Olive oil: How to unlock health benefits | Prof. Tim Spector & Elizabeth Berger
Olive oil could transform your health. It regulates blood sugar, helps with weight management and prevents long-term disease. That is if it's the right kind of olive oil.
Distributor of the world’s finest olive oils, Elizabeth Berger, and Professor Tim Spector discuss its health benefits, debunk myths, and explain how storage and cooking can affect nutritional value.
In today's episode, we learn how to get the most from olive oil, why choosing the right olive oil is crucial and the significant antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits of this kitchen staple.
Elizabeth Berger is the founder of Frantoi, which works with growers and millers across Italy to harvest exceptional extra virgin olive oils. Tim Spector is a true olive oil evangelist, as well as one of the world’s top 100 most-cited scientists and ZOE's scientific co-founder.
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Timecodes
00:00 Introduction
01:05 Quick fire questions
03:15 How is olive oil made?
04:25 The 4 grades of olive oil
11:20 Olive oil in Mediterranean diets
13:15 The science behind healthy olive oil
16:35 Why we need healthy fats
21:05 What are polyphenols?
23:06 Extra virgin vs regular olive oil
27:03 Is there food industry misinformation about olive oil?
25:55 The power of seasonal eating
26:50 The best time to buy olive oil
28:00 The biggest myths about olive oil
31:25 How to properly store olive oil
33:00 How long do the health benefits last?
39:10 Is it safe to cook with extra virgin olive oil?
42:55 Tasting session of 3 extra virgin oils
55:10 How to identify high-quality olive oil
57:30 Tips to get more olive oil in your diet
Books by our ZOE Scientists:
Every Body Should Know This by Dr Federica Amati
Food For Life by Prof. Tim Spector
Fibre Fuelled by Dr Will Bulsiewicz
Free resources from ZOE:
Live Healthier: Top 10 Tips From ZOE Science & Nutrition
Gut Guide - for a healthier microbiome in weeks
Mentioned in today's episode
Is Extra Virgin Olive Oil the Critical Ingredient Driving the Health Benefits of a Mediterranean Diet?, published in Nutrients 2023
Is There More to Olive Oil than Healthy Lipids?, published in Nutrients 15
Protective effects of oleic acid and polyphenols in extra virgin olive oil on cardiovascular diseases, published in Food Science and Human Wellness
Only virgin type of olive oil consumption reduces the risk of mortality, published in European Journal of Clinical Nutrition volume 77
Extra-virgin olive oil and the gut-brain axis: influence on gut microbiota, mucosal immunity, and cardiometabolic and cognitive health, published in Nutrition Reviews
What do polyphenols do, and where can I find them?, published by ZOE
What is fat, and how much do you need?, published by ZOE
Evaluation of Chemical and Physical Changes in Different Commercial Oils during Heating, published by Acta Scientific Nutritional Health
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Episode transcripts are available here.