.

The olive oil gives these brownies a slightly savory quality, highlighted by a sprinkle of flaky sea salt that’s added right after baking. Make sure to sprinkle the salt while the brownies are still warm, which helps it stick. While showering them with salt before baking works with other, frothier brownie batters, it fails here, with the flakes sinking in and disappearing without a trace. Adding it at the end gives each bite a salty snap and a gentle crunch.

For an even more pronounced crunch, add chopped, toasted nuts to the batter along with — or instead of — the chocolate chips. Or for an ultra-satiny batch of brownies that are just on the solid side of pudding, skip both nuts and chips, and let the salt provide the only textural contrast.

Because these brownies are so deeply fudgy, a tester won’t come out clean even when they’re done. Instead, bake them until the batter looks and feels solid when gently pressed in the center. The brownies firm up enough to cut as they cool, but without losing their essential olive-oil gooeyness, which is a fitting tribute on Hanukkah — and utterly compelling during the rest of the year.

Our recipe: https://www.egregioextravirgin.com/egregio-delicate-fruit1

For full article: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/26/dining/olive-oil-brownies.html?rref=collection%2Fbyline%2Fmelissa...

The great secret of Oleoestepa, the best oil in Spain: its 23 tasters and 5,500 olive growers

Tue, 06 Nov 2018 16:20:43 GMT

The OCU has once again chosen this Sevillian brand, which brings together 17 cooperatives, for its value for money, set at 5.34 euros per liter. They receive olives from more than 5,000 olive farmers families and their liquid gold is outstanding in its acidity, conservation, authenticity, quality, and sensory analysis.

Jaime Loring smiles while holding a catavino stuffed with extra virgin olive oil. "My ancestors were exporters of wines and nuts - it supports the origin of their surname - and they came to Málaga 200 years ago." He runs an agricultural farm of 600 hectares, just olive groves, and the oil extracted from its fruit has been recognized as the best extra virgin in Spain for the fourth consecutive time by the Consumers Union (OCU). "It's no surprise anymore, but it's a joy for everyone." Oleoestepa is present in all communities (although especially in Andalusia and the Canary Islands) and in supermarkets such as Carrefour, Alcampo, Eroski, El Corte Inglés, Hipercor, Supersol and Aldi.

As well as being a farmer, Jaime has been president of the Sor Ángela de la Cruz olive grove for 25 years, a cooperative associated with Oleoestepa , a second-order cooperative that brings together 17 mills and more than 5,500 families that cultivate 54,000 hectares of olive groves in the regions of Estepa and Sierra Sur in the province of Sevilla and Puente Genil in Córdoba .

"Oil is a fundamental product for agriculture in the area; in Estepa, or put olive trees or put olive trees", he confirms. "It is a land in which any other crop would be very complicated to work; On the other hand, here the olive grove is wonderful." The conditions that Estepa meets are very favorable for the olive, mainly Hojiblanco and Arbequina, which annually gives 30,000,000 kilos of oils on average.

"It is not an olive that falls to the ground, we collect it mostly from the tree and there is no excess moisture in the environment, which avoids having fungal problems -he continues-; It is a fresh land with little rainfall, which yields a more than acceptable yield. "

The cooperative presided by Jaime has an average turnover of around 100 million per year and its production is mostly extra virgin. "The first years cost to bet for the quality, although the farmer was used to a clean collection - without mixing the collected in the ground with the one obtained from the own olive tree, but the farmers of Estepa have a high average of knowledge and are easy to convince to bet on quality ".

In total, Oleoestepa produces almost 10 million bottles per year (more than 2.5 awarded by the OCU). From highest to lowest, they cost: 5.25 euros for bottles of one liter of extra virgin olive plastic, 25 euros for five liters of the same variety, 6.99 for extra selection 750ml and 10 euros for "Estepa virgin" of 500ml.

90% of the olive oil obtained from your mill is extra virgin. Its secret: an early collection of the olive in veraison, just the process in which the color of the fruit changes from green to purple, back in the months of November and December. At that point, the olive gives an exquisite juice, although in a much smaller production volume.

ESTEPA, appellation of origin

Rosa has been eleven years as agricultural technician of the API , Integrated Production Groups, and zigzags among the olive trees while observing in detail each plot, each fruit. "Do you see the terrain? -She asks to ask while looking down-; It has not stopped raining and maintains good conditions. "

The young Estepeña studied to become Agricultural Technical Engineer at the University of Seville. "In the area where I grew up I thought that the best thing would be to do something related to oil," he says.

Rain threatens and Rosa travels every hectare of the farm with her field notebook, where she writes down all the tasks that are developed in each plot. "The role of the API technician is based on quality, care for the environment and sustainability, monitoring traceability from the field to the grinding of olives," he says. we work in the control of the plagues of the olivar and advise to the agriculturalists that are our fundamental pillar ".

"When the farmers come to bring us their olives we know all their way from the moment they bloomed in the fields until they became oil and they were stored in the cellar," he adds. That is, in his opinion, another of the secrets of Oleoestepa. The olive is known, and is pampered throughout his life in the olive tree.

Pressed in less than 24 hours

Rosa and Ricardo are brothers. She cares for the olive in the tree; he, when he is no longer there, is a master olive-grower and decides everything that is done in an oil mill. He has been training and learning for years from his predecessor, who retired a year ago.

"Inherit the position of teacher has been a very bearable transition in time, have been many years learning from your hand," he tells EL ESPAÑOL. "He taught me a way of working that does not look at the clock," he says, "also to take care of all the points of the process, both the reception of the fruit, its classification, and all the parameters that influence the process." Although its day to day differs greatly from what the outgoing teacher lived, all the facilities are now controlled by an automaton, which facilitates the real-time master by a computer or a mobile phone.

A little while ago and, after a week full of rain, the oil mill is barely active. The deafening noise of the machines is now calm, a breath before what is coming on Monday, with a more flattering forecast. Water always suits the countryside. Meanwhile, workers are striving to keep the facilities in perfect condition by the time the activity returns and production soars.

"Only in this mill, we have reached almost one million kilos daily, Oleoestepa sets us a quality standard," says Ricardo ; We have to grind it before 24 hours from the olive harvest, but we try to do it in less time ". In 2015 they already lowered the 20-hour mark and in the last campaign it was possible to lower the age of 16. "In some cases we did not exceed two hours", presumes the teacher, agronomist training engineer.

What is the secret of Oleoestepa?

It is a calculation of several things, from the quality of the product to the treatment at the mill. I always insist a lot on the temperatures. For each line of work we have 10 or 12 temperature probes, where we set a maximum so that it is never exceeded; what today they call the elaboration in cold. If it is made with heat you get more oil than cold, but not with the same organoleptic characteristics. Our oils taste like freshly cut grass, green almond, aromatic herb; There are few oils with that kind of notes. It is difficult to remove this type of oil because many factors are involved, but if the fruit is good our duty is not to spoil it. It is very important to work in this way even if you get less quantity because it will be of higher quality.

Great part of the secret of our success was the sensory analysis, introduced in the ninety-first year, and since ninety-five, the creation of our tasting panel. Thanks to him, we maintain a regularity in our oil profile during the three hundred and sixty-five days of the year, and when you open a bottle next year, it tastes like the bottle of the previous year. The quality of our product is therefore measured through some physical-chemical parameters but also by other sensory ones. The market buys for the smell or the taste and not for the chemical characteristics of the oil.

The tasting panel, a well-kept secret

Only one door remains closed in the Oleoestepa facilities. Few are those who manage to cross it when there is activity on the other side. Miguela keeps with zeal that nobody enters. She is responsible for laboratory and tasting panel, the only private space of these characteristics in the province of Seville. Nobody can distract the tasters during the process.

"The tasting is fundamental, the main thing," confesses Miguela González,together with the managing director, the two most veteran employees of the organization. "Here we do not just fill in an attribute sheet, we also value the sensory notes that, depending on the variety or the time, will indicate the intensity of fruity or the flavors that you remember. The objective is to achieve a homogeneous profile throughout the year. "

Twenty-three official tasters taste the different oils that Miguela offers them. From his verdict will come the pattern by which the quality of an extra virgin of Oleoestepa is guaranteed. These are external personnel with specific training and who only taste for this brand.

"Everyone can be a taster," says Miguela. "But a good taster is made over the years." And ditch: "The chemical quality can be met by almost 100% of the oils, but it is the tasting that gives the category of extra virgin, and the Denomination of Origin Estepa is the most demanding in Europe, it is a guarantee of quality" .

