Olive Oil Scandal

[Lolly]

This may be old news for some, but it reinforces the admonition to buy only "cold-pressed, unfiltered extra virgin olive oil"!

http://www.naturodoc.com/library/News/olive_oil_scandal.htm

[karenann]

Lolly,

Where do you buy your olive oil from? I buy mine from Safeway, but I think I need to get it elsewhere...maybe Trader Joe's?

Karen

[Lolly]

Hi Karen,
I buy mine from a local cooperative grocery. I know it's organic, as is much that's sold at this alternative grocery, but don't know if it's purified or not as it's sold in bulk form from a giant vat and you bring your own container. From what I'm reading, unfiltered or unpurified is better, so I'm going to have to check on this.
Trader Joe's might be a good source, let us know what you find there.

<3 Lolly

[Maryanne]

Thanks so very much for the site Lolly......I will add finding a better oil to my quest.

Happy Spring!

[AlaskaAngel]

Thanks, Lolly. Like RobinP I got some Kirkland first cold pressed extra virgin from Costco, and prior to that used Star, both of which are clear.... hmmmm...

A.A.

[Christine MH-UK]

Before anyone panics too much, I just wanted to point out that the fatty acid composition of hazelnut oil and olive oil is the same, which is why hazelnut oil and olive oil cannot be easily distinguished (there's a big financial reward available to anyone who can devise a method of doing this). Of course, olive oil has the good polyphenols, but it is the oleic acid, not the polyphenols, that are believed to downregulate her2 and perhaps sensitize her2+ breast cancers to herceptin.

[StephN]

I have bought an olive oil made in Spain on several occasions. Label says "First Cold Pressed Extra Virgin" and some bottles have a little cloudiness in the bottom and the current one does not. So, I am not sure that it might not be like unfiltered wines where some bottles will have sediment and some will not depending on whether bottled from the top of the barrel or the bottom.

Guess if you want to check the bottom of the bottles for some sediment, that will be a sure way to get what you want. The oil need not be cloudy all the way through, as settling will occur as the bottle sits on the shelf.

[Lolly]

You're right Steph, as I checked with our co-op and the oil I get in bulk is the same oil they sell bottled on the shelf, and while most of them have sediment on the bottom, it's reasonable to assume not all would, as the oil I decant myself from the vat is clear because the sediment is all at the bottom!
BTW, this appears to be good quality stuff, from Napa valley, here's a link to their web page (I have no financial interest in this company:))

Napa Valley Naturals
http://www.worldpantry.com/cgi-bin/ncommerce/ExecMacro/napavalley/home.d2w/report

[Unregistered]

Re oleic acid.

It is complex as usual.

Oleic acid can be made by the body. The research on its exact function is less easily found than linoleic n6 18:2 and linolenic n3.

Linoleic n6 18:2 and linolenic n3 cannot be made in the body.

The general direction of evidence is that omega six fuels the inlamatory pathways and omega three moderates them.

For me the key role of olive oil as a nutritional source is that it is an oil that is low in omega six, as well as the other benifits it provides.

I am sure the body has good use for oleic acid too,(and all the other bits) and I suspect like all energy efficient things would prefer it supplied in ready to use form than make it - but it is as always in moderation I suspect, and ultimately for me more olive oil is less important than balancing the omega threes and sixes.

10% omega six or more of a lot of olive oil is a lot more than a small supplement quantity of fish oil.

Olive oil I am sure has lots of benificial qualities, but the point I am trying to make is that if you are trying to balance three and sixes you should try and be aware of the amount of omega six it contains and the amount you are consuming realative to your omega threes etc etc.

RB