Oil is the basic requirement for cooking food whether you are sauteing, frying, baking or simmering. This is the reason why countless varieties of cooking oils are available in the market, some of them are virgin, some are hydrogenated and others are refined. The nutrition values of an oil decide whether your food is suitable for health-conscious people or not. When it comes to choosing the healthiest oil, nothing can beat the quality of live oil. This is among the primary ingredients in Italian kitchens. You can experience the taste and aroma of olive oil in almost every Italian cuisine. Gradually, the trend of adopting olive oil for cooking is reaching globally. Below are some significant reasons why it better than all other options.

Major reasons to prefer olive oil

  1. Monounsaturated fat content
  2. An adequate amount of antioxidants
  3. Prevent heart diseases
  4. Comprises anti-inflammatory properties
  5. Suitable for obesity patient’s diet
  6. Reduces the risk of type-2 diabetes
  7. It is antibacterial
  8. Reduces depression and anxiety risk
  9. Repairs liver damage
  10. Provide relief from inflammatory bowel

Nutrition value

From the perspective of nutrition, olive oil is way better than the options like palm oil, mustard oil or sunflower seeds oil. It comprises the following nutrition values:

  1. Vitamin E
  2. Vitamin K
  3. Monounsaturated fats
  4. Calcium
  5. Potassium
  6. Antioxidants

Types of Olive Oils Available in the Market

1. Virgin olive oil

The virgin olive oil is obtained through cold-processing method to retain maximum possible nutrients during the extraction process. It is further divided into four different categories including:-

  1. Extra virgin oil
  2. Fine virgin oil
  3. Virgin oil
  4. Semi fine virgin oil

Among these four options, extra virgin is the best option because it comprises almost every nutrition value that you can expect in raw olives. Not only for cooking but you can also use it for salads and other dishes without heating in order to get the maximum flavour. As the grade of virgin oil decreases, the acidity level increases. Extra virgin olive oil contains 0.8 to 1% acidity, a fine virgin has 1.5%, virgin oil has 2% and semi-fine virgin oil has a maximum of 3.3% acidity level. You can get Italian extra virgin olive oil online from authentic sellers.

2. Pure olive oil

The pure olive oil is not as pure as they say. Actually, it is a blend of different virgin oil variants along with refined oil. It is suitable for cooking whether you are sauteing, baking or frying. Pure oil is also good for your health but it is not suggested to consume in raw form. You can find it in most of the kitchens because it is cheaper than virgin oils and people cannot figure out the impurities. Buy Italian olive oil from an authentic brand because adulteration cases are becoming more frequent because of its increasing demand. 

3. Refined olive oil

This one is the cheapest option available in olive oils section. Refined oil is processed chemically in order to attain a long shelf-life as compared to other options available in the market. Also, it comprises the lowest acidity level of 0.3%. However, the nutritional value of olive oils is less than all other options. It is nearly colourless and odourless. Manufacturers blend refined oil with virgin oils to give it a texture artificially. It is only suitable for frying purpose.

Apart from these variants, pomace olive oil is also available in the market which is blended with palm oil. However, it is advisable to opt-out only virgin forms if you are expecting authentic flavours.

After reading the above information, it becomes clear that virgin oils are highly preferred variants when it comes to flavour and nutritional value. Brands like Colavita olive oil are currently leading in Italy for supplying extra virgin variants.