A cooperative of cooperatives

An intermittent sun bathes the facade of the headquarters of Oleoestepa. There are still clouds picking up water in the sky. The cooperative was born 32 years ago, just with the entry of Spain into the European Economic Community, coinciding with an incentive movement of the associative movement. Currently, it is composed of 17 first-degree cooperatives, some 5,000 farmers and some 50,000 hectares of olive groves. The Oleoestepa is, with 90% of its production of extra virgin, the largest cellar of the best green gold in the world.

At the head of it, at 52 years of age, 32 of them dedicated to Oleoestepa, is Álvaro Olabarría, managing director of Oleoestepa, little surprised at the recognition of the OCU . Its brand is above 40 other references of the main Spanish producers in both sensory and physical-chemical. And as a leader since 2003, the first time this study was published, which is produced every five years.

Although when Oleoestepa started, nobody dared to think that so many recognitions would come. "From the first moment we were confident that we would know how to make extra virgin olive oil," says Olabarría . "Because the province of Seville was the first producer of table olives in the world and all our farmers were oriented towards this sector, which requires very special care", justified convinced.

The extra virgin olive oil recognized by the OCU , which they call Big Consumption, is a mixture of different varieties, mainly Hojiblanca and Arbequina, to please the general public. It is sold in three different containers of one, three and five liters and its price ranges around five euros depending on the chosen size. You can buy on their website and in the main national distributors, but not all.

This extra virgin is an oil with a very fresh, fruity aroma of green olives typical of Hojiblanca variety. Its aroma reminds of fresh grass, green olive leaf flavor with touches of apple and artichoke. Very fresh while delicate with elegant bitterness and itching.

In addition to this product, which is successfully marketed in the United States for the catering sector, Oleoestepa also sells extra virgin monovarietals such as Hojiblanca and Arbequina. Or its internationally awarded Estepa Virgen, a selection of olives still in the veraison harvested at the beginning of November that harvested in 2013 the Gold Medal Mario Solinas granted by the International Olive Oil Committee, in addition to many other recognitions.

"We are serious, responsible with our brands and passionate about extra virgin olive oil and we never deceive anyone," presumes Olabarría. Part of this success is also justified by the enormous competition between the 17 cooperatives that brings together Oleoestepa. Daily, and in real time, the members of the oil mills are getting to know the quality of the different oils and a classification is being established. "Here we do not pay for volume, here we pay for quality, we promote that pique among the oil mills and that shows in the final result", explains the managing director of Oleoestepa.

Oleoestepa holds the vice presidency of QvExtra !, a private association whose purpose is to promote the competitiveness of producers of extra virgin olive oil. This international organization grants the SIQEV seal, a label that certifies that the product meets more stringent quality requirements than those required of any extra virgin. Currently it is made up of some 41 brands from all over the world.

From the olive to the plate

Not only the quality convinced Ceferino to use Oleoestepa oil in his restaurant. "This extra virgin is a number one, but being in Estepa if we use another one they can crucify us," he laughs.

It is Wednesday and Ceferino has come, as every month, to buy the necessary oil to cover the demand of his establishment, the restaurant El Homenaje. This time, in addition, he takes a couple of bottles for his daughter, who goes to study in Paris . "The oil here is something that is given to friends as something very much ours, like the shortbreads and polvorones so typical of Estepa".

In his day, decades ago, it was he and his father-in-law who sold Oleoestepa oil at the foot of the road, not far from where his current restaurant is today. "We used to sell cans and carafes and today I use it in the kitchen," he told reporters. In the dining room, apart from the olives, Ceferino pours a little extra virgin in a shell so that his clientele can taste it with a little bread.

On the table he also puts some broken eggs with prawns and potato chips. All cooked with the, according to the OCU, the best extra virgin olive oil in Spain. "You put what you put, with this oil everything tastes better".

The study of the Organization of Consumers and Users (OCU) ranks Oleoestepa again as the best extra virgin olive oil in the Spanish market

Mon, 05 Nov 2018 16:46:58 GMT

The latest study carried out by the Organization of Consumers and Users (OCU) which is set to officially publish on Monday October 29th, ranks the quality of the top selling extra virgin olive oils in Spain, once again placing the OLEOSTEPA brand, sister brand of EGREGIO Extra Virgin, both produced in Estepa, Spain, at the top with the highest quality in the national market.

To carry out this study, the OCU has taken 41 references of the top selling extra virgin olive oils, submitting them to a physical-chemical and sensory analysis, also evaluating the information provided in their labels. The study presented by the OCU consists of the physical-chemical and sensory analysis (panel test) of 41 brands that hold the category of “extra virgin olive oil” found in supermarkets nationwide, where Spanish and International brands are present, with the OLEOESTEPA brand ranking the highest.

This is a study that the OCU performs every 5 years, the previous editions having been performed in 2003, 2007 and 2012. In each year, OLEOESTEPA was awarded the first position in the quality ranking among the bestselling extra virgin olive oils in the national market.

More info at:

https://www.ocu.org/alimentacion/alimentos/test/comparar-aceite-oliva/results?filter=&sorter=

The Science of Cooking Oils: Which Are Really the Healthiest?

Mon, 18 Jun 2018 13:31:31 GMT

These days, the shelf of the cooking-oil section of the supermarket is a crowded spot. This abundance of oil options can cause confusion about which oils may be the healthiest ones to use.

Over the past 10 years, the landscape of cooking oils has changed, said Jo Ann Carson, a professor of clinical nutrition at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. She pointed to the increased availability of high-oleic oils, the fairly recent arrival of coconut oil, and the wider availability of lesser-known oils such as grapeseed oil.

With so many cooking oils out there, it can be difficult to make sense of the latest health headlines about dietary fat in general, Carson said. [ Special Report: The Science of Weight Loss ]

Many consumers are confused about which types of dietary fat experts encourage or discourage in order to promote heart health, said Alice Lichtenstein, a professor of nutrition science and policy and director of the cardiovascular nutrition laboratory at the Tufts University Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging in Boston. Further complicating matters, there's been hype about coconut oil, and claims have circulated that "butter is back," Lichtenstein said.

Lichtenstein was part of an advisory panel for the American Heart Association that wrote a report on dietary fats and cardiovascular disease. For the report, which was published in June in the journal Circulation, the panel did a careful review of the scientific literature to clarify some of the controversies surrounding dietary fat, she said.

After evaluating the evidence, the panel recommended that Americans decrease levels of saturated fats (fats that come from meats, poultry, cheese, dairy products and tropical oils, such as coconut and palm oils) to reduce their risk of heart disease. People should replace saturated fats with unsaturated fats, which include polyunsaturated fats and monounsaturated fats, Lichtenstein said.

The overall message is to encourage healthy fats in the diet by replacing animal fats with vegetable fats, Lichtenstein told Live Science.

She said the bulk of the evidence favors polyunsaturated fats — found in fish, walnuts, and flaxseeds, as well as sunflower, safflower, soybean and corn oils — rather than monounsaturated fats, found in other types of nuts and seeds, avocados, and olive, canola and peanut oils. The data showed that if people replace saturated fats with polyunsaturated fats, they reduce their risk of heart disease somewhat more than if they replace saturated fats with monounsaturated fats.

In other words, polyunsaturated fats may be a little healthier, especially for people concerned about heart health, Lichtenstein said.

The panel's analysis of four so-called randomized, controlled trials — considered the "gold standard" of scientific evidence — showed that replacing saturated fat with polyunsaturated fat resulted in a 29 percent drop in the risk of heart disease. This reduction is comparable to that seen when people take statin drugs, according to the report.

Replacing saturated fats with polyunsaturated or monounsaturated fats is good for the heart because it decreases the levels of LDL ("bad")cholesterol and as well as fats in the blood called triglycerides, both of which are risk factors for heart disease.

Selecting oils

So what do the findings of the report suggest about how you should use cooking oils?

The main points are to use cooking oils in moderation, Lichtenstein said. The government's U.S. Dietary Guidelines recommend that Americans include a small amount of oils in their diets every day to supply essential fatty acids, because the body can't make these acids and thus must get them from food. There are two such fatty acids, and both are polyunsaturated fatty acids: linoleic acid and alpha-linolenic acid.

But all cooking oils are composed of three different types of fatty acids: monounsaturated fats, polyunsaturated fats and saturated fats. Each oil is categorized based on which type of fatty acid is the most prominent in it. For example, olive and canola oils are considered mostly monounsaturated fat, while corn and soybean oils contain mainly polyunsaturated fat. Coconut oil is predominantly saturated fat.

