Improve Health With Greek Olive Oil

By Catherine Young


Anyone who is experimenting with butter and vegetable oil alternatives may wonder which oils are best for everyday cooking. This depends on which types are being cooked. If deep frying, it helps to look for something with a low smoke point, like canola or peanut oil. However, flaxseed or greek olive oil provide many nutrients for foods cooked over a low to medium heat.

This unsaturated fat offers many health benefits, like a generous amount of antioxidants and more nutrition than nut oils. This type of oil, whether used in cooking or beauty products, improves the blood and is good for hair, skin, and the digestive system. Most people find that using the actual product to make a home treatment is a better deal than buying something at the store. Many beauty products that claim to have rich oils usually have a small amount.

This type of oil comes in many varieties but while Greek styles are touted over those that come from Italy or Mexico, cooking with any of these is better than butter or margarine. It helps to learn about the smoke points of each, so that food does not scorch while cooking. Fortunately, there are also spreads that have a similar consistency to butter.

This oil is also great for frying foods or adding a slight fruity kick to side dishes. Due to the cost, not everyone may be able to use this in the same capacity as the inexpensive vegetable or corn oil. If cooking a protein that is dense in texture, it may help to brown using the oil and let bake or broil to ensure doneness.

Light olive oil is good for making sauteed vegetables, fried rice, and other meals that require medium heat. It generally does not have the same health properties as virgin olive oil but is preferred by those who do not want the taste. Some people say this oil is perfect for baking most desserts since the texture is light and the taste is not as pronounced.

The intense flavor found in virgin style oil comes from it being cold pressed, which helps it to retain much of the natural flavor. This is not to be confused with those that are labeled as pure since these tend to be a mixture of oils from other countries. While this type is much healthier than saturated fats like lard or margarine, these tend to have a lighter color and less intense flavor.

For those who want to add more antioxidants to their diet, food tends to be a better source than the counter supplements taken alone. Produce that is dark in color are good choices, along with beans and some seafood. It also helps to add nuts and grains to the daily diet.

The health benefits of using olive oil in cooking every day outweigh those of using butter or other animal fat product. Many find that their issues with cholesterol or hypertension are lessened, or adding more foods that are rich in antioxidants has helped them to lose unwanted pounds. The antioxidant properties also make this a wonderful hot oil treatment for hair that has been damaged by chemicals or the sun.




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