How Does Virgin Olive Oil Differ From Olive Oil?

Olive oil, a key ingredient in the Mediterranean diet, offers a rich source of heart-healthy monounsaturated fats. Mediterranean diets are rich in monounsaturated fats and vegetables and low in saturated fats. This dietary approach has attracted interest due to its association with a reduced risk of heart disease and cancer, and preliminary evidence that it may slow brain aging. Virgin olive oil may offer greater health benefits than olive oil.

Grades

The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the International Olive Council set the standards for olive oil grades. Olive oil is graded as "extra virgin," "virgin," "refined olive oil" and "olive oil." "Olive oil" is made of virgin and refined olive oils combined. Extra virgin olive oil is the grade consumed in in Mediterranean regions and associated with the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet.

Virgin Olive Oil

Virgin olive oil has to have limited defects to qualify as "virgin olive oil" and meet chemistry-based standards. It's pressed from ripe olives, and virgin refers to the first pressing of the olives for oil. "Extra virgin" olive oil has to meet higher standards, including being free of defects and having some fruitiness in its flavor. Extra virgin olive oil is also lower in acidity, at less than 1 percent. To meet the standards, virgin and extra olive oil must be processed without heat or solvents.

Significance

Olive oil provides vitamins A, B-1, B-2, C, D, E and K and is rich in iron. Olive oils processed without heat retain more antioxidants and phenols, health-enhancing micronutrients. Extra virgin olive oil is the finest grade of olive oil, and the oil of choice in the Mediterranean regions. Virgin olive oil is the second-best grade of olive oil. "Olive oil" has a lower level of antioxidants because the virgin olive oil is blended with refined olive oil and the refining process reduces its health benefits.

Considerations

Olive oils labeled "virgin" or "extra virgin" may not meet standards for the grade. In a groundbreaking study, researchers at the University of California, Davis analyzed "extra virgin" olive oils sold in grocery stores and "big box" stores in three California regions. The researchers found 69 percent out of 14 samples of imported olive oils labeled "extra virgin" didn't meet the standards. By comparison, only 10 percent of California "extra virgin" olive oils tested at below standard. Some of the tested oils were old or rancid, some were poor quality oils and some were adulterated with lower grade oils, according to the University of California, Davis.