To help you select some of the healthiest oils while still pleasing your taste buds, here is a rundown of 10 cooking oils. Some oils have been well studied for their health benefits, while others have too little research from which to draw firm conclusions about their effects on heart health. (Story continues below infographic.)

Avocado oil

Avocado oil is rich in monounsaturated fat (70 percent of the fats in the oil are monounsaturated), and it has one of the highest levels of monounsaturated fat among cooking oils, second only to olive oil. Like olive oil, avocado oil is also low in polyunsaturated fats (10 percent of the fats in the oil are polyunsaturated).

Compared with other vegetable oils, avocado oil has a higher saturated fat content (20 percent), but this percentage is much smaller than the percentage of saturated fat in butter, lard or tropical oils, such as coconut or palm oils. Avocado oil is a fine oil to use, although it tends to be more expensive than other oils and may be harder to find, Lichtenstein said. It has a mild flavor similar to avocado, and the oil can withstand high cooking temperatures, making it suitable for sautéing, grilling, roasting or using in salad dressings.

Canola oil

Canola oil also has relatively high monounsaturated fat content, Carson said. But although it contains a higher proportion of monounsaturated fat (62 percent of the fats in this oil are monounsaturated), canola oil is also a good source of polyunsaturated fat (32 percent).

In addition, canola oil has the lowest level of saturated fat among cooking oils (7 percent). It is also one of the few oils that contain a good plant-based source of omega-3 fats, a beneficial type of polyunsaturated fat.

A 2013 review of studies published in the journal Nutrition Reviews found that when people use canola oil to replace saturated fat in their diets, it can help to reduce their total cholesterol levels and LDL cholesterol levels, which can reduce people's risk of heart disease.

This neutral-flavored oil comes from a plant called the rapeseed, which is widely cultivated in Canada and is responsible for its name, a derivative of "Canadian oil, low acid." (The "low acid" refers to versions of the rapeseed plant that are bred to have low erucic acid content. High levels of erucic acid can be toxic.)

Canola oil is a versatile and practical cooking oil that's not very expensive and can be used in a variety of ways, from baking and grilling to stir-frying and making salad dressings, Carson said.

Coconut oil

Made from the fruit of the coconut palm tree, coconut oil has been promoted as a better alternative to butter. It is a white solid at room temperature with a consistency resembling that of butter or shortening rather than a liquid oil.

Consumers seem to have bought into the hype that it's among the healthier options, and vegans, who eat no animal fat, may use it as a butter substitute. In a 2016 survey published in The New York Times, 72 percent of consumers rated coconut oil as a "healthy food" compared with 37 percent of nutrition experts. Nutrition experts, in contrast, noted that coconut oil is high in saturated fat (92 percent), and recommended using it only sparingly. In fact, coconut oil has more saturated fat than the same amount of butter or lard.

There is also limited science to back up marketers' claims that coconut oil is much better for the heart than butter is. After evaluating all of the studies available, a 2016 review published in the journal Nutrition Reviews found that people who consumed coconut oil had higher total and LDL cholesterol levels than those who consumed unsaturated fats, although the levels were a bit lower than in the people who used butter.

The review authors concluded that there is little evidence that coconut oil has any benefit to heart health compared with other types of saturated fat, such as butter or palm oil. After conducting a similar review, the 2017 advisory report from the American Heart Association did not recommend the use of coconut oil. The panel concluded that coconut oil "increases LDL cholesterol, a known cause of heart disease, and has no known offsetting favorable effects."

Summing it up, Lichtenstein, who served on the AHA's panel, said that coconut oil does not have any unique heart-health benefits, and its "halo effect" — meaning its perception by the public as a healthful food — is probably not justified from a scientific perspective. There is not any reason to use coconut oil rather than unsaturated oils, and there are potentially disadvantages from its high content of saturated fat, she said.

Grape seed oil

This versatile cooking oil is extracted from grape seeds left over from wine making, according to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. A favorite of chefs and foodies, grape seed oil has a mild flavor that can be combined with other, stronger flavors. It's considered a good all-purpose oil that can be used for sautéing and roasting, or in salad dressings. Store grape seed oil in the refrigerator to prevent it from becoming rancid, food experts say.

Grape seed oil has a high percentage of polyunsaturated fat (71 percent polyunsaturated, 17 percent monounsaturated, 12 percent saturated), with a similar fatty acid profile to soybean oil (61 percent polyunsaturated fat, 24 percent monounsaturated, 15 percent saturated), Lichtenstein said.

According to a 2016 review of studies published in the journal Nutrition and Metabolic Insights, little is known about the effects of grape seed oil on human health. Few studies have looked at the heart-health benefits of this mostly polyunsaturated fat.

Extra-virgin olive oil and pure olive oil

Because of its prominent role in the Mediterranean diet, olive oil is a popular cooking oil.

Extra-virgin olive oil comes from the first pressing of the olives. This results in an oil that has more flavor and a fruity aroma, and is less processed, meaning it is considered "unrefined." It is also typically more expensive than other types of olive oil and contains the most antioxidants. Refined versions of olive oil, called "pure," are lighter in color and milder in flavor than extra-virgin oils. Olive oils typically have the highest percentage of monounsaturated fats among cooking oils (although some high-oleic versions of other oils may have artificially boosted levels of monounsaturated fats).Olive oil is also rich in antioxidants called polyphenols

beneficial plant compounds that some evidence suggests may improve heart health.

A study done in Spain of about 7,500 men and women at high risk of heart disease found that people who were advised to consume a Mediterranean-diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil or mixed nuts had a lower rate of heart attack, stroke and death from heart-related causes, compared with people who were advised only to follow a generally low-fat diet. These findings appeared in 2013 in The New England Journal of Medicine.

From a heart-health standpoint, there is no real significant difference between extra-virgin olive oil and other kinds of olive oil, Carson told Live Science.

There are better choices than extra-virgin olive oil for cooking at high temperatures, such as when frying, because the oil cannot withstand very high heat before it starts to burn and smoke, Carson said. Refined, or pure, olive oil may be more suited for high-temperature cooking.

Because extra-virgin olive oil offers more flavor than other types of olive oil, it's a good option for sautéing vegetables, dipping bread or preparing salad dressings and marinades, Carson said.

Peanut oil

Among cooking oils, peanut oil has the highest monounsaturated fat content — about half (49 percent). Peanut oil has a similar percentage of polyunsaturated fat (33 percent) to canola oil, another mostly monounsaturated fat.

Its percentage of saturated fat (18 percent) is higher than that of other vegetable oils, but not to the point that it's a concern for heart health, and it still has less saturated fat than coconut or palm oils, Lichtenstein said.

A flavorful oil with a pale color and nutty aroma, peanut oil can withstand high heat and is a good choice for cooking Asian-inspired meals and stir-fries, according to food experts.

Sesame oil

Often used in Asian, Indian and Middle Eastern cooking, sesame oil is a good mix of polyunsaturated fat (46 percent) and monounsaturated fat (40 percent), Lichtenstein said. The remaining 14 percent is saturated fat. It's not usually used as a cooking fat and is used more for its intense flavoring, she noted.

Sesame oil lends a nutty flavor to any dish, especially toasted sesame oil, which has a darker color and bolder flavor. Refrigerate sesame oil after opening it.

Sunflower oil

Light in color and neutral in flavor, sunflower oil has one of the highest concentrations of polyunsaturated fat (69 percent) among cooking oils. It supplies some monounsaturated fat (20 percent) and is low in saturated fat (11 percent), making it an overall heart-healthy option. Sunflower oil is a good all-purpose oil because it can withstand high cooking temperatures.

Shoppers may also see "high-oleic" versions of sunflower or canola oils on supermarket shelves or high-oleic oils listed on the ingredient lists of processed foods. These oils have been modified to be richer in oleic acid, which boosts their levels of monounsaturated fat.

High-oleic sunflower oil, for example, would have a fatty acid profile that would more closely resemble an oil that is mainly monounsaturated fat, like olive oil, than it would conventional sunflower oil.

Food manufacturers are turning to high-oleic oils as replacement for trans fats, which are hydrogenated oils that can extend processed foods' shelf life, according to nutrition experts. As manufacturers eliminate their use of unhealthy trans fats, high-oleic oils have taken their place because these mostly monounsaturated fats are more shelf-stable than polyunsaturated fats.

