Can you eat olive oil without cooking?
By
Dr Jorge Metri (PhD)
| Reviewed by
Dr Anny Manrich (PhD)
The contents of this article are fact-based except otherwise stated within the article.
Author bio
Dr Jorge Metri PhD is a Nutritionist with vast experience in food design with natural ingredients. He also researches sensory sciences and food quality with cutting-edge technologies like Machine Learning. He writes and reviews content on these topics.
Dr Jorge Metri’s highlights:
- Invited Reviewer of two international scientific Journals
- PhD in Food Science with emphasis on reduced-fat salad dressings with non-animal derived proteins at Universidad De Las Américas Puebla
- Diploma in Artificial Intelligence at Universidad Anáhuac, México
- Bachelor’s degree in Nutrition at the Universidad Latino
“Science shows its true impact when we make it understandable for everyone” – Dr Jorge Metri PhD.
Professional experience:
Prior to doing his PhD, Jorge Metri worked as an independent nutritionist for almost two years, focusing on sports nutrition to enhance the performance of swimmers and triathletes.
Jorge Metri has worked on several multidisciplinary research projects, including fruit processing, the production of protein-based products, spices, seasonings, jams, and artificial intelligence applied to agriculture production and food quality.
In the food technology area, Jorge Metri has contributed to improving sales and profits of two entrepreneurs of artisanal food products by reformulating their products and standardizing their processes.
Due to the high volume of food production and innovation, the food industry will need new technologies for food characterization in the next years; Jorge Metri is looking for studying such technologies, in 2022, he was selected as a finalist in the IFT FIRST 2022 Food Science event for the Sensory & Consumer Sciences Division Graduate Student Pangborn Oral Competition with the work titled: Machine Learning Models for Mayonnaise Acceptability Prediction.
Education:
- 2018 – 2023: PhD in Food Science at Universidad De Las Américas Puebla of Puebla, México
- 2022: Diploma in Artificial Intelligence at Universidad Anáhuac, México
- 2011 – 2016: Bachelor’s degree in Nutrition at the Universidad Latino of Mérida Yucatán, México.
Main publications of Jorge Metri:
- Metri-Ojeda, J., Solana-Lavalle, G., Rosas-Romero, R., Palou, E., & Baigts-Allende, D. (2023). Rapid screening of mayonnaise quality using computer vision and machine learning. Journal of Food Measurement and Characterization, 1-13.
- Metri-Ojeda, J., Ramírez-Rodrigues, M., Rosas-Ordoñez, L., & Baigts-Allende, D. (2022). Development and Characterization of a Low-Fat Mayonnaise Salad Dressing Based on Arthrospira platensis Protein Concentrate and Sodium Alginate. Applied Sciences, 12(15), 7456.
- Ojeda, J. M., Rodrigues, M. R., & Allende, D. B. (2022). Study of the perception and the acceptability of mayonnaise ingredients among Mexican consumers and its global preference. Revista Española de Nutrición Humana y Dietética, 26.
- Metri-Ojeda, J., Nikiforidis, C., Sandoval-Peraza, M., Chel-Guerrero, L., & Baigts, D. (2019). Processing of Amaranthus hypochondriacus biomass for functional protein concentrates development. Journal of Food Research, 8(5), 70-81.
Conference papers:
- Allende, D. B., Alva, A. P., Haro, M. S., Martínez, A. S., & Ojeda, J. M. (2020). Bio-plastic polymers from renewable sources. INNOTEC, (19 ene-jun), 97-108
- Metri-Ojeda, J. C., Pérez-Alva, A., Recio-Cazares, S. L., & Baigts-Allende, D. K. (2020). Physicochemical and sensorial characterization of vegan mayonnaise using chia seed oil and mucilage (Salvia hipanica L.). Investigación y Desarrollo en Ciencia y Tecnología de Alimentos, 5, 485-489.
You can view some of Dr Metri’s work below and links to his professional profiles:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jorge-metri-ojeda/
Research Gate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Jorge-Carlos-Metri-Ojeda-2
Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=SBi5hE8AAAAJ&hl=es
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7333-3688
Reviewer bio
Dr Anny Manrich PhD is a food Engineer with expertise in Food Technology, Natural Polymers, Edible Films, Enzymes, and Nanotechnology. She writes and reviews content on these topics.
