How beneficial is cooking with Olive Oil?

Olive oil is extremely healthy, and by default, it is healthy fat. It is loaded with antioxidants and beneficial fatty acids. Some of the healthiest populations have always used Olive oil in their daily diet. 

Now when it comes to how beneficial is it cook with olive oil, there are different opinions. Many people believe that it is unsuitable for cooking because of the unsaturated fats present in the Olive oil.  But much research has gone into this and it is inferred that Olive oil is excellent for cooking, even for frying also. The reasons for that are:

• Stable cooking Oil: When the oil is heated, the polyunsaturated fats will form various harmful compounds, which can even contribute to cancer. Therefore it is an essential quality for any cooking oil to be stable when exposed to high heat. Olive Oil which is high in monounsaturated fats satisfies this condition and will be stable when heated. 

• High in Vitamin E: The Extra virgin Olive Oil which is derived from the first pressing of Olives has powerful antioxidants and Vitamin E. These substances protect the oil from getting damaged due to high heat cooking. Olive oil does not oxidize much when used for cooking and thereby will not form harmful compounds like other vegetable oils regularly used for cooking.
• Olive Oil has high Smoke Point: The smoke point of Extra virgin Olive Oil is around 190-215°C. This makes it a safe choice for most cooking methods, including pan frying. 

It is definitely more beneficial and least harmful to do your daily cooking with extra virgin olive oil which is super healthy fat that retains its beneficial qualities even when you do any type of cooking.