Four studies have compared the heart-health effects of a diet rich in conventional sunflower oil, a polyunsaturated fat, with a diet rich in canola oil, which has more monounsaturated fat. The researchers concluded that sunflower oil and canola oil had similar effects: Both reduced people's levels of total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol, according to a 2013 review of those studies, published in the journal Nutrition Reviews.

Vegetable oil

Historically, vegetable oil has typically been soybean oil, Carson said. But these days, the term also may be used for a blend of different oils, she noted.

Soybean oil is primarily a polyunsaturated oil (61 percent polyunsaturated fat, 24 monounsaturated fat and 15 percent saturated fat). As a bonus, soybean oil contains some omega-3 fats, which are heart-healthy fats often found in salmon and sardines, but are less common in plant-based sources of food.

Vegetable oil made from soybeans is a neutral-tasting oil that does not have much flavor, Carson said. Nevertheless, it's a versatile, all-purpose cooking oil for sautéing and frying, or making salad dressings, she said.

For the complete article: https://www.livescience.com/59893-which-cooking-oils-are-healthiest.html

What is the Difference Between Olive Oil and Extra Virgin Olive Oil?

Mon, 18 Jun 2018 13:21:34 GMT

One fine day you finally walk into a supermarket to buy a bottle of olive oil because you are totally convinced with all the wonderful health benefits it provides. But, as soon as you reach the shelf, you are confused to see the diversity of choices. Of course, nobody told you that there are many types of olive oils that are available - from virgin to extra virgin and premium extra virgin. Which one should you buy? Or what is the difference between regular olive oil and the virgin variety? You'll find all your answers right here.

The two most common types of olive oils, you may have heard of them before, are 'refined olive oil' and 'extra virgin olive oil.' Here's how both differ from each other in terms of extraction, nutritional value, use and flavour .

How are both extracted?

Both of them are obtained from the fruit of the olive tree but the way they are extracted differs. Regular olive oil is subjected to refining before being bottled. In this process, it may be treated with some additives and preservatives. It is light yellow in colour. On the other hand, extra virgin oil is the purest form of olive oil. It retains the golden-green hue of the olive fruit as it is not subjected to any industrial processes. It is the first juice of the fruit extracted through the process cold-pressing which is only filtered and then bottled as is.

Therefore, extra virgin oil olive has a stronger flavour and aroma than regular olive oil which might be slightly bitter in taste. The gradation of olive oils is done on the basis of the level of acidity which refers to the content of Free Oleic Acid present in the oil. Regular olive oil has about 3-4% of oleic acid while extra virgin olive oil has less than 1%. The measure of free oleic acid in olive oil shows the degree to which fat has separated into fatty acids.

Is there any difference in nutritional value?

Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) is the highest quality of olive oil because of the lesser amount of free oleic acid it contains which makes it a bit lighter. It also contains a slightly higher quantity of antioxidants like polyphenols. It is preferred because of its anti-inflammatory properties and natural olive flavour. All kinds of olive oils are highly rich in nutrients like vitamin E , vitamin K and minerals that make it heart-friendly as compared to other cooking oils. Olive oil (be it regular o extra virgin) is not as heavy as other refined cooking oils like mustard or sunflower oil and is lighter to digest.

"More than the type of olive oil, the amount of oil used in cooking should be managed to lose and maintain weight . I recommend 2 to 3 teaspoons of oil which is the basic requirement of our body," shares Dietitian Reema Madhian from Noida. .

Lastly, can they be substituted for each other?

Regular olive oil and extra virgin olive oil are used for different cooking purposes. The primary difference in the use of regular olive oil and extra virgin olive is due to their smoke point. Smoke point is the temperature at which the oil starts producing bluish smoke. The smoke point of refined olive oil is slightly higher than that of extra virgin olive oil which means that it will take a little more time to burn. Therefore, it is better suited for high heat cooking techniques like frying . Extra virgin olive is great in salads as a dressing and can even be used for light sauteing. "The unrefined olive oil is obviously better than the refined one because of its purity and lower oleic acid content but that doesn't make it suitable for deep frying," adds Dr. Madhian.

Armed with your newfound knowledge, we're sure you'll be able to make the best choice, the next you visit the supermarket.

For the complete article: https://food.ndtv.com/food-drinks/what-is-the-difference-between-olive-oil-and-extra-virgin-olive-oi...

6 Unexpected Extra Virgin Olive Oil Benefits for Weight Loss, Healthy Heart & More

Mon, 18 Jun 2018 12:53:54 GMT

There's a lot of confusion around the best cooking oils that you should use for your health. The supermarket shelves are stuffed with a huge variety of different kind of oils and within those too there different types. You have virgin oils, extra-virgin oils, cold-pressed oils and even blended oils! The word extra-virgin refers to 'fine grade' oil. There are different varieties of olive oil that are set apart not by the type of olive that is used, but the process used to extract the oil.

What is extra virgin olive oil?

Extra virgin olive oil is obtained by crushing olives and extracting the fresh juice. It is unrefined and the highest-quality olive oil you can buy. Because of the way extra-virgin olive oil is made, it retains the true flavour of olives, and has a lower level of oleic acid than the other varieties. It has a higher concentration of natural vitamins and minerals found in olives.

According to Consultant Nutritionist, Dr. Rupali Dutta, "Extra virgin olive oil is the first oil that comes out of cold pressing the olives. It has been subjected to zero processing, and has no additives which makes it bright green in colour and has a strong olive flavor. It also contains only 1% of Oleic Acid and is able to retain all its antioxidants . Regular olive oil, on the other hand, is commercially produced and processed just like any other oil. It contains at least 3-4% of Oleic Acid."

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Ms. Ritika Sammadar, Consultant Nutritionist at Max Super Speciality Hospital in New Delhi, agrees, “Extra Virgin Oil is the clearest form of oil and is extremely healthy as it is rich in Vitamin B. There is no heat applied during its extraction nor are are any chemicals used in the process, thus the oil is pure and unrefined. The oil usually has a pungent smell because it is crude and pure.”

How to use extra virgin olive oil

Extra virgin olive oil has a subtle golden-green hue with a light peppery flavour. It has a lower smoke point than many other oils, which means it burns easily at a lower temperature. Therefore, it may not be suited for high heat cooking. Dr. Rupali Datta, advises, "It is better to use extra virgin olive oil only for raw or cold cooking. Indian cooking needs are not suited to substitute this oil for our regular vegetable oil. You can use it in salads , as dressings, for making breads and dips. Light sauteing can also be done using extra virgin olive oil."

Here are six wonderful health benefits of adding extra virgin olive oil to your daily diet.

1. Full of good fats

Extra virgin olive oil has high a percentage of omega fats (polyunsaturated fats that are good for your heart) along with monounsaturated fats. Delhi-based Dietitian, Dr. Deepali Solanki, shares, "Extra Virgin Olive Oil has a lot of monounsaturated fatty acids, unlike other oils which have a lot of saturated fat acids. It can be consumed in the same amount like any other oil . The recommended amount is half a liter per person per month."

2. Heart friendly

According to the US FDA, having two tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil daily may reduce the risk of heart disease , due to its monounsaturated fat content. Some of the antioxidants present in extra virgin olive oil like oleocanthal and oleuropein are known for their anti-inflammatory action and help in reducing the levels of bad cholesterol which can be a risk factor for heart disease.

3. Rich in antioxidants

The biggest health benefit of consuming extra virgin olive oil lies in its powerful antioxidant qualities. Extra virgin olive oil contains polyphenols which act as antioxidants, reducing the oxidative stress throughout your body. Antioxidants also help in promoting and strengthening your immune system making your body more resistant to infections and inflammation .

4. Helps in controlling diabetes People with diabetes are often advised to follow a diet rich in fiber from fruits and vegetables and monounsaturated fats instead of saturated fats and carbohydrates. A lot of studies show that having extra virgin olive oil as part of a balanced diet can help regulate blood sugar and improve insulin sensitivity.

5. Promotes brain health

A small amount of Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids present in extra virgin olive oil are essential for brain health. Scientifically, it has been seen that consumption of extra virgin olive oil may help in reducing the risk of Alzheimer's disease. A recent study published in the Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology, shows that extra virgin olive olive may help protect the brain tissue against toxic substances that can cause Alzheimer's disease.

