Episode Details

I drink oodles of extra virgin olive oil.   Every day.   My kids and wife do too. It's a crucial staple in our diet...yet there's plenty of confusion around olive oil...   Can you cook with olive oil? How should you store olive oil? What should you look for in a good olive oil? How do you differentiate between all the different certificates and grades of olive oil?   And much more!   So in today's podcast, I interview T. J. Robinson, aka "The Olive Oil Hunter ®" who is one of the world's most respected authorities on all matters olive oil.   Known for his “platinum palate,” he is one of the few Americans invited to serve as a judge in prestigious Italian olive oil tasting competitions.   These days he is dedicated to importing rare fresh-pressed olive oil via The Fresh Pressed Olive Oil Club, the most flavorful and healthiest extra virgin olive oil on the planet, until now virtually impossible to obtain year-round in the U.S. All his oils are independently lab tested and certified for 100% purity. During our discussion, you'll discover: -What makes olive oil so efficacious to our health...5:13

• Science database of olive oil research, including studies Ben mentions
• Olive oil leads to a distinct drop in blood pressure w/ no change in cholesterol; increased triglyceride, decreased HDL count (atherogenic index)
• Bigger predictor of C/V disease is the HDL to triglyceride ratio (more so than total LDL cholesterol)
• Research on mental health and depression
• Stabilization of blood glucose w/ small amounts of olive oil throughout the day
• Rheumatoid arthritis
• Mediterranean diet associated w/ improvements in longevity (not the modern bastardized version)
  • Fasting
  • Sprouting, fermenting, etc.
• The primary fatty acid in olive oil is oleic acid (C18:1)
  • It's a double bond (less oxidation); safe for cooking at high temperatures
  • Two fatty acids for the brain: Oleic acid, and fish oil (sardines, mackerel, salmon, herring)
• Other bioactive compounds:
  • Bi0phenyls (found in the olive fruit that scavenges free radical species)
  • BGF podcast w/ Dr. William Li (author of Eat to Beat Disease)
  • Oleocanthol has the same anti-inflammatory pathways as ibuprofen (sans the gastric side effects)
  • Phytosterols
  • Squalines (extra virgin olive oil has high amounts) to protect the skin
  • Alphatocopherols (Vitamin E)
  • Hydroxy turpenic acids (lowers inflammation, risk of cancer, decreases blood pressure)

-How T.J. Robinson became acquainted w/ the olive oil mafia...20:18

• Grew up in Asheville, NC
• Scored a gig w/ the Food Network; was sent on assignment to Sicily, Italy, where he became acquainted w/ olive oil
• Harvest of the olive fruit is celebrated widely in Italy and Greece
• New Yorker article: Slippery Business -- The Trade in Adulterated Olive Oil
• Extra Virginity: The Sublime and Scandalous World of Olive Oil by Tom Mueller, author of the aforementioned New Yorker article
• Rampant fraud: It is easy to package cheaper, lesser quality oils as olive oil and sell at olive oil prices
• Olive oil sold in bulk is far more susceptible to adulteration than an artisan oil
• Polyphenols and antioxidants deplete by up to 5