How to Buy Olive Oil Without Getting Scammed
by Barbara Minton
See all TBYIL articles by Barbara Minton
(The Best Years in Life) Experts far and wide proclaim the health
benefits of extra virgin olive oil. One of the reasons they point to is the
fact that extra virgin olive oil is much less processed than oils made from
vegetable seeds. Extra virgin olive oil is expensive compared to seed oils, but
the extra cost is clearly worth it when you consider those tremendous benefits.
Unfortunately, when you buy a bottle of extra virgin olive oil, that is not
necessarily what you get.
Olive oil is a mainstay in the best diet on earth
The health and therapeutic benefits of olive oil were first
mentioned by Hippocrates, who declared that food was the best and only medicine
worth using. Olive oil is one of the foundations of the Mediterranean diet, the
only diet that has been proven to reduce the risk of death from all causes.
Olive oil is one reason Mediterranean women have such glowing complexions and
beautiful hair. And it is one reason Mediterranean men have such gorgeous
muscles.
Olive oil is rich in antioxidants that discourage artery clogging
and chronic diseases involving the cardiovascular system. A study done in
Greece involving more than 1900 people found that using olive oil exclusively
cut their risk of coronary heart disease almost in half. Those who consumed two
tablespoons of olive oil daily for one week showed less oxidation of LDL
cholesterol and higher blood levels of antioxidant compounds. Another recent
study has shown olive oil to be effective against HER-2 positive breast cancer.
People who use olive oil regularly have lower rates of atherosclerosis,
diabetes, colon cancer and asthma.
Dietary fats fall into three categories:
*Saturated fat which comes from animals, coconuts and palm trees
*Polyunsaturated fat that comes from seeds, nuts and vegetable oil
*Monounsaturated fats which come from olives and safflower oil
Most of the benefits of olive oil do not derive from its being a
monounsaturated fat, but rather from the high levels of polyphenols it
contains.
The great olive oil scam
True extra virgin olive oil is nothing but the oil that comes from
the first pressing of olives. This is why it contains such a high level of
polyphenols, antioxidants and nutrients. True extra virgin olive oil is not
refined in any way with chemical solvents or high heat. Its taste and smell
should resemble that of fresh olives with no overtones of anything else. It
should smell inviting and exciting, not musty or rancid. The oil from
subsequent pressings contains only what is left over. This is why extra virgin
olive oil commands a higher price.
Unfortunately the tantalizing thought of that higher price
motivates many olive oil distributers to adulterate their oil. Some even go so
far as to adulterate oil from second or third pressings, which is sold simply
as olive oil. So there is a good chance that when you choose a bottle of extra
virgin olive oil or one labeled simply as olive oil, you are not getting what
you think you are getting, and you are not getting what you are paying for.
In 2010, the University of California at Davis published an
extensive report on the fraudulent labeling of extra virgin olive oil. Several
common brands sold in the U.S. were found to be adulterated with lower quality
oils. These included:
Pompeian
Star
Filippo Berio
Bertolli
Colavita
Newman's Own
Safeway
Rachel Ray
Whole Foods
Mazzola
Mezzetta
Carapelli
Brands found to be accurately labeled as extra virgin olive oil
include:
Kirkland Organic
Corto Olive
California Olive Ranch
McEvoy Ranch Organic
Extra Virginity: The Sublime and scandalous World of Olive Oil is
a book by Tom Mueller that chronicles how resellers have added lower-priced,
lower-grade oils and artificial coloring to extra virgin olive oil, and passed
the adulterated product along the supply chain. One producer told Mueller that
at least 50 percent of the olive oil sold in the U.S. is adulterated.
Extra virgin olive oil that has been adulterated loses the
antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties you are buying it for, according
to Mueller. When you buy unadulterated oil, you get a cocktail of more than 200
highly beneficial compounds. This explains why extra virgin olive oil is
credited with producing many of the benefits to be had from eating the
Mediterranean diet. Adulterated oil that is mixed with oil from subsequent
pressings and/or some sort of vegetable oil, will have free radicals and
impurities rather than the expected beneficial compounds.