Dr Anny Manrich’s Highlights:
- Research and Technology at the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation
- PhD in Chemical Engineering with a focus on Biochemistry at the Federal University of Sao Carlos/ Brazil and a one-year scholarship at the Technical University of Munich/ Germany
- Bachelor of Food Engineering at the University of Campinas/ Brazil and a one-year scholarship at the Technical University of Munich/ Germany
“To solve a problem, global vision and multifactorial understanding are necessary. Therefore, in addition to expertise, one should seek multidisciplinary thinking connected with science and reality” – Dr Anny Manrich, PhD.
Professional Experience:
Dr Anny Manrich’s Experience Joining the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation, as soon as she completed her doctorate,
Dr Anny Manrich has worked on several projects, including the more than three-year partnership project with BRF, a major food producer in Brazil. As a postdoctoral fellow.
Dr Anny Manrich has also contributed to several business consultancies and research projects of the National Nanotechnology Laboratory System in areas such as food technology, fibres, films and coatings and Nanotechnology; in a very determined way, having a great team relationship, being creative and committed.
Growing concerns about the safe introduction of nanomaterials into today’s life emphasises the need to create regulatory documentation in front of characterising, using and testing them. Dr Anny Manrich worked for two years on a characterization project for nanoscale materials, with the aim of exploring their possible health effects.
Despite not having specific academic training in packaging or polymeric films, Dr Anny Manrich works at the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation in areas of edible and biodegradable films produced from agricultural waste and in the development of films with greater resistance to water, having articles published in renowned scientific journals, which demonstrates her multidisciplinary understanding and creativity.
In addition, she worked for four years as a consultant to a food company to develop a line of snacks that are healthy and that add functional ingredients, physiologically active compounds that bring health benefits, made from fruits and vegetables, enabling diet improvement, disease prevention and reduction of nutritional deficiencies.
Dr Anny Manrich participated as a member of the examination board for two Master’s exams and one PhD exam at the Department of Chemical Engineering of the Federal University of São Carlos.
Education:
- 2001 Bachelor in Food Engineering at the State University of Campinas, Brazil
- 1999 One year scholarship at the Technical University of Munich
- 2004 Master in Chemical Engineering at the Federal University of São Carlos, Brazil
- 2012 PhD in Chemical Engineering at the Federal University of São Carlos, Brazil
- 2010 One year scholarship at the Technical University of Munich
The main publications of Dr. Anny Manrich are:
Articles
Manrich, A., Moreira, F. K., Otoni, C. G., Lorevice, M. V., Martins, M. A., & Mattoso, L. H. (2017). Hydrophobic edible films made up of tomato cutin and pectin. Carbohydrate Polymers, 164, 83-91.
Mendes, J. F., Norcino, L. B., Martins, H. H. A., Manrich, A., Otoni, C. G., Carvalho, E. E. N., … & Mattoso, L. H. C. (2020). Correlating emulsion characteristics with the properties of active starch films loaded with lemongrass essential oil. Food Hydrocolloids, 100, 105428.
Norcino, L. B., Mendes, J. F., Natarelli, C. V. L., Manrich, A., Oliveira, J. E., & Mattoso, L. H. C. (2020). Pectin films loaded with copaiba oil nanoemulsions for potential use as bio-based active packaging. Food Hydrocolloids, 106, 105862.
Manrich, Anny, et al. Immobilization of trypsin on chitosan gels: Use of different activation protocols and comparison with other supports. International Journal of Biological Macromolecules 43.1 (2008): 54-61.
Manrich, Anny; Komesu, Andrea ; Adriano, Wellington Sabino; Tardioli, Paulo Waldir ; Giordano, Raquel Lima Camargo . Immobilization and Stabilization of Xylanase by Multipoint Covalent Attachment on Agarose and on Chitosan Supports. Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology, v. 161, p. 455-467, 2010.
Mendes, J. F., Martins, J. T., Manrich, A., Neto, A. S., Pinheiro, A. C. M., Mattoso, L. H. C., & Martins, M. A. (2019). Development and physical-chemical properties of pectin film reinforced with spent coffee grounds by continuous casting. Carbohydrate polymers, 210, 92-99..
Milessi, T. S., Kopp, W., Rojas, M. J., Manrich, A., Baptista-Neto, A., Tardioli, P. W., … & Giordano, R. L. (2016). Immobilization and stabilization of an endoxylanase from Bacillus subtilis (XynA) for xylooligosaccharides (XOs) production. Catalysis Today, 259, 130-139.
