Is olive oil the best edible oil or an intelligence tax?
2024-07-29
Rumors say 'olive oil is the best edible oil' and 'buying olive oil is an intelligence tax'. Regarding olive oil, some say it is the 'best edible oil', but others say it is an 'intelligence tax'. Rumor analysis suggests that neither of these claims is accurate. Overall, olive oil is a vegetable oil rich in oleic acid and low in saturated fatty acids. It is a good edible oil, but compared to other vegetable oils, it does not have any more significant nutritional value. As for whether olive oil is an intelligence tax, the key still depends on one's own consumption level. Olive oil, known as the "liquid gold" and "Mediterranean dew" in the West, is highly sought after by people. People who love it say it is the best edible oil; But some people say it's too expensive, it's all an intelligence tax. What is the nutrition of olive oil? Do you want to buy olive oil? Is olive oil the best edible oil? As a type of oil, the main function of olive oil is to provide us with triglycerides and fatty acids. The fatty acids of different oils and fats will vary. The fatty acid molecules in fat are mainly divided into three categories: monounsaturated fatty acids: fatty acid molecules have a double bond. A double bond is an unsaturated chemical bond that can be converted into a saturated fatty acid by adding two hydrogen atoms to it. Polyunsaturated fatty acids: Fatty acid molecules have two or more double bonds. Saturated fatty acids: Fatty acids that do not have unsaturated double bonds in their molecules, are all saturated fatty acids. So what is the fatty acid composition of olive oil? About 70% to 85% of the fatty acids in olive oil are oleic acid, which is an n-9 monounsaturated fatty acid. Olive oil has a very low content of saturated fatty acids. However, currently, the intake of fatty acids by Chinese residents is not lacking in oleic acid, but in n-3 fatty acids. So, olive oil has little significance for our fatty acid balance. In addition, olive oil also contains some vitamin E and other polyphenolic compounds, which have antioxidant effects. If it is cold pressed olive oil, the content of these components will be slightly higher; The taste of primary cold pressed olive oil is more fragrant, but these have little effect on nutrition. Overall, olive oil is a vegetable oil rich in oleic acid and low in saturated fatty acids. It is a good edible oil, but it does not have significantly higher nutritional value than other vegetable oils. Saying it is the 'best edible oil' is indeed an exaggeration. Is olive oil better because Mediterranean cuisine dominates the charts? One important reason why olive oil has long been renowned as the best edible oil is due to its Mediterranean diet. The Mediterranean diet is often referred to as the "healthiest dietary pattern", and has even topped the ranking on a foreign rating website for seven consecutive years. The typical characteristic of Mediterranean cuisine is eating olive oil. In fact, there have been studies analyzing several common dietary patterns, including Mediterranean diet, DASH diet, low-fat diet, low-carbon diet, Paleolithic diet, etc., to analyze their impact on health. The results showed that although the impact of different dietary habits on human health varies, there is not a significant difference overall. In fact, whether a diet is healthy or not mainly depends on people's food combinations, and is not entirely determined by a certain dietary style or specific foods. So, the Mediterranean diet is not necessarily healthier, so it is untenable to say that olive oil in this dietary pattern is healthier. Is buying olive oil an intelligence tax? Due to the high price of olive oil, some people say it is an intelligence tax and should not be bought. Is olive oil really an intelligence tax? Whether it is an intelligence tax or not depends on whether one can afford it. If it clearly exceeds your consumption level, try not to buy it; If it is completely acceptable and within one's purchasing power, then it can be purchased based on personal circumstances. However, I would like to remind everyone of a few points: firstly, the main characteristic of olive oil is its high oleic acid content, and our diet is not lacking in oleic acid. Moreover, there are many oils with high oleic acid content, such as tea oil, rapeseed oil, etc., which can be eaten without having to buy olive oil. Secondly, the phenomenon of fake and adulterated olive oil is very common, and people should be particularly careful when buying it. As early as 2013, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) released a "Top 10 Counterfeit Food Blacklists", with olive oil ranking first. The European market, even Italy located in the Mediterranean, is filled with fake and adulterated olive oil. The CBS program "60 Minutes" reported that 75% to 80% of extra virgin olive oil on the US market is fake. In 2018, CCTV also exposed that some olive oil blends labeled as "extra virgin olives" and "olive original fragrance" were actually impersonated by soybean oil. Overall, olive oil has little value for our fatty acid balance, and other vegetable oils can completely replace it. Moreover, the olive oil we buy at a high price is highly likely to be fake. How to choose healthy oil? When people usually eat oil, they can actually pay attention to these points: 1. Prioritize choosing vegetable oil and animal oil, such as lard, butter, butter, etc., which are all high in saturated fat. Currently, it is believed that excessive intake of saturated fatty acids increases the risk of cardiovascular disease. Common vegetable oils, such as rapeseed oil, corn oil, soybean oil, peanut oil, etc., usually have a low proportion of saturated fatty acids and a high proportion of unsaturated fatty acids, making them relatively healthy. For ordinary consumers, they can usually choose vegetable oil and change the type of oil frequently to eat different oils. It should be noted that certain vegetable oils, such as palm oil and coconut oil, have a high proportion of saturated fat and should be consumed in moderation. 2、 Choose refined oil, do not buy oil extracted from soil or self pressed oil. Oil extracted from soil or self pressed oil contains a lot of impurities, has a low smoke point, and is prone to smoking when stir frying. The oil fume contains a large amount of harmful substances such as benzo [a] pyrene and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, and the aflatoxin in soil pressed peanut oil is also more likely to exceed the standard. It is recommended that everyone must buy regular refined vegetable oils and fats. As long as it is refined vegetable oil, it is usually resistant to high temperatures and can meet the cooking needs of most households in daily life, whether it is stir frying or deep frying. 3、 Low oil is the healthiest. Finally, it is important to remind everyone that regardless of the type of oil, even the popular olive oil, flaxseed oil, perilla oil, etc., they are still fats and should not be consumed excessively. The dietary guidelines in our country recommend that the average person should consume 25-30 grams of cooking oil per day, but currently, the daily intake of cooking oil by Chinese residents is 43.2 grams, which is nearly double. So, the first thing everyone needs to do now is reduce fuel consumption. From this perspective, olive oil also has a benefit - it is relatively expensive and people usually hesitate to eat more, which can help us reduce oil consumption. There is no need to overly emphasize the nutritional value of a single food, as no single food can provide all the nutrients needed by the human body. The key is to maintain a balanced, diverse, and moderate diet. (New Society)
Edit：HAN ZHUOLING Responsible editor：CAICAI
Source：chinanews.com
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