6. Aids weight loss

Extra virgin olive oil helps in supporting your weight loss goals effectively. This is because of the satiating power of the fatty acids found in olive oil. This means that the regular consumption of extra virgin olive oil leads to a greater feeling of fullness. Extra virgin olive oil does contain calories but it is a healthier type of fat and is a great alternative to the others like butter or refined oils, especially if you are on a diet. In Greece, which consumes more olive oil than any other country, it is traditional to drink half a cup of extra virgin olive oil with lime water every morning to stay slim, prevent hunger pangs and increase longevity. You must consult a nutritionist to help you add extra virgin olive oil to your weight loss diet.

Extra virgin olive oil is also naturally rich in Vitamin E and Vitamin A that makes it great for your skin . You can rub some oil on your face and see the difference. It penetrates deep into the skin, moisture it as well as adds a protective shield.

For the complete article: https://food.ndtv.com/food-drinks/6-unexpected-extra-virgin-olive-oil-benefits-for-weight-loss-healt...

Extra-Virgin Olive Oil Discovered To Preserve Memory & Prevent Alzheimer’s Disease, Study Says

Mon, 18 Jun 2018 12:47:04 GMT

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Researchers from the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University (LKSOM) in Philadelphia, PA were reported to discover that extra virgin olive oil could aid in preventing Alzheimer’s disease. Aside from that, olive oil was said to boost memory as well.

According to News Medical, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention deemed that Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia wherein there is no cure. However, the researchers found out that the most common component of the Mediterranean diet, extra virgin olive oil boosts the cognitive performance and could prevent Alzheimer’s in genetically modified mice.

With that said, the study involved mice models that have the three components present in Alzheimer’s disease. The components were identified to be memory impairment, amyloid plaque buildup and neurofibrillary tangles. The mice were separated into two groups, wherein the first were fed a regular chow diet consisted of extra virgin olive oil while the second group has no extra virgin olive oil added to their chow diet.

Moreover, the Alzheimer’s disease mice models were said to have no changes in physical appearance after several months after the experiment. Yet, the mice fed with extra virgin olive oil were mentioned to perform better when they reached the age of 9 months and 12 months old. “We want to know whether olive oil added at a later time point in the diet can stop or reverse the disease," as the study noted per Medical News Today.

"Thanks to the autophagy activation, memory and synaptic integrity were preserved, and the pathological effects in animals otherwise destined to develop Alzheimer's disease were significantly reduced,” senior investigator and professor in the Departments of Pharmacology and Microbiology and the Center for Translational Medicine at LKSOM, Domenico Pratico said in a statement.

Nonetheless, Pratico stated that extra olive oil was thought of better than vegetables and fruits long before and was mentioned to be healthier than saturated animal fats. Pratico then said that the reduction in the in autophagy marks the beginning of Alzheimer’s. The study was published in the journal Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology.

Related video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dWcdBOYy_bU&feature=youtu.be

For the complete article: http://www.sciencetimes.com/articles/17281/20170625/extra-virgin-olive-oil-discovered-preserve-memor...

Here’s How Olive Oil Can Prevent Memory Loss As You Age

Mon, 18 Jun 2018 12:37:28 GMT

You now have one more excellent reason to shelve the store-bought dressing in favour of the homemade stuff: Eating a diet rich in extra-virgin olive oil may protect your brain as you age , researchers from Temple University suggest.

In the study, researchers genetically modified mice to express three key characteristics of Alzheimer’s disease: memory impairment, the buildup of sticky proteins called amyloid plaques, and tangles of tau proteins. Then, when the mice reached six months of age, they had some mice eat chow supplemented with extra-virgin olive for six months, while the others ate their regular food. This food change occurred before the mice began to exhibit signs of Alzheimer’s.

Related: How Sleep Apnea Hurts Your Memory

At nine months and 12 months of age, the ones fed extra-virgin olive oil performed significantly better on brain tests that measured working memory, spatial memory, and learning. They also showed a reduction in the formation of amyloid plaques and less of a substance associated with tangles—as well as greater connectivity between neurons in their brains—than the mice who ate regular food.

So how’s the healthy fat helping your brain? The researchers believe there are a couple mechanisms at play with extra-virgin olive oil.

Not only does the oil reduce inflammation in the brain, but it also triggers a process called autophagy, when your cells break down and clear out debris and toxins, the researchers explain in a release .

Related: Why Beer Is A Better Painkiller Than Panadol

So if your cells are better able to clear out the bad stuff—which includes the amyloid plaques and tau protein tangles—they’re less likely to build up and contribute to nerve cell dysfunction that causes Alzheimer’s symptoms, they say.

Still, because the research was done on mice, it’s hard to say whether the same findings would apply to people. But there’s no harm in trying to tweak your diet to more of a Mediterranean one—of which extra-virgin olive oil is a key component.

For the complete article: https://my.website-editor.net/home/ed/site/48e1293a4130431d9899489c96e69bb7/blog

You May Not Be Getting the High Quality Olive Oil You’re Paying For—Here’s Why

Sun, 17 Jun 2018 21:04:38 GMT

Don’t let the labels fool you—that "pure extra virgin olive oil" may not be the top-shelf stuff you thought you were buying.

Listen up, olive oil users! Nutritionists have touted this heart-healthy superfood for ages. And given all of its supposed health benefits—not to mention the amazing things it does for our skin and hair —olive oil is basically the healthiest food you can eat. But that doesn’t mean the high quality extra virgin olive oil you just top dollar paid for is actually in the bottle.

Don’t worry—olive oil is still good for you (and here’s why !). But labels on extra virgin olive oil don’t always tell the whole truth.

After testing name-brand products packaged as “extra virgin olive oil,” a 2012 study by the University of California found that nearly 70 percent of the extra virgin olive oil sold in the U.S. is not up to snuff. Although almost all of the brands passed the USDA chemical standards, over half of them failed the sensory requirements.

The term “extra virgin” refers to the process by which the oil is manufactured. Among the four possible grades of olive oil, virgin oil earns the highest grade because it tastes and smells better. However, researchers at the University of California noted that several of the tested brands had flavors and aromas that were rancid or musty. They even classified some of them as lamp oil, which is considered unfit for human consumption by the USDA.

“Results of this study make it very clear that efforts to control the quality of extra virgin olive oils served in restaurants and other food-service operations will likely fail if they are based only on the most commonly used chemical analyses,” said Dan Flynn, executive director of the UC Davis Olive Center and a co-author of the study.

To avoid lesser quality oils, check the bottle’s label before you buy. Some non-extra virgin olive oils tested in the study were actually olive oil mixed with refined canola oil.

According to the study’s findings, it would be smart to avoid extra virgin olive oil packaged or sold by Newman’s Own, Whole Foods, Safeway, and Star, as they were found in tests to be not 100 percent pure. However, you can trust that olive oil from Kirkland Organic, Lucini, California Olive Ranch, Lucero, and Cobram Estate are top notch.

For the complete article: https://www.rd.com/health/healthy-eating/buying-subpar-olive-oil/

Lidl’s Arrival Marks New Front In US Price War

Sun, 17 Jun 2018 20:59:25 GMT

The front line of the new war for the American supermarket runs through the aisles of Winston-Salem, North Carolina. It’s a battle over a few pennies on the price of milk, mustard, detergent, and barbecue sauce – and perhaps the future of groceries.

Winston-Salem is home to one of ten new supermarkets opened last month in the Carolinas and Virginia by German discount chain Lidl, known for its low prices on private-label items.

Competition

The new store is a short drive from a Whole Foods Market, the upscale grocery chain in the middle of a proposed $13.7 billion takeover by Amazon.com, Inc. with the potential to upend the way Americans shop for food.

The city of about a quarter-million people is also home to Kroger-owned Harris Teeter and Walmart, well-established national competitors that survive on razor-thin profit margins, as well as a host of independent grocers. There's even another German discount grocer. Aldi Süd, which operates 1,600 US stores under the name Aldi, has an outpost just down the road from the new Lidl.

A recent visit to three of the new Lidl stores made it clear that a price war had already started. Melinda Rahymer, a 52-year-old pet-sitter from Winston-Salem who lives on a tight budget, is accustomed to searching for deals at Publix Super Markets, Harris Teeter, Aldi, Walmart, and others. When Lidl opened across the street from a Walmart Supercenter – within a couple of miles from at least five other grocery stores – Rahymer decided to stop by and check it out. She grabbed some pasta and paid $2.19 for a gallon of milk.

“I think Aldi can beat them,” Rahymer said.

She was right. Aldi was selling milk for $2.18 a gallon. At the nearby Walmart, the price was $2.20. Food Lion, down the block? It matched Lidl, at $2.19.

