In addition to being rich in monounsaturated fats, bioactive compounds, vitamins, among others, extra virgin olive oil It is able to reduce the loss of nutrients from food during cooking. This is what a review of more than 90 scientific papers by researcher José Fernando Rinaldi de Alvarenga, a FAPESP grantee and postdoctoral fellow at the Food Research Center (FoRC), a Research, Innovation and Diffusion Center (CEPID) shows. from FAPESP based at the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences of the University of São Paulo (USP).
The research was carried out in partnership with colleagues from the University of Barcelona, Spain, and published in an article in the scientific journal Trends in Food Science & Technology.
“Before any explanation, it is important to reject once and for all that cooking with this oil is not healthy”, says Alvarenga, in an interview with the FoRC Communications Office. In the past, according to him, it was believed that fatty acids in extra virgin olive oil would oxidize at higher temperatures. “This is because of the smoke point of olive oil, which is when it starts to burn, smoke and oxidize. Although its smoke point occurs at lower temperatures than other oils, today we know that this does not come from these fatty acids, but from minor components of olive oil. Extra virgin olive oil ‘withstands’ higher temperatures just like other oils,” he adds.
He explains that in extra virgin olive oil there is a predominance of monounsaturated fats, which, among other benefits, have antioxidant potential. “Because of this action, the degradation of olive oil is slower compared to other oils. And that protects both the nutrients in the oil itself and those in the food,” he clarifies.
An example: “When we compare a tomato stew with and without oil, the amount of lycopene can be reduced without the presence of oil in the cooking process. However, by using extra virgin olive oil, we managed to preserve this compound that is associated with the prevention of prostate cancer”, comments the postdoctoral fellow.
Influence of cooking
The study shows, however, that the degradation of bioactive compounds varies according to the cooking method used. Several studies were analyzed on the loss of nutrients with foods prepared in different ways, such as:
In the oven
In the skillet in a sautéed, fried or sautéed way
Stew (preparation similar to moqueca or carne de pan)
“We saw that the technique that promotes the greatest degradation is preparation in an oven, as it involves very high temperatures and a long cooking time”, explains Alvarenga.
Degradation levels also vary depending on the bioactive compound. In the case of water-insoluble compounds, such as carotenoids and fat-soluble vitamins, boiling and steaming are the techniques that best preserve these compounds. On the other hand, there is considerable loss of them when microwaved and fried.
According to the researcher, it is important to highlight that there is no contraindicated method: “But, in general, if the aim is to make the most of the nutrients from plant foods and olive oil, it is preferable to use techniques with shorter cooking times and milder temperatures. .”
There are oils produced from different olives, being arbequina, picual and hojiblanca some of the most common. However, in the study it was observed that this has little impact after cooking, as well as the amount of bioactive compounds in the final product. “What must be taken into account is not the type of olive, but its growing conditions. That is, climate, temperature and amount of rainfall. In addition to the conditions of extraction, processing and storage”, the researcher points out.