Frying vegetables in extra virgin olive oil is better than eating them raw, steamed, or grilled.

In this week’s post, we discuss the benefits of frying vegetables in extra virgin olive oil compared with other ways of cooking them.

If for years we have been hearing about the benefits of raw, boiled, or steamed foods, we now overturn what would have been one of the main pieces of advice any health professional would have given us… until now.

Researchers at the University of Granada have shown that vegetables fried in olive oil have far healthier properties than when we eat them after any other cooking method.

The key lies in extra virgin olive oil. Specifically, frying in this plant-based fat would increase the phenolic fraction and, therefore, the beneficial health effects of these antioxidants—a powerful ally against diseases such as cancer, diabetes, or cellular degeneration.

The aim of this study was to understand the effect that different cooking methods have on the antioxidant properties of vegetables, so characteristic of the Mediterranean diet.

In this way, after subjecting fresh vegetables such as pumpkin, tomato, eggplant, and potatoes to different cooking methods (boiled in water, boiled in a mixture of water and oil, sautéed in oil, and fried in plenty of extra virgin olive oil), the conclusions drawn have caused a true revolution in the academic world.

The researchers determined that extra virgin olive oil, when heated and brought into contact with the vegetables, transfers phenols to the vegetables, resulting in enrichment, as the vegetables come to contain phenolic compounds exclusive to the oil.

However, what in one case is enrichment and a notable health advantage, in another entails an increase in calorie intake, so if you are looking to follow a healthy, balanced, low-fat diet, it may not be the most suitable option.

It is worth noting that extra virgin olive oil is the foundation and cornerstone of the Mediterranean diet, recognised by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. And it is not only about healthy foods and combinations; it is about a lifestyle, a philosophy when we sit down to eat, a cultural way of understanding something as basic and instinctive as nourishment.

In addition to this latest finding, extra virgin olive oil offers many and varied benefits for our health, framed, of course, within the Mediterranean diet.

Source: www.aceitedeoliva.com