Mueller points out that many bottles of oil labeled as olive oil
actually contain no olive oil at all. And he notes that only about 4 out of
every 10 bottles of olive oil that say they come from Italy are actually
Italian olive oil. This is because any producer can send any kind of oil to
Italy to have it bottled. He calls it legalized fraud.
How can you avoid getting scammed?
Never buy olive oil unless the bottle clearly states it is 100 %
extra virgin olive oil. This is no assurance you won't get scammed, but it cuts
down your odds considerably, as does buying olive oil labeled as organic. Take
it home and smell it and taste it. If it smells like olives and is wonderfully
inviting, it is the real thing. If it does not, take the bottle and your
receipt back to where you bought and ask for a refund. Buy another brand and
try it, until you get one that tastes like it should.
Beware of buying olive oil that says it is extra light. Any oil
with this label will have undergone considerable processing and will have
little of the taste and health benefits you want. The name extra light is there
to fool you into thinking it's low in fat, but all olive oil contains the same
amount of fat. There is no regulation, certification or standard for oil that
is labeled in this fashion, and you could be getting anything.
See also:
The Mediterranean Diet Reviewed
For more information:
http://www.npr.org/2011/12/12/143154180/losing-virginity-olive-oils-scandalous-industry
http://olivecenter.ucdavis.edu/news-events/news/files/olive%20oil%20final%20071410%20.pdf
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090401200447.htm
About the Author:
Barbara is a school psychologist and the author of Dividend
Capture, a book on personal finance. She is a breast cancer survivor using
bioidentical hormone therapy, and a passionate advocate of natural health with
hundreds of articles on many aspects of health and wellness. She is the editor
and publisher of AlignLife's Health Secrets Newsletter.
See other articles by the Barbara Minton here:
AlignLife: http://alignlife.com/author/bminton/
Natural News: http://www.naturalnews.com/author358.htmlPosted
By: Dquixote1217 [Send E-Mail]
Date: Thursday, 7-Nov-2013 17:07:15
by Barbara Minton
(The Best Years in Life) Antioxidant-rich olive oil has been
widely touted by health experts for years - in great part because it is a
mainstay of the Mediterranean diet that has been proven to reduce the risk of
death from virtually all causes. When it comes to olive oil, the only kind that
is truly healthy is true extra virgin olive oil which is pure olive oil that
has been processed much less than less expensive and often less healthy seed
oils. The catch for consumers is that when you purchase a bottle of extra
virgin olive oil, chances are great that you may not be getting what you think.
Read More:
http://www.tbyil.com/Buy_Olive_Oil_Without_Getting_Scammed_Barbara_Minton.htm
See also:
"The Mediterranean Diet Reviewed"
The Omega Diet
(The Mediterranean Diet)
The Omega Diet, by Dr. Artemis P. Simopoulos and Jo Robinson,
which was previously published under the titles "The Omega Plan" and
"The Aphrodite Diet", is the most genuine and credible of a number of
"Mediterranean diets" that have been on the bookshelves in recent
years that espouse Mediterranean foods and lifestyle for weight loss and
health.
The book explains how the people on the Greek island of Crete have
a 5,000 year history even to the present day of longer life spans and better
overall health than most other Mediterranean societies, even though the diets
are very similar to those other Mediterranean diets. Scientific examination
found the "missing link" that made the health and longevity of the
people of Crete superior was that their food choices contained a significantly
higher proportion of Omega 3 Fatty Acids in them than other communities. It
also demonstrated that the ratio of Omega 6 Fatty Acids to Omega 3 Fatty Acids
was a vital factor in health and longevity.
Whereas the developed Western World today has an Omega 6 Fatty
Acid to Omega 3 Fatty Acid ratio upwards of 12:1 (measured as high as 40:1 in
some Westerners who do not eat fish and live mostly on processed foods), the
traditional diet of Crete had less Omega 6 and more Omega 3 Fatty Acids - in a
ratio of around 4:1.
As an point of comparison, a number of other researchers, such as
those who have examined Paleolithic diets, have come to similar conclusions,
though they vary in their conclusions as to what constitutes the optimum ratio
of Omega 6 to Omega 3 Fatty Acids. The conclusions range from 1:1 through to
3:1. By comparison, The Crete diet espoused by Dr. Simopoulos in "The
Omega Diet" looks a little conservative and easier to achieve at 1:4,
though along with the others still stands in major contrast to the miniscule
Omega 3 levels in Western diets today.
