Olive Oil.. Cancerous... Damn

B., these are healthy oils, the problem is using them for deep frying. Please be cautious about what information you believe and what you share with others, those of us who have had cancer are not entertained by false information being spread around.

If olive oil were cancerous, my whole family would be dead. My grandmother cooked with olive oil every day of her life and lived to be 92. My husband's grandmother cooked with olive oil every day of her life and lived to be 98. Neither died from cancer.
LBC

I have heard this, and I always cook with it. But, rather than letting it scald before plopping everything in, I heat it "a little" and then stir everything in and let it heat together and don't cook it too long. I also use it raw whenever it's an option instead. Dr. Oz says this helps. :)

Depending who you talk to, almost everything becomes harmful when heated to high levels. It's part of the vegan/raw argument.

Burning anything will cause carcinogens to form - that's why a grilled steak cooked to the point of crispy outer edges is not good for you either but many like/prefer their steak cooked that way.
The smoking (burning) point of olive oil is about 400 degrees F and deep fryers heat to about 365 degrees F - so you've got to overheat olive oil by a serious amount before it burns - it's not likely you will ever heat it high enough to burn during the course of normal cooking.
As long as it's not burnt, many studies show olive oil may help to prevent a number of cancers - particularly colon, breast, ovarian, and prostate cancers.

Then why is the cancer rate in the mediterranean countries much lower than ours? Do your own research on this before you stop using olive oil.

Are you burning them to a crisp every time you eat them? No? Anything burnt can become a carcinogen. Olive oil has great fats. For centuries, it's been used for it's healthy properties.

Your teacher should educate herself, before she tries to educate you. Don't believe everything she says, even if she's a teacher. My sister is a teacher, and I'm terrified people have to learn from her. Teachers are not the end all on information.

Your teacher is on crack! Olive oil is one of the best oils for you.

I would request viable data from your teacher to back up such a ridiculous assertion!

B. -

ONLY if you are using it for deep frying...your teacher needs to do a tad bit more research before they start expounding on theories and scaring the living bejesus out of his/her students..

And, NO - Olive oil is generally regarded as one of the healthier types, because it has a low percentage of saturated fat. It also has antioxidants, and there is a considerable clinical evidence for a variety of health benefits. Of course the antioxidants are delivered full strength in cold oil, but would tend to be neutralized by high heat. So for frying it is the saturated fat content that counts most.

Life causes cancer - does everyone get it? NO.
Life is DANGEROUS - but people still LIVE it.
Don't live in fear...do some research on your own.

And you are right - soda is bad for us - but we drink it anyway...
Olive oil is NOT meant for deep frying but for cooking...

Actually, you teacher is right.

Olive oil, corn oil, canola oil (which is a crappy oil anyway), safflower oil, sunflower oil and any vegetable oils change their composition when heated past their "smoke point" and actually turns rancid. These oils, when heated, cause free radical damage to your cells and that *may* cause cancer, but also other health problems.
The reason Mediterranean's are healthier is not just the use of olive oil, but it is a factor. But they have the good sense to use it raw, when it actually is healthier for you!

The use of oils really confuse people. Here is what I have learned:

Raw:
Safflower
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Sunflower

Low heat:
Some Coconut oils
Safflower oil (to a certain degree, but I can't remember off hand how high you can heat it)

High heat:
Butter
Avocado Oil
Coconut Oil
Peanut Oil
Palm Oil

Most people think that those oils are bad for you, BUT that's a myth. Synthetic oils are bad for you and so are oils that you heat past their smoke points. People who say it's a myth need to do a little more reasearch than googling "does olive oil cause cancer?". Seriously, the internet can give you whatever you want to hear.

Fats are worth researching! You should be able to find out a way to make those amazing wings with a fat that won't harm you. And please send me your recipe! :) I am always on the lookout for a great wing recipe!

It's a myth. Here's another link on canola oil and cancer - also false: http://www.snopes.com/medical/toxins/canola.asp

What may well be cancerous (or otherwise hazardous) is heating olive oil (or anything) in a non-stick frying pan or using non-stick baking sheets. People who have pet birds are told not to use those products because the coatings give off noxious gasses. Same idea as the canary in the mines - when it dies, the miners knew the gasses were building up and they needed to get out.

So keep your olive oil and replace your cookware!

This is a myth. You will find NO evidence of this.
But-- Oils should never reach their smoke point. (roughly 400 degrees) And you need to take into consideration the oil extraction method used in the oil you choose. (i.e. Buy 'cold pressed' olive oil)

This is from a blog: http://strangeeatinghabits.blogspot.com/2008/09/myth-cook...

"A friend of mine was recently over at my house while I was preparing some veggies for the grill. "What kind of oil do you use to cook with?" he asked, "olive oil? cooking olive oil makes it carcinogenic." He then proceeded to suggest that canola oil is the way to go. Hmm...

It seemed strange that what is usually touted as the healthiest of all the cooking oils, with all its antioxidants, should turn out to be the O. that will give you cancer if you cook with it. So I did some looking around on the web, to see what kind of study this came from, to see if perhaps something was being misconstrued.

Turns out there's no study to find. The O. and only source of the myth: Sheryl Crow, and specifically breast cancer prevention advice she attributes to her nutritionist.

To the contrary, I found numerous cited studies that claim the opposite.
A diet high in monounsaturated fats (such as olive oil) is correlated to lower incidences of cancers. In the Mediterranean, where due to extensive use of olive oil in "cooking and as a salad oil" fat intake is higher than in the states, incidence of breast cancer is 50% lower than here in the states (NY Times).