Major Announcement

Lidl’s US expansion, which began with store openings on 15 June, would have been the biggest event of the summer for American groceries had Amazon not announced a deal to acquire Whole Foods the following day. That merger, if it closes in the coming months, promises to challenge grocers with a fierce competitor known to slash prices and use technology to lower costs.

For now, however, the grocery industry is watching the Carolinas and Virginia to see how shoppers and established supermarkets will respond to a little-known German giant.

Lidl plans to have at least 100 locations here by next summer, and it could expand to more than 500 locations over the next five years, according to analyst estimates. Its initial stores are opening in competitive grocery markets, right on top of rivals' locations. Aldi recently announced plans to add an additional 900 stores over the next five years, and it's spending $1.6 billion to remodel 1,300 of its existing ones.

The German discounters have battled across Europe for years, stealing sales from traditional grocers as consumers get accustomed to their private-label products. (The German grocery giant Aldi Nord also runs Trader Joe's.) The rivalry reaches the US at a time of rampant food deflation, with falling prices already ravaging grocers’ earnings.

Analysts predict a rough road ahead, particularly for small chains, which will struggle to match prices.

No-Frills

Lidl and Aldi operate with roughly the same business model: small, no-frills stores, low overheads, low prices, and a limited assortment of private-label items. A Lidl store might carry two types of mustard, while the nearby Walmart has a dozen. Only about 10% of the products at the stores are recognisable national brands.

Lidl has 10,000 stores across Europe, and Aldi Süd operates another 3,500. Growth can be slow. It took about a decade after entering the UK for Aldi Süd and Lidl to control about 5% of sales by the early noughties, but the discounters have proven to be a threat to rivals’ profits, even with a small market share. Walmart and Kroger, the two largest grocers in the US, have the scale to fight the price war, but other chains could be in trouble.

For the complete article: https://www.esmmagazine.com/lidls-arrival-marks-new-front-us-price-war/45379?mc_cid=6a92e31925&m...

Italy No Longer Leading Producer Of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Study Finds

Sun, 17 Jun 2018 20:54:07 GMT

For the first time, Italy is no longer the leading producer of extra virgin olive oil, with the country having now been surpassed by both Spain and Greece.

The findings were issued by the National Consortium of Olive Growers (Consorzio Nazionale Olivicoltori - CNO), adding that Syria would have also surpassed Italy had it not been suffering from a devastating war. It also underlined the growth of Morocco (+44%) and Turkey (+ 27%) in the last six years, a period during which production in Italy fell by 31%.

Based on the provisional figures of the current marketing year for olive oil, which began in October 2016 and will end in September 2017, Greece produced 195,000 tonnes, compared to Italy’s 183,000.

New Markets

Syria has massively invested in professional olive cultivation since the late 90s, just before the conflict broke out. In the last six years, Tunisia, which invests heavily in the olive industry, has produced three times more olive oil than the volume obtained by Italy in the current 2016-2017 campaign.

Further evidence of the decline in the Italian olive oil chain is that the long-term trend of production is declining sharply, while the most aggressive European and global competitors are showing exceptional production growth rates. Three main factors are at the root of Italy’s negative performance are cited as: the process of abandoning cultivation, the fragmentation of the productive structure and the lack of modernisation of the sector.

CNO president Gennaro Sicolo highlighted the need for the immediate implementation of a national plan, taking into account regions and productive districts, for the reconversion, restructuring and modernisation of Italian olive cultivation. He pointed out that the Italian olive oil sector will need more than 150 million new olive trees in production and at least 25,000 new workers.

For the complete article: https://www.esmmagazine.com/italy-no-longer-leading-producer-extra-virgin-olive-oil/45361

Saturated Fat Intake May Not Be Associated With Coronary Heart Disease

Sun, 17 Jun 2018 20:45:08 GMT

A recent article in the BJSM suggests that there is no association between saturated fat consumption and Coronary Heart Disease (CHD) mortality. Lifestyle interventions including a healthy diet, regular exercise and reduced stress are more effective in reducing the risk of CHD and all-cause mortality than just monitoring lipid profiles.

A recent article published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine by Aseem Malhotra and colleagues draws our attention to coronary artery disease pathogenesis and recommends the existing theoretical model of saturated fat clogging the arteries be reviewed. As reported by a landmark systematic review and meta-analysis of several studies, in healthy adults there is no association between saturated fat consumption and CHD, ischemic stroke, type-2 diabetes, or CHD/all-cause mortality. Reduced intake of dietary fat, including saturated fat, was not found to have an additional benefit in prevention of cardiovascular or all-cause mortality. Additionally, an angiographic study of postmenopausal women with CHD showed that progression of atherosclerosis was directly proportional to a high carbohydrate and polyunsaturated fat intake and inversely proportional to intake of saturated fat.

Atherosclerosis is a syndrome affecting arterial blood vessels due to a chronic inflammatory response. This is promoted by low-density-lipoproteins (LDL) and inadequate removal of fats and cholesterol by functional high-density-lipoproteins (HDL), resulting in the formation of plaques. Unstable plaques can rupture causing the formation of thrombi that will rapidly slow or stop blood flow, leading to death of the tissue fed by the artery. Preventing the progression of atherosclerosis is important, but it is the atherothrombosis that causes mortality. The results of many randomized controlled trials (RCTs) reveal that the current approach of unclogging the arteries is not effective in the management of CHD. These trials suggest that stenting obstructive stable lesions do not prevent myocardial infarction or reduce mortality.

Dietary RCTs conducted on high-risk patients highlight the benefits of diet in primary and secondary prevention of CHD. Researchers report a significant, 30% reduction in adverse cardiovascular events in patients put on energy-unrestricted Mediterranean diet (41% fat), supplemented with at least four tablespoons of olive oil or a handful of nuts, compared with patients who were only advised to follow a low-fat (37% fat) diet. In addition, the Lyon Heart study conducted to evaluate the effects of Mediterranean diet on secondary prevention of CHD concluded that it is the alpha linoleic acid, polyphenols and omega-3 fatty acids present in nuts, extra virgin olive oil, vegetables and oily fish that rapidly reduce inflammation and coronary thrombosis.

Based on these findings, the association of LDL cholesterol with coronary thrombosis needs to be reevaluated. Unpublished data from the Sydney Diet Heart Study and the Minnesota coronary experiment were reanalyzed to reveal that replacing saturated fat with linoleic acid containing vegetable oils increased the risk of mortality despite significant reductions in LDL and total cholesterol (TC). Thus, a high TC to HDL ratio, not LDL, is proven to be a better indicator of cardiovascular risk. Furthermore, high TC to HDL ratio is also a marker for insulin resistance (chronically elevated serum insulin), which is a risk factor for CHD.

Lifestyle interventions, including dietary changes and regular exercise are effective in lowering the TC to HDL ratio. Regular brisk walking or moderate activity also help reverse insulin resistance. Chronic stress is another risk factor for CHD and lifestyle interventions to reduce environmental stress also help reduce cardiovascular risk.

In conclusion, monitoring lipid profiles and just reducing your saturated fat intake is not the best approach to preventing and treating coronary artery disease. Adopting a complete lifestyle approach of a healthful diet, regular exercise, and reduced stress is more effective in reducing cardiovascular risk and mortality, as well as improving quality of life.

For the complete article: https://www.medicalnewsbulletin.com/saturated-fat-intake-may-not-associated-coronary-heart-disease/

Oleic acid found in olive oil may help prevent cancer and give other health benefits

Sun, 17 Jun 2018 20:40:30 GMT

Oleic acid has demonstrated a significant effect in the prevention of malignant diseases such as colon cancer and breast cancer.

Oleic acid, a primary ingredient in olive oil is said to have the potential to help prevent cancer-causing genes from working in cells. Dietary fat, both in terms of quantity and quality, has been implicated in cancer development.This oily substance stimulates the production of a cell molecule whose function is to prevent cancer. However, it is not yet confirmed whether the dietary consumption of olive oil may help to prevent brain cancer though. These researchers, however direct towards the fact that it might potentially prevent Brain Cancer. It is found that oleic acid prevents a cell protein called MSI2 from stopping the production of miR-7. This is how the olive oil components support the production of miR-7, and it helps to prevent the formation of tumours. This is from a study published in the Journal of Molecular Biology .

