The Nutrients Of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Extra virgin olive oil is touted to benefit everything from your hair to your heart. This high grade oil is made solely from the fruit of the olive tree without additives of any kind to comply with U.S. Department of Agriculture guidelines. The Mediterranean diet, well known for its relationship with low rates of chronic disease, uses olive oil as the principal source of fat.

Definition

Extra virgin olive oil is the highest grade of olive oil, followed by virgin olive oil and lampante olive oil, which must be refined before human consumption; olive oil and refined olive oil. The USDA has strict guidelines regarding the grades of olive oil in the U.S. Extra virgin olive oil is defined as having excellent flavor and odor and a free fatty acid content, a measure of quality of the oil, of no more than 0.8g per 100g. Additional requirements include 18 other measurements of purity and quality.

Nutrient Overview

Each 1 tbsp. of extra virgin olive oil has 120 calories and 13.5g of fat. Because extra virgin olive oil is 100 percent fat, it contains no protein or carbohydrates. Extra virgin olive oil contains a small amount of iron. One serving or 1 tbsp. of extra virgin olive oil supplies approximately 25 percent of daily vitamin E, based on a 2,000-calorie diet. Additionally, one serving of oil provides 8.1mcg of vitamin K.

Fats

The fat content of extra virgin olive oil is broken down into saturated and unsaturated fat. The majority, approximately 11.5g, is unsaturated fat. Unsaturated fat is liquid at room temperature and from non-animal sources. The remaining 2g of fat are from saturated fat, a type of fat that is solid at room temperature and most often found in animal sources. A meta-analysis by Darsiuh Mozaffarian and colleagues at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School found that increasing polyunsaturated fat as a replacement for saturated fatty acids decreased coronary heart disease event occurrence by 19 percent. The authors noted most studies are too small to be statistically significant alone, but when pooled together, there is a significant benefit with replacing saturated fat with unsaturated fat in terms of cardiovascular risk.

Antioxidants

Antioxidants help prevent damage to your body's cells from oxidation. Nicoletta Pellegrini and team at University of Parma in Italy investigated the antioxidant content of a variety of foods commonly consumed in Italy, including oils. The Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity, a measurement of antioxidant content, was higher in extra virgin olive oil compared to olive oil. Among the oils, extra virgin olive oil ranked second in TEAC with a value of 1.79mmol Trolox per 1kg behind soybean oil, 2.20mmol Trolox per 1kg.

Implications

Extra virgin olive oil does have health benefits, including heart-healthy unsaturated fats and antioxidants. Use extra virgin olive oil in cooking, salad dressing and in place of butter for dipping bread. Despite its important health benefits, remember to use extra virgin olive oil in moderation to prevent exceeding your calorie and fat budget.