O. thing to avoid though, is reaching the "smoke point," which is probably between 340-375 degrees Fahrenheit. So it's not an oil to use for deep frying, which probably isn't what the health-conscious cooker is doing in the first place. Sweating and sautéing with olive oil should be fine though. Keep in mind though, that high heat and prolonged heat can degrade the nutritional value of many of the foods you eat.

Many types of oils are extracted from seeds through the use of chemical solvents and heat. Also, the mechanical process of extracting the oils itself can create a tremendous amount of heat. The resulting oils are obviously not as good quality, as the heat degrades the flavor and nutritional value of the oil. I recommend organic, "extra virgin" olive oil. "Virgin" means the oil was produced by the use of physical means without chemical treatment or solvents. Extra-virgin olive oils are cold pressed, meaning that they never exceeded 80.6 degrees Fahrenheit during the mechanical extraction process, ensuring a full flavor and intact nutritional content. And "organic" ensures that your oil is not contaminated by pesticides and other contaminants of modern conventional farming, in addition to being better for the environment. "

Use Grapeseed oil when using oils at high heat. But don't eat fried foods too often.

I may believe to an extent that olive oil (like any greasy condiment) can be toxic IF BURNED, but i am firmly convinced that EVOO is good for you. Too many studies out there confirm this and high percentages of elderly people who get to live beyond 100 y.o. in various areas of the mediterranean countries (Italy, Spain, France, Greece, just to name a few) absolutely confirm that preferring EVOO to butter or other condiments is healthy. Add good eating habits (seasonal, local, fresh veggies and fruit, keeping meat to a minimum, mediterranean fresh fish once a week, a glass of red wine to clean arteries from the grease of cheese or red meat or fried foods..you get the picture). Plus, EVOO will keep tour skin elasticity and your hair luscious. I am convinced it helps to age more graciously. Just don't burn it, and why should you anyways?

It's not the heating, it's BURNT - black and crispy. So don't worry.

I use olive oil quite a bit, so I got nervous and did some digging. I found an article that says that that is a myth- whew! :)

http://strangeeatinghabits.blogspot.com/2008/09/myth-cook...

Don't believe everything you hear. The "experts" can't agree on coffee...the Mediteranian diet is the best and they use a lot of olive oil. Hang in there!

People have been using OO for thousands of years and the Mediterranean diet is one of the healthiest out there.

The danger with ANY cooking oil is heating it to "frying" heat or burning it. This changes the structure of the molecules in such a way that they go from being beneficial to being free-radicals - cells which can harm the body and have been linked to cancers.

Free radicals can also end up in the body from other outside environmental factors.

I would not stop using OO, but I wouldn't fry foods. We roast and saute a lot. Also, regularly eating foods that are high in antioxidants helps to offset the presence and damage potential of free radicals in the body.

The Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity (ORAC) measures the degree to which certain foods can fight and reverse free radicals. These are your high-antioxidant foods:

Prunes
Raisins
Blueberries *
Blackberries *
Strawberries *
Raspberries *
Plums
Oranges
Red Grapes*
Cherries *
Kale
Spinach *
Broccoli
Bell Peppers *
Onions
Corn

*Choose organic due to high pesticide retention

(Source: Top 20 ORAC foods as published by the USDA)

Tea is also a great source of antioxidants!

Use coconut oil. It doesn't change, even in high temperatures. It is also not ever recognized by the body as fat, so it's the healthiest oil you can eat.

All oils have a temp scale on them, follow it.

Everything in moderation.

Based on what has been stated already, here is a list of different oils and tempurature smoke points:

www.drgourmet.com/askdrgourmet/oiltemperatures.shtml

They just mean you should not heat it beyond its smoking point. True for most oils.

I believe there is more to fear from the other oils, Canola, etc., but certainly not olive oil. Think about how long olive oil has been used----centuries! Even 60 years ago, cancer was relatively rare, so it's got to be something in society in the latter part of the 20th century. But I doubt it is one thing. Probably too many things including the overall health of people in general.

I think there is probably a balance between truth and reality. The truth is that: yes, toxins are released when cooking olive oil. The reality is that the amounts are so small that they don't affect you. It's like pumping gasoline - every time you breath the vapor at the gas station it's harmful - but how many years and decades have we all been doing this? Not enough, apparently.

Only burning it will do that. Its the same with any oil. Olive oil is a particularly slow burning oil.

I don't buy into it. Check the cancer statistics for Mediterranean countries, where olive oil is the most widely used. Did you know their cancer statistics are lower? And it is unlikely that they are using only unheated olive oil. Olive oil, especially extra virgin olive oil, is one of the healthiest oils you can use.

While eating olive oil is much better and more nutritious when not heated, temperatures up to 250 degrees is safe. Up to 350 many of the protective fats are destroyed, but dangerous toxins--where is the science?
If you want to be completely safe, cooking with a stable oil, that has a high smoke point is the safest and most nutritious. Try using coconut oil.

You know what is cancerous? All those pesticides that food is grown with. All the fungicides it's sprayed with. The dirty air we breathe in big cities and the contaminated water filled with chemicals from manufacturing to the run off of pesticides and herbacides.
Eat organically grown food and you won't have to worry about olive oil getting a bit overheated. Lard is toxic for you, Crisco is the worst for fattening you up and peanut oil clogs your arteries up in preparation for a heart attack.
I could go on but I think you teacher wasn't looking at all the information on oil and cooking fat.

I use safflower oil. Works great (: I don't heat evoo at all anymore, I prefer saving it for salads and stuff.