It is also noted that the modern Western diet has changed
enormously over even the past century. One hundred years ago, Omega 3 Fatty
Acids were far more common in Western diets. Since then, there has been
enormous growth in the grain and seed "edible oils" industry which
has replaced Omega 3 Fatty Acid intake with greater Omega 6 intake, along with
the additional detrimental trans-fatty oils (hydrogenated or partially
hydrogenated oils - an unnatural industrial production method of adding
hydrogen to unsaturated fats to thicken them and extend their shelf life.)
The many health benefits of Omega 3 oils are discussed in
"The Omega Diet". These range from improvements in heart health,
brain function, treatment of many mental disorders, inflammatory conditions,
cancer prevention, and more. Sources of Omega 3 fatty acids in fish oils,
flaxseeds, green leafy vegetables and various nuts and other foods are
explained.
Although "The Omega Diet" is predominantly and primarily
concerned with overall health rather than weight loss (for which I commend it -
weight loss should always be treated as a benefit derived from overall health
and lifestyle improvements rather than merely a stand-alone goal), it presents
convincing research that shows that Omega 3 oils have significant weight loss
benefits.
Animal studies in mice have proven that diets heavy in Omega 6
oils or saturated fats promote insulin resistance and diabetes. The same caloric
value of fish oil (an Omega 3 oil) prevented these conditions, and produced
mice with significantly lower body weights than those fed Soya-bean, lard or
safflower oil diets.
The weaknesses and inconsistencies in the diet are:
An over-emphasis and probable inaccurate evidence in support of
Canola Oil (also known as Rapeseed Oil);
A fruit and grain content of the diet that seems excessive and has
potential long term detrimental effects from the excesses of starches and
fructose (fruit sugars).
I must point out that my criticisms may be seen by others as being
just as subjective and open to debate as the points of which I am critical.
In regards to Canola Oil:
It is simply untrue that this was a part of the Crete or
Mediterranean diet for the past 5,000 years. Canola is a 1980's "edible
oils industry" invention, being a hybridized version of rapeseed. Even
from the hybrid seed, to produce Canola Oil requires considerable artificial
industrial processing including leaching with other chemicals, bleaching and
partial hydrogenation.
While Dr. Simopoulos correctly identifies some of the health
dangers of the hydrogenation process in modern edible oils and warns against
them, she fails to point out that her strongly favored Canola Oil is itself
partly hydrogenated.
The book claims that Canola Oil is high in Omega 3 fatty acids.
While it is true that it does contain some Omega 3 fatty acids (and more than
many other common edible plant oils) and in a favorable Omega 6 to 3 ratio of
roughly 2:1, it fails to point out that neither of these essential oils are the
predominant fatty acid found within Canola Oil. Around 63% of Canola Oil is
Omega 9 - a non-essential monounsaturated fat also found in a similar
proportion in Olive Oil.
Most natural health practitioners and a growing body of research
now point to Canola Oil as being one of the more dangerous oils which should
not be consumed by humans. Even the small level of Omega 3 Fatty Acids it
contains is tainted, maybe even contaminated, by the partial hydrogenation
process designed to give the product an enhanced shelf life and therefore
better marketability.
Despite these criticisms, I recommend "The Omega Diet"
for its ground-breaking revelations about the deficit of Omega 3 in the modern
Western diet, the excess levels of Omega 6, its explanation of how fats
(generally) are necessary in human biology and health and how low fat diets are
an erroneous idea, and producing substantial evidence for a better and
healthier way to attain health and longevity - and even weight loss.
The book, though, should be read with an eye out for the
weaknesses mentioned above, and would best be read in conjunction with either
of the other two popular books the discuss the role of Omega 3 Fatty Acids in
human health and nutrition. (These are displayed in the column to the right.)
I also strongly advise that familiarity with "The Paleo
Diet" (also reviewed on this website) will go a long way towards
understanding some of the concepts of "The Omega Diet" and also
prepare you with some of the extra knowledge you need to identify some of its
clear biases and inconsistencies.http://www.tbyil.com/Mediterranean_Diet.htm