Ive always cooked with olive oil but recently become aware of information saying that it is harmful to health. Having browsed the web the information is contradictory so I am non the wiser. I assume that Michael Moseley is aware of the controversy and believes it to be safe to use given the dietary advice in his book. I would be very interested to hear people’s views. I hope to start the BSD diet next week.

I prefer to look at all the folk in the Med countries that I have visited over the years and who use olive oil much more than us.
They don’t seem to have anything seriously wrong with them so I will believe that rather than some research found on the internet and probably sponsored by a food company.

On the whole, olive oil is better for cooking at lower temps – at high heat it can degrade and so lose its benefits and arguably then become ‘unhealthy’. There are other oils that can cope with higher temperature – nut oils or canola. If you read wok frying recipes – which are at a very high temp – they are unlikely to suggest olive oil.

Extra Virgin can be used for cooking, but is probably a bit of a waste of money – keep this for salads and stuff and use bog standard olive oil if you’re going to throw it in a frying pan 🙂

Thanks for comments guys.

rapeseed oil also has health benefits and apparently doesn’t degrade at high temperatures so can be used for frying.

With any oil you firstly need to know how it’s extracted, Olive Oil is cold pressed from the olives. But some such as Rice Bran Oil are chemically extracted from the bran and that leaves residue.

I’m with Janet1973. I use Rapeseed oil for frying as it doesn’t smoke and burn like Olive oil.
Keep the extra virgin olive oil for drizzling on your salad’s and veggies.

I use olive oil almost exclusively, with the only exception being if I am frying at high temps. Rapeseed is often cold pressed and has been haled for it’s healthy properties, so is a great alternative for frying at high temps.

This had me going for a bit until I watched MM’s Trust Me I’m a Doctor stream on oil, have now wised up.

It’s worth watching, any oil smoking it’s socks off, is not going to be product of choice; food cooked in vats of oil slowly is also not going to be an ideal option, I use olive oil, moderate amounts, at a moderate temperature.