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There is a wide variety of Oils (olive oil, sunflower oil, coconut oil, almond oil, avocado oil, rapeseed oil, sesame oil, …), however, the Spanish people’s favourite oils are Olive Oil and Sunflower Oil. Both Oils are not the same, from an organoleptic point of view, nor are they the same from a nutritional or culinary point of view.
There are many stories about the use of these two types of oil, which are not necessarily true. One of the biggest examples is that Sunflower Oil is suitable for frying.
In the following, we will explain the differences between both Sunflower Oil and the real advantages of one type of oil over the other.
Differences between Olive Oil and Sunflower Oil
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Olive Oil and Sunflower Oil are two very different oils, although both are vegetable oils.
- Olive oil comes from olives, it is cold-extracted, through mechanical processes. And Sunflower Oil is extracted by pressing the seeds of the sunflower plant.
- Olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fat and oleic acid, while sunflower oil is rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids. Although we associate fats with unhealthy, there are some of them that are good fats, such as the two mentioned above, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. So both elements have health-promoting effects, although polyunsaturated fats should be consumed less frequently than monounsaturated fats.
- Another difference is the colour of both types of oil. The Olive Oil is within a range of green colour (the shade of this colour will depend on the olive harvested), while the colour of Sunflower Oil is pale yellow.
- The flavour is also very different. The taste of Sunflower Oil is very mild and sweet. Whereas the taste of Olive Oil has many nuances. It can be sweet, bitter, spicy, fruity, …
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Which oil is best for your health?
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The healthiest oil is Olive Oil Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Not only that, it is considered one of the healthiest foods in the world.
This type of oil stands out for its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory components. Moreover, it is an Oil that undergoes many processes to evaluate its quality, such as a chemical study and a tasting of the Olive Oil by professionals. This is an area in which La Verea Andaluza is particularly concerned. Every year a laboratory certifies our work: our Extra Virgin Olive Oil is free of any type of chemical product. You can look at the reports of xxxAnalytical Results Test and the Additional Information to Analysis Bulletin. We are also certified by Amazon.
Another advantage is that by cold extracting the olive oil, it keeps all its vitamins and polyphenols intact.
A study by the European Journal of Cancer Prevention states that people who eat the so-called “Mediterranean diet” have a lower incidence of diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular diseases.
Why should you not fry with sunflower oil?
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It is not advisable to fry with Sunflower Oil as, when frying, the Sunflower Oil rises to very high temperatures and this process leads to the creation of toxic substances. The composition of Oil changes from 160° C, especially in the case of unrefined oil, which is why this Oil is harmful to our organism.
As Beatriz Robles says in her book How to be sure to eat everything, Olive Oil is rich in monounsaturated fatty acids and is more stable to heat, as it reaches 160-180° C perfectly before it starts to resent, thus avoiding the production of toxic compounds when cooking.
It is recommended that if you are going to continue frying with Sunflower Oil, you should opt for those that are “high oleic”, as this characteristic makes the Sunflower Oil more stable against oxidation.
It has always been fried more with Sunflower Oil as its price compared to Olive Oil was lower, however, currently the Sunflower Oil is increasing its price a lot, reaching almost the price of Olive Oil, so there are no more arguments not to change Oil and choose Olive Oil for frying.
In La Verea Andaluza we have an Ecological Extra Virgin Olive Oil of the highest quality, exquisite flavour and totally beneficial for your health. Our Olivar is certified organic by the CAAE certification service. We have taken advantage of the good condition of the plantation to obtain a PURE and HEALTHY oil.
