Extra virgin olive oil ranks first in new nutrition study

With conflicting views on nutrition flooding the internet, it's sometimes hard to know what is actually healthy for us. That's why it's important for studies like this one, that score different edible fats directly in terms of their nutritional benefit, to be published and read.

The study developed a point scoring system that is based on the components that make up each individual fat. For example, if a fat contained a component that is said to be healthy if consumed in a high enough quantity, then it would be awarded some points for that. If however it contained something that is said to be unhealthy if consumed at a certain level, points would be deducted from it. Each component that made up the fat in question was then assigned a score and added up to form a total score, the fat or oil with the most points will be regarded by this system as the most nutritious, the oil or fat at the bottom, the least.

Extra virgin olive oil topped the chart above all others. Butter and margarine making an appearance at rank 30 and 31 respectively. Highlighting the point that if you can make small changes and substitute EVOO (extra virgin olive oil) in for other, less nutritional fats like butter, you will vastly improve the nutrition in your diet.

The full table with their normalised score out of 100 can be viewed below:

1. Olive, virgin - 100
2. Flaxseed - 86
3. Olive, common - 86
4. Olive, pomace - 86
5. Evening primrose - 82
6. Sunflower, high-oleic - 82
7. Sesame - 82
8. Avocado - 73
9. Chia - 73
10. Corn - 73
11. Grapeseed - 73
12. Salmon - 73
13. Sardine - 73
14. Walnut - 73
15. Almond - 68
16. Camelia - 68
17. Canola - 68
18. Hazelnut - 68
19. Herring - 68
20. Safflower - 68
21. Sunflower - 68
22. Argan - 59
23. Sacha-inchi - 59
24. Soybean - 59
25. Cotton - 55
26. Palm - 55
27. Peanut - 55
28. Beef tallow - 45
29. Lard - 45
30. Butter - 32
31. Margarine - 14
32. Coconut - 0

Here's what the study had to say about olive oil topping the chart.

Olive oil, and particularly VOO, is widely studied for its potential health benefits, particularly in the prevention of cardiovascular disease. A meta-analysis conducted in 2019 showed that high-phenolic extra virgin olive oil (VOO) was effective in reducing LDL-cholesterol, systolic blood pressure, and oxidized LDL-cholesterol levels [18]. In addition, a systematic review by the USDA reported that a Mediterranean-style diet, including olive oil, was associated with a reduced risk of all-cause mortality in nearly all studies examined [19]. A part of the health benefits of VOO is attributed to its high content of polyphenols, which were shown to improve plasma concentrations of malondialdehyde, oxidized LDL, total cholesterol, and HDL cholesterol in clinical trials [20].

You can read the full study here.