The lead researcher, Gracjan Michlewski of the University of Edinburgh in Britain, says,”While we cannot yet say that olive oil in the diet helps prevent brain cancer, our findings do suggest that oleic acid can support the production of tumour- suppressing molecules in the cells grown in the lab.” He also added, “Further studies could help determine the role that olive oil might have on brain health,”

However, there are already other studies that talk about the other amazing health benefits of Olive oil like[1]:
1. It is great for cardiovascular health.

2. Extra virgin olive oil improves learning and memory

3.Rich in antioxidants, it helps in removing harmful compounds from the body.

4. Oleic acid has demonstrated a significant effect in the prevention of malignant diseases such as colon cancer and breast cancer

5. Helps in reducing blood pressure

6. It can destroy colonies of microorganisms which may cause respiratory tract, intestinal and genital tract infections.

Best foods to reduce cholesterol in the blood

Sun, 17 Jun 2018 20:34:46 GMT

Use either avocado or flaxseeds to prevent obesity and other health problems

Cholesterol is an organic molecule found in the human body in excess. It is mainly present in the skin cells and the bloodstream. Cholesterol enables animals to change in shape and size. It also serves as a precursor for the synthesis of steroids, bile acids, and vitamins.

Since cholesterol is a must for all animals, each cell synthesizing its food needs cholesterol in a small amount. An adult weighing 70 kg can manufacture 2 grams of cholesterol every day. All animal and plant cells produce cholesterol, both at cellular and organ levels.

Diets play a vital role in managing cholesterol level in the body. If you have high LDL cholesterol level, it is important to do exercise on a daily basis.

Also, you should avoid smoking, and manage a healthy weight to prevent severe disorders. Here is a list of Foods that reduce cholesterol in the body.

Olive oil

A study published in the Journal of Medicines reveals that extra virgin olive oil has loads of monosaturated fatty acids . It is best known for its antioxidant and antibacterial properties. Simply incorporate ten to fifteen grams of olive oil in your daily diet. Alternatively, you can take a few drops of hot olive oil and massage on the forehead using your fingertips. Include it in salad dressings , or use it to roast chicken, fish, and vegetables.

Avocado

Avocado is one of the richest sources of plant-based fatty acids . It prevents obesity and helps reduce cholesterol level in the blood. Make avocados a part of your daily diet. It has loads of minerals and essential nutrients that contribute to human health.

The taste of avocados is very well, so you can use them in the form of juice.

Flaxseeds

Flaxseeds contain proteins , fatty acids, minerals , and alpha-linolenic acid. These are also rich in antioxidants and dietary fibers. Flaxseeds contribute to human health and prevent obesity, depression, diabetes, high blood pressure, and other similar diseases. Use the seeds as a crunchy topping for salads and sandwiches. A study published in the Journal of Medicines reveals that flaxseeds help reduce the risks of cardiovascular diseases and stroke.

Cocoa powder

It may sound odd, but chocolates are an excellent source of proteins and vitamins. Cocoa powder, found in chocolates, contributes to human health and helps reduce cholesterol level in the body. Cocoa powder also contains flavonoids which have high antioxidant properties and are beneficial for cardiovascular health. Frequent use of chocolate boosts immunity and improves blood circulation in the body.

For the complete article: https://us.blastingnews.com/food/2017/06/best-foods-to-reduce-cholesterol-in-the-blood-001760617.htm...

Fry fish in Extra Virgin Olive Oil for good health

Sat, 16 Jun 2018 18:49:41 GMT

The choice of cooking oil used to fry fish is hugely important owing to its impact on the lipid profile in the fish.

Fish fry is a traditional Indian dish, but which is your favourite oil for frying fish. People in different region with different culture use different types of oil to cook fish in different ways. But, do you know which is the best oil to use for frying fish and its health benefits.

While some may beg to differ, going by traditions and different types of cuisines, experts say fish fried in Extra Virgin Olive Oil is the healthiest option. The study was published in the journal Food Research International.

“The choice of cooking oil is hugely important owing to its impact on the lipid profile in the fish and on the possible generation of toxic compounds in the oil during frying, which can influence food safety and human health,” said Bárbara Nieva-Echevarría, researcher at the University of Basque Country, in the journal.

When used in frying fish, the Extra Virgin Olive Oil turned richer in Omega-3, Omega-1 acyl groups, linoleic and saturated fats (from the fish), according to a study conducted. The oil is also said to become poorer in oleic, which is the main acyl group in olive oil. The fat composition in the fish fillets changed during the frying process and was enriched by the acyl groups present in a higher concentration in the frying oil.

“This study shows that the frying technique, the type of oil used and the fish species exert a great influence on the changes that take place during the frying process,” Nieva-Echevarría was quoted as saying in the journal.

The experts also say that preparing the dish in a microwave oven is the healthiest options.

The choice is yours, but next time you go shopping for cooking oil to fry fish, you may pick up Extra Virgin Olive Oil. You may shallow fry the fish instead of deep fry to retain maximum nutrients for a healthy you.

For the complete article: https://www.thestatesman.com/lifestyle/food/fry-fish-in-extra-virgin-olive-oil-for-good-health-14969...

Mediterranean style diet may prevent dementia

Sat, 16 Jun 2018 01:04:54 GMT

Doctors suggest using olive oil rather than butter to make your meals. A Spanish study found a Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra-virgin olive oil reduced the incidence of major cardiovascular events among patients with a history of heart disease.

(CNN) Meals from the sunny Mediterranean have been linked to stronger bones, a healthier heart and longer life, along with a reduced risk for diabetes and high blood pressure.

Now you can add lowering your risk for dementia to the ever growing list of reasons to follow the Mediterranean diet or one of its dietary cousins.

New research being presented at the Alzheimer's Association International conference in London this week found healthy older adults who followed the Mediterranean or the similar MIND diet lowered their risk of dementia by a third. "Eating a healthy plant-based diet is associated with better cognitive function and around 30% to 35% lower risk of cognitive impairment during aging," said lead author Claire McEvoy, of the University of California, San Francisco's School of Medicine.

McEvoy stressed that because the study was conducted in a nationally representative older population "the findings are relevant to the general public." "While 35% is a greater than expected decrease for a lifestyle choice, I am not surprised," said Rudolph Tanzi, who directs the Genetics and Aging Research Unit at Massachusetts General Hospital and recently co-authored a book with Deepak Chopra on genes and aging called "Super Genes."

"The activity of our genes is highly dependent on four main factors: diet, exercise, sleep and stress management," said Tanzi, who was not involved in the study. "Of these, perhaps diet is most important."

McEvoy's study investigated at the eating habits of nearly 6,000 older Americans with an average age of 68. After adjusting for age, gender, race, low educational attainment and lifestyle and health issues -- such as obesity, hypertension, diabetes, depression, smoking and physical inactivity -- researchers found that those who followed the MIND or Mediterranean diet had a 30% to 35% lower risk of cognitive impairment.

The more people stayed on those diets, said McEvoy, the better they functioned cognitively.

Those who marginally followed the diet also benefited, but by a much smaller margin. They were 18% less likely to exhibit signs of cognitive impairment.

What are the Mediterranean and MIND diets?

Forget lasagne, pizza, spanakopita and lamb souvlaki -- they are not on the daily menu of those who live by the sunny Mediterranean seaside.

The true diet is simple, plant-based cooking, with the majority of each meal focused on fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans and seeds, with a few nuts and a heavy emphasis on extra virgin olive oil. Say goodbye to refined sugar or flour and fats other than olive oil, such as butter, are consumed rarely, if at all.

Meat can make a rare appearance, but usually only to flavor a dish. Instead, meals may include eggs, dairy and poultry, but in much smaller portions than in the traditional Western diet. Fish, however, are a staple.

The MIND diet takes the best brain foods of the Mediterranean diet and the famous salt-reducing DASH diet, and puts them together. MIND encourages a focus on eating from 10 healthy food groups while rejecting foods from five unhealthy groups.

MIND stands for Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay, with DASH standing for Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension.

MIND was developed by Martha Clare Morris, a nutritional epidemiologist at Chicago's Rush University Medical Center in the US.

Those who follow MIND reject butter and stick margarine, red meats, cheeses, fried or fast food and sweets. Instead, they eat at least six servings a week of green leafy vegetables such as spinach or kale, and at least one serving a day of another vegetable. Three servings a day of whole grains are a must.

They also add in at least three servings of beans, two or more servings of berries, two servings of chicken or turkey, and once serving of fish each week. Olive oil is their main cooking ingredient, and they drink a glass of wine a day.

