Frying food...does frying with olive oil contain less cholestrol and is better for you?
by 
Zamp
ANSWERS: 10
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The type of cholesterol in olive oil is the 'good' type and actually helps to lower 'bad' cholestrol levels in the blood. It is good for you in other ways too.
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This doesn't mean that simply frying or cooking with olive oil will by itself make you healthy. All fats have calories and have more calories per gram than proteins or carbohydrates. A teaspoon of pretty much any fat has about 45 calories so even frying in olive oil can add a lot of calories and it's best to use such ingredients carefully. Dr. Gourmet
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Eating less saturated fat is one of the keys to lowering your cholesterol. We know that ingredients that are high in monounsaturated fats (like those in olive, canola and grapeseed oil) can help improve cholesterol profiles when used instead of saturated fats such as butter and lard. Dr. Gourmet
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There is no cholesterol in olive oil or any vegetable oil. Cholesterol is not found in vegetable products only in meats, fish, diary products and other ingredients from animal sources. It is how certain fats act on the cholesterol you consume (or that your body makes) that is the concern. Dr. Gourmet
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Why not ask, "Is it safer to put a .22 to my head than a .38?"
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I just realized the rest of my answer didn't get published. The point I was trying to make is that if you're into frying food, it probably doesn't matter that much. There's an old saw that the best exercise to loose weight is the 'pushaway' meaning that pushing away from the table, or eating less food, especially if it means pushing away before dessert is served. However I'm of the opinion that the best exercise anyone can do for overall good health is the 'Skillet Toss'. This is an outdoor exercise, done one time with your frying pan. You grab it by the handle with both hands and using a technique similar to the Olympic 'Hammer Toss', you throw that frying pan just as far as you can. That simple, one-time exercise can do more for your health than anything I can think of.
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Frying is never healthy even with olive oil, because the frying process turns unsaturated fat (healthy) into saturated fat (unhealthy). Olive oil is healthy only when used raw and best is the virgin type.
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Re Answer 7 (katespana): 'Good' cholesterol doesn't actually exist in food, only in our bloodstreams. It's the unsaturated fatty acids and oleic acids in olive oil that have the beneficial effect of lowering our 'bad' LDL cholesterol.
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You can use Olive Oil safely, however, there are different grades of it (virgin, extra virgin, pure), that make one better than the other
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It sounds like it would work but it doesn't really work because you can't raise olive oil to a hot enough temperature to fry so that the food will not absorb as much oil. You can't do it safely as the oil can't be heated that high, and may catch fire and we for sure smoke too much and destroy any good properties it has when you burn it. It's healthier and much safer to use an oil that can be raised to a high temperature so it won't be absorbed into the food as much.
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