Raw vs Cooked Olive Oil: What You Keep and What You Lose

Most people use olive oil in two ways. They drizzle it on food, or they cook with it. Raw vs. cooked olive oil is a fair question, because heat does change an oil. What matters is how much, and whether it changes anything for you.

A 2023 study in Food Research International tested several Spanish extra virgin olive oils before and after frying, sautéing, and boiling. The result was more mixed than the usual warning that heat ruins olive oil. This post walks through that study and four others, so you can see the real benefits of raw olive oil and what cooking still leaves you with.

At a Glance: What Heat Does to Olive Oil •  After up to 90 minutes at 100 to 240 degrees C, oleocanthal lost at most 16 percent of its amount. Its measured activity fell by up to 38 percent. •  In a 2023 study, sautéing and deep frying did not lower oleocanthal in extra virgin olive oil. Boiling it in a water and oil mix did. •  Sautéing raised the antioxidant capacity of the oil. Boiling and deep frying lowered it. •  After 36 hours at 180 degrees C, olive oil kept most of its oleic acid, plant sterols, and squalene. Vitamin E and polyphenols fell the most. •  In a trial of 200 men, a daily 25 mL of oil at 366 mg/kg polyphenols lowered oxidized LDL by 3.21 U/L. An oil at 2.7 mg/kg raised it by 1.21 U/L.

What You Get From Olive Oil Raw

Raw olive oil is the oil exactly as it left the press. Heat has not touched it, so everything the olives gave it is still there.

The compound most people notice is oleocanthal. It is the reason a good oil makes the back of your throat tingle. A 2005 study in Nature found that oleocanthal blocks the same two enzymes as ibuprofen, called COX-1 and COX-2. Those enzymes drive pain and inflammation. The researchers estimated that about 50 mL of a high-polyphenol olive oil gives roughly 10 percent of an adult ibuprofen dose.

Raw oil also keeps its polyphenols, which are plant compounds that work as antioxidants. It keeps its vitamin E too. So the main benefit of raw olive oil is simple: you get the full set of compounds at full strength in one spoonful.

For how this plays out first thing in the morning, see Olive Oil on an Empty Stomach: Does It Actually Work.

What Cooking Changes

Heat does change olive oil. The change is smaller than most people think, and it is not always a loss.

A 2009 study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry heated one extra virgin olive oil at 100, 170, and 240 degrees C for up to 90 minutes. The oil started with 53.9 mg/kg of oleocanthal. At most, 16 percent of it disappeared. That makes it harder than the other polyphenols in the oil.

The same team also tested how strong the throat sting felt, which is a rough measure of oleocanthal activity. With longer heating, the sting fell by up to 38 percent. The authors suspect that another compound forms during heating and hides the effect. So, long, hot cooking may cost you some of the oleocanthal value even when the compound is still in the oil.

The 2023 Spanish study found that the method matters. Boiling oil in water cut oleocanthal. Sautéing and deep frying did not. Oleocanthal readings after those two methods were higher than in raw oil. Most of the other polyphenols the team measured showed no meaningful change. Antioxidant capacity rose after sautéing and fell after boiling and deep frying.

The lesson from both studies is the same. It depends on how hot the pan gets and how long the oil stays there. For temperature-by-temperature numbers, see Does Heating Olive Oil Destroy Its Polyphenols?.

What Cooking Still Leaves You

Even after harsh heating, olive oil keeps most of what makes it healthy. A 2007 study in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry by Allouche and colleagues heated two extra virgin oils, Arbequina and Picual, at 180 degrees C for 36 hours. That is far beyond anything you would do in a kitchen.

Vitamin E and polyphenols took the biggest hit. Oleic acid barely moved. Oleic acid is the main fat in olive oil and the one linked to heart health. Plant sterols and squalene, two other natural compounds in the oil, stayed steady too. The authors concluded that the oil kept most of its minor compounds and most of its nutritional value.

A normal sauté lasts minutes, not hours. Your pan is much gentler than that test. For why olive oil holds up better than most other oils on the stove, see Can You Cook with Extra Virgin Olive Oil?.

Why Raw Is Not Always Better

Raw sounds purer. But raw only helps if the oil has something worth keeping.

A 2006 trial in the Annals of Internal Medicine shows why. Two hundred healthy men took 25 mL of olive oil a day for three weeks. That is about one and a half tablespoons. Each man tried three oils with low (2.7 mg/kg), medium (164 mg/kg), and high (366 mg/kg) polyphenols. The oils were otherwise similar.

Oxidized LDL is a damaged form of cholesterol that harms artery walls. It fell by 3.21 U/L on the high polyphenol oil. It rose by 1.21 U/L on the low one. Same amount, same type of fat. The polyphenols made the difference.

This trial did not compare raw with cooked oil. It shows what matters most, which is the oil itself. A raw spoonful of a stale or refined oil gives you fat and little else. A dish cooked in a high polyphenol olive oil may still give you more than that spoonful.

Polyphenols are highest in olives picked green, early in the season, and they fade fast after picking. That is why how quickly an oil is pressed matters so much. Oil quality comes first. How you use it comes second.

How to Split Your Olive Oil Between the Pan and the Spoon

You do not have to pick one. Use both, and give each job to the oil that suits it.