Mendes, J. F., Norcino, L. B., Manrich, A., Pinheiro, A. C. M., Oliveira, J. E., & Mattoso, L. H. C. (2020). Development, physical‐chemical properties, and photodegradation of pectin film reinforced with malt bagasse fibers by continuous casting. Journal of Applied Polymer Science, 137(39), 49178.
Mendes, J. F., Martins, J. T., Manrich, A., Luchesi, B. R., Dantas, A. P. S., Vanderlei, R. M., … & Martins, M. A. (2021). Thermo-physical and mechanical characteristics of composites based on high-density polyethylene (HDPE) e spent coffee grounds (SCG). Journal of Polymers and the Environment, 29, 2888-2900..
Mendes, J. F., Norcino, L. B., Martins, H. H., Manrich, A., Otoni, C. G., Carvalho, E. E. N., … & Mattoso, L. H. C. (2021). Development of quaternary nanocomposites made up of cassava starch, cocoa butter, lemongrass essential oil nanoemulsion, and brewery spent grain fibers. Journal of Food Science, 86(5), 1979-1996.
Manrich, A., Martins, M. A., & Mattoso, L. H. C. (2021). Manufacture and performance of peanut skin cellulose nanocrystals. Scientia Agricola, 79.
Nascimento, V. M., Manrich, A., Tardioli, P. W., de Campos Giordano, R., de Moraes Rocha, G. J., & Giordano, R. D. L. C. (2016). Alkaline pretreatment for practicable production of ethanol and xylooligosaccharides. Bioethanol, 2(1)..
Manrich, Anny, de Oliveira, J. E., Martins, M. A., & Mattoso, L. H. C. Physicochemical and Thermal Characterization of the Spirulina platensis. J. Agric. Sci. Technol. B, v. 10, p. 298-307, 2020.
Book Chapter
Terra, I. A. A., Aoki, P. H., Delezuk, J. A. D. M., Martins, M. A., Manrich, A., Silva, M. J., … & Miranda, P. B. (2022). Técnicas de Caracterização de Polímeros. Nanotecnologia Aplicada a Polímeros, 614.
Conference Papers
Ferreira, L. F., Luvizaro, L. B., Manrich, A., Martins, M. A., Júnior, M. G., & Dias, M. V. (2017). Comparação da estabilidade de suspensões poliméricas de amido/tocoferol e quitosana/tocoferol. In: CONGRESSO BRASILEIRO DE POLÍMEROS, 14., 2017, Águas de Lindóia, SP.
Manrich, A., Hubinger, S. Z., & Paris, E. C. (2017). Citotoxicidade causada por nanomateriais: avaliação do micronúcleo. In: WORKSHOP DA REDE DE NANOTECNOLOGIA APLICADA AO AGRONEGÓCIO, 9., 2017, São Carlos. Anais… São Carlos: Embrapa Instrumentação, 2017. p. 655-658.
Manrich, Anny, et al. Immobilization and Stabilization of Xylanase by multipoint covalent attachment on Glyoxyl Agarose Support. The 31st Symposium on Biotechnology for Fuels and Chemicals. 2009.
Manrich, Anny, et al. Application of immobilized xylanase on hydrolysis of soluble wood hemicelluloses after using microwave and organosolv pre-treatments. The 32nd Symposium on Biotechnology for Fuels and Chemicals. 2010.
You can view some of Dr Anny’s work below and links to her professional profile.
Research Gate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Anny-Manrich-2
Scopus: https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=23103497100
Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?hl=en&user=Ea9qpr0AAAAJ
Linkedin: https://br.linkedin.com/in/anny-manrich-20693129
In this brief article, we will answer the question,”Can you eat olive oil without cooking it?” We will explain why some people eat raw olive oil and its nutritional value. We will also look at the health benefits of eating raw olive oil and some potential risks of doing so.
Can you eat olive oil without cooking?
Yes, you can eat olive oil directly without cooking it. Olive oil is an excellent source of healthy fats. Olive oil can be used for cooking and it can also be eaten raw (without cooking). As you will learn in this article, olive oil contains antioxidants that help fight oxidative stress, helps prevent diseases, and it has anti-inflammatory properties (1).
