Olive oil has been around for thousands of years. The oil extracted from olives is one of the healthiest oils available with benefits including anti-inflammatory properties, cardiovascular, digestive health, bone health, eyesight, anti cancer.
Most people are aware of the benefits that olive oil provides, but not aware of the adverse properties that the olive oil contains when it is heated. Even at extremely low temperatures all the amazing enzymes and health benefits that the oil contains are destroyed, and the oil itself transforms into a trans fat. This is of the worst type of fats to consume including animal fats. Man made trans fats can increase your ‘bad’ cholesterol and decrease your ‘good’ cholesterol.
Olive oil is better left alone, the way it is, at room temperature. Olive oil is excellent for making salad dressings, using as a dip for bread, and you can even drizzle it over your favorite cooked dishes for that divine, distinctive flavor.
Many of the oils that are sold in the store as pure olive oil are actually mixed with other oils. There are standards that are used for pure olive oil. The IOCC International Olive Oil Council labels the oil that contains the true standards for the popular ‘Extra Virgin Olive Oil,’ and ‘Virgin Olive Oil.’ Look for the IOCC label. Make sure that the oil is ‘Cold Pressed.’ This means that the olives are not heated while the oil is being extracted, that is very important. If the oil is heated at all, it completely defeats the purpose of even using this oil.
Coconut oil is a natural healthy oil, that can be heated to much higher temperatures without losing all of its essential nutrients and turning into a trans fat. There is a bit of a stigma around coconut oil because it is in fact a saturated fat, but it is a healthy saturated fat. (Breast milk is actually 50% saturated fat and it is regarded as the healthiest thing to ingest.) Coconut oil can assist in: weight loss, high blood pressure, heart disease, bone health, digestion, diabetes, cancer and many other ailments. It also contains lauric acid, which has anti-fungal and antibacterial properties.