Olive Oil - good or bad?
Olive oil is always recommended for people with high cholesterol - but cooking with it may not be such a good idea because it has a relatively low smoking point and is not really suitable for cooking at high temperatures (e.g. frying). The smoking point is the temperature to which an oil can be heated before it smokes and becomes discoloured and is the visual indication that the oil is decomposing. Heating oil beyond this point will not only affect the flavour of the food but can also result in the formation of trans fat and damaging free radicals. It is also sensible to avoid re-using cooking oils or eating foods cooked in oils that have been continually reheated