What are the Health Benefits of Eating Raw Olive Oil?
Eating raw olive oil can help you to improve your health in many ways due to its chemical composition. Olive oil contains mainly Monounsaturated Fatty Acids, polyphenols, sterols, vitamins, and minerals (1). We are going to briefly discuss them in the following paragraphs.
Fats are a good source of energy, required for your daily activities and to create cell structures and even hormones. It is recommended that about 20 to 35 % of your daily calories should be provided from high quality fats such as monounsaturated fatty acids (2).
Moreover, fats can exert some satiety after eating. Therefore, if you combine olive oil with other foods like salads (source of fiber, which also gives you satiety) it can be helpful to reduce your calorie intake, helping for weight management (2).
One of the main components of the monounsaturated fatty acids of olive oil is Oleic acid, approximately 66 – 80 % of all monounsaturated fatty acids from olive oil is from oleic acid. This fatty acid is linked to good cardiovascular health (3,4,5).
Oleic acid has anti-inflammatory activity that reduces vessels’ inflammation, and your blood levels of LDL-cholesterol (the bad cholesterol). Moreover, it is associated with reducing oxidative stress, which can be helpful to prevent some types of cancer (4,5).
Furthermore, omega-3 fatty acids from olive oil can exert neuroprotective activity, helpful to prevent degenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s (2).
The antioxidants present in olive oil like polyphenols and sterols are helpful to reduce your risks of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and obesity (6).
Olive oil is also good for digestion and overall digestive health, in fact, it is a good natural reliever for constipation. A study conducted by Morvaridi et al. (7) demonstrated that eating 50 ml of raw olive oil drizzled in meals (along all day) for 20 days alleviate symptoms from colitis such as:
- Abdominal inflammation and bloating
- Constipation
- Fecal urgency
- Incomplete defecation
How to Incorporate Raw Olive Oil in your Diet?
The best way to incorporate raw olive oil in your diet is drizzling it in salads, pizza, or meats. However, you can enhance the flavor of the olive oil by infusing spices or garlic in it. Spices like basil, oregano, and peppers are common to modify olive oil flavor (8).
Moreover, you can make vinaigrette with olive oil, or even cook your food with it. Olive oil is very stable at mild cooking temperatures (<180 °C), so you can use it for sauteing meats or vegetables (9).
If you want to know more about cooking with olive oil, please visit our article right here.
What Happens When You Cook Olive Oil?
Fats are susceptible to break down and go on different chemical conversions when they are exposed to high temperatures, usually above 180 °C. Olive oil, despite being very stable, is partially degraded when you use it for cooking (10,11).
The partial degradation of olive oil during cooking causes chemical reactions that lead to formation of toxic components like acrolein and E,E-2-4 decadienal; these chemicals are linked to diseases like cancer and diabetes (10,11).
Furthermore, the antioxidants of olive oil are very sensitive to heat and they can be degraded, and therefore, their nutritional properties will be lost (12).
Don’t be scared about using olive oil for cooking, here are a few tips to reduce the degradation of olive oil and to reduce the probability of create toxic chemicals (10,11):
- Keep the temperature of oil below 180 °C while cooking.
- Try to cook your food in approximately 1 hour, the more time you take the more degradation of the oil.
- Never reuse your oil. Oils are also sensitive to oxygen, if you do not discard the oil after cooking and then you reheat it, you will be eating degraded and oxidized oil (with more toxic components).
What is the nutritional value of olive oil?
According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) a 15 ml of olive oil (13):
- Calories 120
- Total Fat 14 g
- Saturated Fat 2 g
- Polyunsaturated Fat 2.3 g
- Monounsaturated Fat 10.58 g
- Trans Fat 0 g
- Total Carbohydrates 0 g
- Dietary Fiber 0 g
- Sugar 0 g
- Cholesterol 0 g
- Sodium 0 g
- Potassium 0 g
- Protein 0 g
What are the Potential Drawbacks of Eating Olive Oil?
One of the potential drawbacks of eating olive oil is weight gain due to the high amount of calories; it contains about 120 calories per tablespoon (13).
Therefore, you should adjust your intake of olive oil according to your personal requirements of fats (2).
If you do not know what your fat’s requirement is, you should look for professional advice from a nutritionist; he or she will adjust all your macronutrient requirements.
