Olive Oil

This Article written by a hubpages.com Expert Writer.

Olive oil is a main ingredient in Meditterranean diets. Olive oil can be consumed freshly pressed from the fruit. Because of its high content of monounsaturated fatty acids, and antioxidents, olive oil can offer protection against heart diseases by controlling Bad Cholesterol levels while helping to raise Good Cholesterol levels. It is the aleic acid in olive oil that allows olive oil to be so beneficial to health, and Extra Virgin olive oil contains the highest levels of all types of olive oils for Vitamin E and phenols.

Olive oil is extracted by pressing or crushing olives. The oil from the first pressing is extracted without using heat or chemicals, and has no "off" flavors, therefore, it is classified Extra Virgin. Other types of olive oils are Virgin, which is from the second pressing, Pure Olive Oil, which is filtered and refined, and Extra Light Olive Oil, which undergoes considerable processing and only retains a very mild olive flavor.

Wild olive trees originated in Asia Minor into Africa, Japan, Australia, and China. There are six classifications of olive oil. They are Extra Virgin which comes from production only, contains no more than 0.8% acidity, and is judged to have a good taste. Virgin comes from Virgin oil production only, has less than 2% acidity, and is judged to have a good taste. Pure olive oil is a blend of refined and Virgin production oil. Olive Oil is a blend of Virgin and refined productions, has no more than 1.5% acidity, and lacks a strong flavor. Olive Pomace Oil comes from refined Pomace production blended with some Virgin production, is rarely sold at retail, and is often used for certain kinds of cooking in restaurants. Light Olive Oil contains the same amount of monounsaturated fats and calories as Extra Virgin olive oil does. The only things "light" about Light olive oil are the taste and color. Light Olive Oil can be used for frying or baking. Extra Virgin olive oil can be used for dressings and marinades.

Acidity, absence of defects, odor, and flavor define the four USDA grades of olive oil, established in 1948. They are US Grade A, or US Fancy, that has a free fatty acid content of not more than 1.4% and is "free from defects," US Grade B, or US Choice, which have a free fatty acid content of not more than 2.5% and are "reasonably free of defects," US Grade C, or US Standard, which have a free fatty acid content of not more than 3.0% and are "fairly free of defects," and US Grade D, or US Substandard, which have a free fatty acid content of more than 3.0% and "fails to meet the requirements of US Grade C".

Labels on olive oil may include "100% Pure Olive Oil" which is often the lowest quality available. Better Grades have "Virgin" on their labels. "Made From Refined Olive Oils" means taste and acidity chemically controlled. "Light Olive Oil" has less flavor and is made from refined olive oil. "From Hand Picked Olives" means oil better quality and olives used to process it not over-ripened, and "Bottled or Packed In (a stated Country)" means origin of the oil not necessarily from that Country. Oil was bottled, or packed, in that particular Country, and oil may be a mixture of oils from more than one Country.

A comparative properties of common cooking fats, (per 100 grams), would show why olive oil is such a healthy choice. Total Fat: 100 grams, Saturated Fats: 14 grams, Monounsaturated Fats: 74 grams, Polyunsaturated Fats: 12 grams, Protein: 0 grams.