Morris has some powerful stats behind her diet.

In 2015, she studied 923 Chicago-area seniors and found those who say they followed the diet religiously had a 53% lower chance of getting Alzheimer's, while those who followed it moderately lowered their risk by about 35%. Follow-up observational studies showed similar benefits.

Morris and her colleagues are currently recruiting volunteers for a three-year clinical study to try to prove the link.

Additional evidence

A second study presented at the conference also examined the impact of the MIND diet. Researchers from Wake Forest School of Medicine followed 7,057 women, average age 71, over almost 10 years and found those who most closely followed the MIND diet had a 34% reduction in the risk of developing Alzheimer's.

A third study at the conference looked at the dietary habits of 2,223 dementia-free Swedish adults over six years who followed the Nordic Prudent Dietary Pattern (NPDP) diet, which avoids sweets and fatty and processed foods. Instead, the diet emphasizes eating non-root vegetables, apple/pears/peaches, pasta/rice, poultry, fish, vegetable oils, tea and water, and light to moderate wine intake.

Swedes who stuck to the diet at a moderate or higher level preserved their cognitive function better than those who ate more processed and fatty foods.

Lastly, a fourth study examined MRI brain scans of 330 cognitively normal adults, with an average age of 79, and found eating foods that raise inflammation in the body -- such as sweets, processed foods and fried and fatty foods -- raised the risk for a shrinking "aging" brain and lower cognitive function.

That comes as no surprise to neurologist Rudy Tanzi.

"Foods that keep blood pressure normal, provide us with antioxidants, and maintain healthy bacteria in our gut, or microbiome, will serve to help keep chronic inflammation in check in the brain and entire body," said Tanzi.

Despite the similarities of the results, experts point out that all of this research is observational, meaning that it is based on reports by individuals as to what they eat. To prove the connection between diet and dementia risk, said McEvoy, researchers will need to move to scientifically controlled experiments.

"I think the studies, taken together, suggest a role for high quality dietary patterns in brain health and for protection against cognitive decline during aging," said McEvoy. "Diet is modifiable, and in light of these studies we need clinical trials to test whether changing diet can improve or maintain cognition."

Join the conversation

Until that definite proof is available, say experts, there's no harm in using this information to makes changes in your diet and lifestyle that could help protect your brain.

"Although the idea that a healthy diet can help protect against cognitive decline as we age is not new, the size and length of these four studies demonstrate how powerful good dietary practices may be in maintaining brain health and function," said Keith Fargo, Alzheimer's Association Director of Scientific Programs and Outreach.

Tanzi agrees. "It's about time we started placing a greater emphasis on what we eat as we strive to have our 'healthspan' keep up with our increasing 'lifespan'."

For the complete article: https://edition.cnn.com/2017/07/17/health/mediterranean-style-diet-prevents-dementia/index.html

Research Finds Extra Virgin Olive Oil Safest, Most Stable for Cooking

Tue, 15 May 2018 00:00:00 GMT

Australian researchers found extra virgin olive oil to be the safest and most stable even when used at high temperatures, dispelling a common myth about cooking with olive oil.

Australian researchers compared the effects of heating on extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) and an array of other common cooking oils in a powerful new study. They found EVOO to be the safest and most stable even when used at high temperatures. The investigation also dispelled several erroneous beliefs associated with cooking oils.

Canola oil produced more than 2.5 times the polar compounds of EVOO and just about double the polar compounds of even refined olive oil.- Mary Flynn, Research Dietician, Brown Univ. In the study published in the journal Acta Scientific Nutritional Health, scientists heated popular cooking oils and performed a range of tests to assess parameters connected to stability. Aside from EVOO, the oils tested included virgin olive oil, refined olive oil, canola, grapeseed, coconut, avocado, peanut, rice bran and sunflower oils. One of the main findings was that EVOO produced the lowest quantity of harmful substances called polar compounds. The refined oils produced much more.Olive Oil Times sought the perspectives of three experts: Sarah Gray, pharmacist and nutritionist at the Olive Wellness Institute; Simon Poole, physician, commentator and author of The Olive Oil Diet; and Mary Flynn, a research dietitian at The Miriam Hospital and Associate Professor of Medicine, Brown University. “When oil is exposed to heat, it breaks down and produces a variety of degradation by-products such as polar compounds,” said Gray. “Evidence shows that polar compounds may be detrimental to health and have been linked to the development of neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.”This superior stability makes EVOO the safest oil to use in cooking. Lead author Florencia de Alzaa pointed out that the study’s testing temperatures exceeded those used in common cooking methods.“This research looked at the chemical and physical changes that occurred when heating common Australian supermarket oils to 180℃/350℉ over 6 hours, and gradually (over 20 minutes) from 25 to 240℃/475℉. In fact, this is much higher than standard domestic cooking temperatures such as 120℃/248℉ in stir frying (sautéing), 160-180℃/320-250℉ in deep frying and 200℃/400℉ in oven baking,” Gray said.“In recent years we have seen numerous unsubstantiated claims that it is less safe to cook with extra virgin olive oil, despite frying and roasting temperatures being well below its smoke point,” said Poole. “This research provides unequivocal and definitive evidence that should finally dispel this myth. It shows that extra virgin olive oil is not only safe during heating at regular cooking temperatures, but is the desirable cooking oil when compared with others. The production of potentially harmful polar compounds and trans fats was markedly lower in EVOO.”

Analysis o

Analysis of the results also showed that an oil’s smoke point doesn’t predict its performance when heated. Instead, it found when combined with the total level of unsaturated fats, oxidative stability and UV coefficients are more accurate predictors. “Interestingly, it is a common thought if an oil has a high smoke point, it is preferential for higher-heat cooking despite limited technical evidence to support this. However, according to de Alzaa, the findings of this paper completely debunk this very common myth,” said Gray.The study also discredited the notion that the use of canola oil is beneficial for health. “I found it most interesting how poorly canola oil performed, as the testing showed it to be the most unstable compared to all the other oils, especially in comparison to the three olive oils tested,” said Flynn. “Canola oil produced more than 2.5 times the polar compounds of EVOO and just about double the polar compounds of even refined olive oil.”“Some health professionals inadvertently make recommendations that all olive oils and canola oil are equal in health benefits, as they all have high levels of monounsaturated fat. If the monounsaturated fat content was the reason for the health benefits of olive oil, then studies comparing refined olive oil to extra virgin would show the same positive effects, and they do not. The wellness advantages of extra virgin olive oil are clearly due to its content of phenolic compounds,” said Flynn.“Increasing data shows the nutritional benefits of preparing foods in EVOO and underscore its central role in the Mediterranean Diet,” Poole noted.The new study builds on this wealth of research by showing that instead of limiting extra virgin olive oil for use in salad dressings, it can be used in all manner of cooking methods.

For the complete article: https://www.oliveoiltimes.com/olive-oil-basics/extra-virgin-olive-oil-safest-most-stable-for-cooking...

f the results also showed that an oil’s smoke point doesn’t predict its performance when heated. Instead, it found when combined with the total level of unsaturated fats, oxidative stability and UV coefficients are more accurate predictors. “Interestingly, it is a common thought if an oil has a high smoke point, it is preferential for higher-heat cooking despite limited technical evidence to support this. However, according to de Alzaa, the findings of this paper completely debunk this very common myth,” said Gray.The study also discredited the notion that the use of canola oil is beneficial for health. “I found it most interesting how poorly canola oil performed, as the testing showed it to be the most unstable compared to all the other oils, especially in comparison to the three olive oils tested,” said Flynn. “Canola oil produced more than 2.5 times the polar compounds of EVOO and just about double the polar compounds of even refined olive oil.”“Some health professionals inadvertently make recommendations that all olive oils and canola oil are equal in health benefits, as they all have high levels of monounsaturated fat. If the monounsaturated fat content was the reason for the health benefits of olive oil, then studies comparing refined olive oil to extra virgin would show the same positive effects, and they do not. The wellness advantages of extra virgin olive oil are clearly due to its content of phenolic compounds,” said Flynn.“Increasing data shows the nutritional benefits of preparing foods in EVOO and underscore its central role in the Mediterranean Diet,” Poole noted.The new study builds on this wealth of research by showing that instead of limiting extra virgin olive oil for use in salad dressings, it can be used in all manner of cooking methods.

For the complete article: https://www.oliveoiltimes.com/olive-oil-basics/extra-virgin-olive-oil-safest-most-stable-for-cooking...