For the spoon, use your best oil. Drizzle it over salad, soup, beans, roasted vegetables, or bread. Take a spoonful on its own if you like. This is where the peppery sting and the full set of compounds count most. A USDA organic olive oil is a good fit here, since you taste and swallow it unchanged.

For the pan, use a good everyday extra virgin olive oil. Sauté, roast, and shallow fry at moderate heat and keep cooking times short. Save the long, hot deep fry for rare occasions.

A simple rule: put the oil with the most character where heat will not reach it. A tablespoon is about 120 calories whether it is raw or cooked, so the amount matters more than the method. For help with the amount, see How Much Olive Oil Should You Take Per Day?.

Why Four Hour Olive Oil Gives You More to Keep, Raw or Cooked Polyphenols drive most of what olive oil does for you, and they start fading the moment olives are picked. Much grocery store oil has lost a large share of them before it reaches your shelf. Raw or cooked, you cannot keep what the oil never had. Four Hour Olive Oil presses Ayvalik olives within 4 hours of harvest. That window is the main factor in how many polyphenols survive into the bottle. It is USDA Organic, single origin, and bottled in Italian dark glass, which makes it a true high-polyphenol olive oil for your spoon and a strong everyday oil for your pan. If you are going to use olive oil raw and cooked, the oil should actually contain what you are taking it for. Ultra Premium EVOO  |  Premium EVOO  |  Duo

Frequently Asked Questions

Is olive oil better raw or cooked?

Raw keeps everything the oil has. Cooked keeps most of it. The best plan is to use both: your best oil raw, and a good everyday extra virgin olive oil in the pan. The quality of the oil matters more than the method.

Is cooked olive oil still healthy?

Yes. In a 2007 study, extra virgin olive oil heated at 180 degrees C for 36 hours still kept most of its oleic acid, plant sterols, and squalene. Vitamin E and polyphenols fell the most, which is why long, hot cooking is the exception rather than the rule.

Is it safe to eat olive oil raw?

Yes. Raw olive oil is a food that people in Mediterranean countries eat every day. If your stomach is sensitive, start with a teaspoon and build up, since larger amounts can loosen stools for some people. If you have a gallbladder or digestive condition, check with your doctor first.

What are the benefits of raw olive oil?

Raw oil keeps its full set of polyphenols, including oleocanthal, along with its vitamin E. Oleocanthal blocks the same two enzymes as ibuprofen, as shown in the 2005 Nature study. The effect is most noticeable in a high-polyphenol olive oil.

Does heating olive oil destroy oleocanthal?

Not completely. In the 2009 study, heating for up to 90 minutes at 100 to 240 degrees C removed at most 16 percent of the oleocanthal. Its measured activity fell by up to 38 percent with longer heating. Short, moderate cooking is far gentler.

Does boiling olive oil in water remove nutrients?

It can. In the 2023 Spanish study, boiling the oil in a water and oil mix lowered oleocanthal and antioxidant capacity. Sautéing and deep frying did not lower oleocanthal. If you simmer food in water, add your best oil at the end.

Is olive oil toxic when heated?

No, not in normal cooking. In the 36-hour test, the main fat and several other natural compounds in the oil stayed steady. A normal sauté is a tiny fraction of that heating time. Do not reuse oil many times for deep frying.

Does deep frying ruin olive oil?

Long deep frying lowers the polyphenols and vitamin E in the oil. It does not make the oil useless, but it does take away much of what makes olive oil special. Save deep frying for rare meals and use the oil once.

How much olive oil should be raw?

No study sets a perfect split. A practical approach is to use one to two tablespoons a day raw, as a drizzle or a spoonful, and cook with the rest. The 2006 trial used 25 mL a day, about one and a half tablespoons.

Should I use my best olive oil for cooking?

Usually not. Save your best, most peppery oil for raw use, where you can taste and benefit from it fully. Use a good everyday extra virgin olive oil for the pan.

Does the olive oil need to be high in polyphenols for raw use?

It helps a lot. The 2006 trial found that the oil with 366 mg/kg of polyphenols lowered oxidized LDL, while the 2.7 mg/kg oil did not. Raw use is also where you can taste the difference, because more polyphenols usually means more peppery sting.

Does heat add calories to olive oil?

No. A tablespoon of olive oil has about 120 calories whether it is raw or cooked. Frying food in oil can add calories to the food because the food absorbs some of the oil.

References [1] Beauchamp, G.K., et al. "Ibuprofen-like activity in extra-virgin olive oil." Nature 437: 45-46. 2005. View study [2] Perez Cordoba, R., et al. "Bioactive compounds in Spanish extra virgin olive oils: Migration and stability according to the culinary technique used." Food Research International 172: 113191. 2023. View study [3] Cicerale, S., et al. "Influence of heat on biological activity and concentration of oleocanthal, a natural anti-inflammatory agent in virgin olive oil." Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 57(4): 1326-1330. 2009. View study [4] Allouche, Y., et al. "How heating affects extra virgin olive oil quality indexes and chemical composition." Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 55(23): 9646-9654. 2007. View study [5] Covas, M.I., et al. "The effect of polyphenols in olive oil on heart disease risk factors: a randomized trial." Annals of Internal Medicine 145(5): 333-341. 2006. View study

The studies cited in this post are peer-reviewed and publicly available. This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Consult a qualified healthcare professional before making changes to your diet or health regimen.