How Hot Can Olive Oil Be Heated Before Its Beneficial Properties Are Destroyed?

I understand the EFA's break down at a certain heat, but what *is* that temperature?





If I sautee some garlic and onions in olive oil, will I lose the health benefits of the oil? At that point, will the olive oil become *UNhealthy*?How Hot Can Olive Oil Be Heated Before Its Beneficial Properties Are Destroyed?
Olive Oil Myth: Olive oil loses its benefits when heated





The Facts: Excessively heating olive oil will evaporate the alcohols and esters which make up its delicate taste and fragrance. Heating olive oil will not change its health aspects, only the flavor. Use a cheaper olive oil which doesn't have much flavor to begin with if you want to fry with it, add a more flavorful olive oil after cooking or at the table.How Hot Can Olive Oil Be Heated Before Its Beneficial Properties Are Destroyed?
you can't. the only oil that you should cook with, that won't change in molecular structure is coconut oil, but make sure it's organic, virgin, unrefined coconut oil. that's what i use.





http://www.mercola.com/forms/coconut_oil鈥?/a>
';Because of their low temperature threshold, nearly all oils that are used as EFA supplements are not suitable for use as cooking oils.';
extra virgin olive oil is the best kind of oil you can cook with, so whether it becomes unhealthy or not doesnt really matter becuase it started off better then the other oils (like vegetable and canola)- so therefore its your only choice if you want healthhy oil
When you saute garlic and onions you are looking to cook the food, not the benefit of the oil really, if you want the full benefit, just dip bread in some or use it in salads. The nutritional value of the garlic and onions are degraded by cooking but they taste so good. Besides what do you propose to do, hold a thermometer in the pan while you saute onions and garlic? It's just not practical
i dont know about the breaking down of efa's sorry but I can tell you that olive oil does boil off at a low temperature, I was experimenting with it as it happens the other day and the regulat olive oil I was testing stabilised at 95 degrees C less than boiling water! vegitable oil including ground nut oils are able to go much higher, and so are better for sealing and sauting imho.





interesting question - looking forward to a good answer from someone