Cooking enthusiasts know how adding infused olive oil makes their favourite dishes taste even better. But aside from its delicate flavour, extra virgin olive oil is packed with antioxidants and monounsaturated fats that are good for your body.

Not all olive oils sold in grocery and gourmet stores are the same. When buying infused olive oil, you’ll need to check the following:

Source

Olive oil comes from the olive fruit of which there are hundreds of varieties grown around the world. Only a few, however, are suitable for producing quality oil. Most varieties can be found in countries with sub tropical climates like Spain, Italy and Greece, some parts of Australia and the US..

Certain olive types, however, are tougher than others, making it difficult to extract oil. To increase their yields, some enterprising European producers add chemicals to the fruits and subject these to high temperatures during extraction. The result can no longer be considered as extra virgin and the nutrients that make the oil healthy are lost in the process.

In Australia, many of its olive growers are members of the industry association which sets high standards for oil products to carry the “Australian Extra Virgin” brand. These undergo organoleptic (taste) and chemical testings to ensure their authenticity.

Extra virgin or pure oil

Ideally, oil should be extracted only from mature and undamaged fruits and immediately after their harvest. Maturity is determined through a squeeze test to see if oil is readily expressed by the fruit. Only clean fruits are processed under low temperatures to extract extra virgin oil.. Oils produced from over-extraction, high heat and chemical treatments are often labeled as “pure” and “light” oils.

Choose only extra virgin

Extra virgin oil contains high amounts of polyphenols (plant antioxidants) which are responsible for its distinctive flavour and healthy benefits unlike the “pure” and “light” variants which are often chemically treated or adulterated oils.

Various studies on olive oil reveal the following benefits:

* Lowers cholesterol: It contains very high concentrations of oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat that is not retained in the body and which reduces bad cholesterol levels. This promotes heart health and reduces your risk of coronary heart disease and hypertension.

* Fights cell damage: Tyrosol, an antioxidant found naturally in the oil, works like the chemical ibuprofen, to reduce inflammation and protect cells from damage. Because of this it is effective in treating inflammatory bowel disease and preventing some cancers~Because of this it is effective in treating inflammatory bowel disease and preventing some cancders}.

When buying infused olive oil, remember that the best tasting and most healthy come from reputable sources and are certified as “extra virgin”.