Different types of Olive Oil and their uses
Olives are a traditional tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin, and olive oil is a liquid fat extracted from them. It is frequently employed in cooking as a salad dressing or for frying meals. Some soaps, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and traditional oil lamp fuels all contain it. Let us discuss about the types of olive oil and their use.
Benefits of Olive oil
- It promotes heart health
- Helps to prevent diabetes by balancing blood sugar
- Oleocanthal, a polyphenol in olive oil, has anti-inflammatory effects
- Lowers the possibility of cancer
- It is beneficial for bone health
Different types of Olive oils
There mainly five types of olive oil and according due to their properties and quality they have different uses :
1. Extra-Virgin Olive oil
Clearly, the finest type of olive oil is extra-virgin. It is removed using a cold-pressing technique to avoid exposing the natural content to high temperatures, which could alter it. It is regarded as the best simply because the majority of the flavor and aroma are natural. Additionally, this is the variety of olive oil that is most frequently utilized for medical purposes.
A good extra virgin olive oil has a flavor that is pleasant and delicious. The flavor of the olive becomes more floral as it ripes. Unripe olives will yield an olive oil will a slightly bitter taste. It is less suitable for high-temperature cooking than conventional olive oil since it has a lower smoking point.
Benefits of extra-virgin Olive oil :
- Reduces the risk of heart diseases
- Protects against heart strokes
- Assist increase in insulin sensitivity, which can be used to control or prevent type 2 diabetes
- Diet that includes extra virgin olive oil can increase their life span
- Protection against cancer
2. Virgin-Olive oil
It is unrefined and is obtained by cold pressing. This indicates that the oil is only mechanically extracted by pressing after the olives have been ground into a paste. After the first pressing of the olives has produced extra virgin oil, virgin olive oil is normally made from the second pressing. Oil that has only undergone mechanical processing retains more nutrients, which is good for health.
It contains between 1 -4 % more acid than other foods, which is a slightly larger quantity. This oil’s resistance to temperature is another feature. The flavor is softer and more ideal for low-heat cooking than extra virgin oil. It works well as salad dressing as well.
3. Refined Olive Oil
It is regarded as oil of moderate quality. Black and ripe olive fruits are used to extract this kind of olive oil. It contains the least amount of virgin olive oil, which is known to have significant advantages in avoiding colon cancer, when compared to other types. After harvest, refined olive oil is put through a number of processes to change a few characteristics without changing the oil’s original glyceridic structure.
Even though the lite variety is occasionally promoted as being superior to the ordinary one, it is still of low quality and is therefore only useful for high-temperature cooking. It still has the same amount of calories and fat as other kinds. Olive oil that has been refined typically has no flavor or aroma and is either clear or very light in color.
4. Pure Olive oil
Although its name makes it quite apparent that it is pure, this kind of oil is not pure. In fact, it is a blend of refined olive oil and extra virgin or virgin-type olive oil. When the extraction quality is not what is anticipated, the blending process is frequently used.
Refined oil must be combined with virgin or extra virgin olive oil of higher grade in order to increase quality. Higher levels of vitamin E and improved flavor will result from the additional oil. It is used only for body massages, cooking, and therapies.
5. Olive Pomace oil
The olive oil sold in the market as “pomace type” is of the lowest grade. Pomace is produced from the leftovers and byproducts from pressing the fruit. The oil and water leftover after pressing the actual fruits are still present. To raise the quality of the residual oil, it is removed and blended with virgin oil. It only works for high-temperature cooking because of this issue, making it the most affordable product on the market. This type of oil is also commonly used in massages and therapies.
Benefits of Pomace Olive oil:
- Better immunity due to Vitamin E
- Suitable for cooking due to its stability at high temperatures
- It is used to treat the dryness in hair scalp
- Used in skin care and treat dry skin
- Better for bone density
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