5 Reasons Why EVOO Should be in Every Vegan's Pantry

Al Maida eco-friendly farm currently grows four varieties of olive trees. Image © Diana - The Elephant Soul

I recently visited an eco-friendly olive farm in Khreim, Jordan. This wasn’t the first time I had been to an olive farm, but it was definitely the first time I saw sustainable agriculture in action. Seeing the process and the effort that goes behind making my favorite EVOO left me wanting to know more about this staple.

In this week’s blog post I will talk about the benefits of using extra virgin olive oil, also known as EVOO, and 5 reasons why EVOO should be in every vegan’s pantry.

Let’s start by defining what EVOO is. Extra Virgin Olive Oil is an oil extracted at low temperatures. The term we relate to this process is cold-pressed. This means that during the processing of the fruits (olives), the overall temperature of the equipment used (oil press) remains very low as to not cause any changes in the chemistry of the olives. This allows them to keep their nutrients and hence provide us with their multiple beneficial properties.

So why should vegans use extra virgin olive oil?

5 Reasons Why EVOO Should be in Every Vegan's Pantry

1. 100% healthy plant-based fat - Considered to be the “healthiest fat on earth”, EVOO is made through a chemical-free extraction, which makes it 100% natural. The process takes longer as heat is avoided to ensure the highest retention of nutrients. EVOO is the purest kind of olive oil you can find and it is vegan. The olives used in its production have been pampered throughout the process to avoid any bruising that could alter its great taste. The compounds in EVOO promote heart health and boosts memory. Read more on this topic here.

2. Great for baking - Researchers in Australia found out that cooking with EVOO at high temperatures is safer than using other oils such as canola or avocado oil. Baking with EVOO also cuts down on saturated fats while adding Vitamin E to your recipes. Additionally, using EVOO in your baked goods enhances the taste and makes them super moist. From personal experience, swapping coconut oil for EVOO in one of my favorite granola recipes made a huge difference in the taste. I’m not looking back. Read article on study here.

3. Powerhouse for breast cancer prevention - The Harvard School of Health shared the findings of a 5-year study called PREDIMED. The study was carried out in Spain and it included over 4,000 women ages 60-80. During the trial, some women were asked to add more EVOO to their diets while others were told to eat less fat. “There were 62% fewer cancers in the group who ate the olive oil–enhanced diet, compared with women just told to cut their fat intake.” And if this percentage isn’t enough, another recent study found that the compounds in EVOO can help prevent aggressive cells from multiplying in the triple-negative cancer. Read related articles here and here.

4. Natural skin moisturizer with vitamins - The use of good quality EVOO has been shown to help skin glow as you age. It helps soothe irritated skin after shaving or hair removal. It also softens and moistens your skin and cuticles and can be used as an excellent carrier oil to make your own scrubs. This article goes farther and suggests that EVOO can be used on eyebrows and eyelashes to revitalize them. Read article here.

5. Versatile - The use of olive oil in cooking dates back 2,500 years. The Romans have been attributed with the industrialization of olive oil. In recent times however, EVOO is being utilized for multiple purposes. For example, we see beauty products such as eye serums, scalp repair treatments, massage oils and shampoos containing EVOO. There are also processed foods that add it as a special ingredient. However, and as is a personal choice, I find it better to use it in its natural form to bake and cook with, to moisturize my skin or to apply it on my hair.

Are all olive oils labeled “Extra Virgin” real EVOOs?

This eco-friendly family-owned farm in Jordan is looking into becoming 100% organic in the future. Meanwhile, they’re doing an awesome job to source their energy from solar panels. © Diana - The Elephant Soul

One of the main things I learned during my recent visit to the eco-friendly olive farm was that most of the EVOO you find commercially is actually rancid. Doing a bit of research, I found this to be true not only in Jordan but in many parts of the world. How could this be? Interestingly, a lot has to do with financial gains and how companies maximize the extraction of the fruits and hence blend the cold-pressed ones with other oils that have been extracted with heat or with the use of chemicals.

Another challenge is that the adulteration of EVOO is widespread, in part due to the difficulty to detect the ones that are legitimate from the ones that aren’t. It can’t be done by just looking at the labels. This article states that it is necessary to carry out laboratory and ultraviolet tests.

How to buy authentic EVOO?

These are some of the solar panels found throughout the eco-friendly olive oil farm I visited recently in Khreim, Jordan. © Diana - The Elephant Soul

At the moment I have no problem finding premium quality, 100% pure EVOO but I’m wondering how will I be able to do it once I leave Jordan. Here are a few tips I found helpful:

• Look for certification labels that show the product has been evaluated by a reputable institution. Some include International Olive Oil Council (IOC), COOC (California Olive Oil Council) or the Extra Virgin Alliance (EVA)

• Check the manufacturing date. Recent is best.

• Notice the difference in flavor. Adultered oil labeled as “EVOO” that isn’t pure is less flavorful, according to this article by the Olive Oil Times.

• Continue using the brands that you know and trust to be 100% pure.

I hope you found this article helpful. I am definitely going to keep buying EVOO not only for its great taste and health benefits but because I have personally seen the way good, sustainable EVOO is grown and produced. As a vegan, I am a big consumer of this staple, so like with everything else, it is important to me making sure I only use natural and good quality products whenever possible.

What about you? Do you have a favorite vegan staple that you’d like to share? I’d love to read your comments in the section below.

Thank you for being here.

Namaste.

Diana

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