. In very rare cases, olive oil can produce acute allergic reactions to people that are sensitive to olives. The symptoms of an allergy may include blackheads, inflammations, skin rashes, and even diarrhea (14).
If you suspect allergic reactions to olive oil, the best option is avoid olive oil in your diet, if so, you can opt for other healthy fats like avocado.
Other FAQs about Oils that you may be interested in.
Can you eat sesame oil without cooking it?
How long does vegetable oil last in the fridge?
Why do plants produce vegetable oil?
Conclusion
In this brief article, we have answered the question,”Can you eat olive oil without cooking it?” We have explained why some people eat raw olive oil and its nutritional value. We have also looked at the health benefits of eating raw olive oil and some potential risks of doing so.
References
- Lozano‐Castellón J, López‐Yerena A, Domínguez‐López I, Siscart‐Serra A, Fraga N, Sámano S, et al. Extra virgin olive oil: A comprehensive review of efforts to ensure its authenticity, traceability, and safety. Comprehensive Reviews in Food Science and Food Safety, 2022;21(3):2639-2664.
- Munekata PES, Pérez-Álvarez JÁ, Pateiro M, Viuda-Matos M, Fernández-López J, Lorenzo JM. Satiety from healthier and functional foods. Trends Food Sci Technol, 2021;113:397–410.
- Folayan AJ, Anawe PAL, Aladejare AE, Ayeni AO. Experimental investigation of the effect of fatty acids configuration, chain length, branching and degree of unsaturation on biodiesel fuel properties obtained from lauric oils, high-oleic and high-linoleic vegetable oil biomass. Energy Reports, 2019;5, 793-806.
- Tutunchi H, Ostadrahimi A, Saghafi-Asl M. The Effects of Diets Enriched in Monounsaturated Oleic Acid on the Management and Prevention of Obesity: a Systematic Review of Human Intervention Studies. Advances in Nutrition, 2020;11(4):864–877.
- Rehman K, Haider K, Jabeen K, Akash MSH. Current perspectives of oleic acid: Regulation of molecular pathways in mitochondrial and endothelial functioning against insulin resistance and diabetes. Rev Endocr Metab Disord, 2020;21(4):631–43.
- Romani A, Ieri F, Urciuoli S, Noce A, Marrone G, Nediani C, Bernini R. Health effects of phenolic compounds found in extra-virgin olive oil, by-products, and leaf of Olea europaea L. Nutrients, 2019;11(8):1776.
- Morvaridi M, Jafarirad S, Seyedian SS, Alavinejad P, Cheraghian B. The effects of extra virgin olive oil and canola oil on inflammatory markers and gastrointestinal symptoms in patients with ulcerative colitis. Eur J Clin Nutr, 2020 ;74(6):891–9.
- Genovese A, Caporaso N, Sacchi R. Flavor chemistry of virgin olive oil: An overview. Applied Sciences, 2021;11(4):1639.
- Rinaldi de Alvarenga JF, Quifer-Rada P, Francetto Juliano F, Hurtado-Barroso S, Illan M, Torrado-Prat X, Lamuela-Raventós RM. Using extra virgin olive oil to cook vegetables enhances polyphenol and carotenoid extractability: a study applying the sofrito technique. Molecules, 2019;24(8):1555.
- Akil E, Castelo-Branco VN, Costa AMM, do Amaral Vendramini AL, Calado V, Torres AG. Oxidative stability and changes in chemical composition of extra virgin Olive oils after short-term deep-frying of french fries. J Am Oil Chem Soc, 2015;92(3):409–21.
- Molina-Garcia L, Santos CSP, Cunha SC, Casal S, Fernandes JO. Comparative fingerprint changes of toxic volatiles in low PUFA vegetable oils under deep-frying. J Am Oil Chem Soc, 2017;94(2):271–84.
- Criado-Navarro I, López-Bascón MA, Ledesma-Escobar CA, Priego-Capote F. Alteration of the phenolic fraction of extra virgin Olive oil subjected to frying conditions. ACS Food Sci Technol, 2021;1(5):884–91.
- FoodData central [Internet]. Usda.gov. [cited 16 June 2023]. Available from: https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/1103861/nutrients
- Vicente FS, Eceizabarrena ML, Paredes ÁR, Nogales LJ. Allergy to olive fruit: lipid transfer protein syndrome. Current Allergy & Clinical Immunology, 2021;34(2):82-86.
