Pomace olive oil is on the rise. You see it more and more often. Considering the rising olive oil prices and the fact that this type of olive oil has a sharper price, that’s not surprising. But of course, you don’t want to base your choice solely on economic factors. That’s why we help you further by looking at what the healthiest choice is and what you can use it for. Pomace olive oil versus coconut oil, sunflower oil, and rapeseed/canola oil, let’s go!
Pomace Olive Oil, a brief introduction
There are different types of olive oil, of which pomace olive oil is one. This type of olive oil is made from olive pulp. After pressing our (organic) extra virgin olive oil, fresh pulp remains. We make our pomace olive oil from this in a natural way.
More info? You can read here how pomace olive oil is made. Additionally, find out what good pomace olive oil is. Lastly, and most importantly for this article, we have outlined whether pomace olive oil is healthy.
Pomace olive oil versus other oils
We previously explored a similar titanic battle by looking at extra virgin olive oil versus sunflower oil, coconut oil, and rapeseed oil. We measure health by these essential factors: fats, antioxidants, vitamins, the Dutch food guidelines “Schijf van Vijf”, and the health score from the nutritional values table. Additionally, we investigate what you can use the oil for based on taste and smoke point. For detailed information, check the mentioned article, below we summarize briefly:
Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats are healthy fats and help you in various ways: they are good for your cholesterol, protect against cardiovascular diseases, and help you lose weight. All other fats, such as saturated and trans fats, are not healthy. They have many negative effects on your health, like weight gain and diseases.
Antioxidants are a collective term for vitamins E and C, beta-carotene, the body’s own glutathione, trace elements selenium and zinc, and bioactive substances like flavonoids from fruits and vegetables. They all have a positive effect on health and are therefore included in this analysis.
The “Schijf van Vijf” and the health score are also important health factors. The Schijf van Vijf is developed by the Dutch Nutrition Center and shows what a healthy diet consists of. Additionally, a representative quantitative market research with twelve hundred consumers determines the health score of food. We also include this.
Finally, we look at the applicability of the oil. The taste, such as whether it is strong or not, matters. Also, it is important to know the smoke point, which relates to the temperature up to which you can heat the oil. Cooking with pomace olive oil is ideal for temperatures higher than 207 degrees Celsius. When it smokes, the oil essentially burns and that is obviously not good! Now, it’s time for pomace olive oil versus other oils!
Pomace Olive Oil
Is pomace olive oil healthy? In this extensive article from Olive Oil Times, much scientific research is cited to answer this question. This oil contains a lot of unsaturated fats (on average 75%). Moreover, the article concludes that it contains many polyphenols (a type of antioxidant). An important note is that you need to produce pomace olive oil in the most natural and beautiful way.
Pomace olive oil is included in the Schijf van Vijf. The health score is hard to determine, as it applies to olive oil in general (which scores a 8.3). This score will likely be somewhat lower for pomace olive oil. Let’s estimate it between 7 and 8!
Pomace olive oil is milder in taste due to the production process. Extra virgin olive oil adds quite a bit of flavor to dishes, so pomace olive oil is a great option for frying and sautéing. Additionally, it can be heated up to 260 degrees Celsius. That makes it very suitable for cooking and frying at high temperatures. Psst, by the way: want to try our pomace olive oil yourself? You can find it now at Albert Heijn.
And what about pomace olive oil versus extra virgin olive oil? We use extra virgin olive oil ourselves for cold dishes, like with bread, over your salad, or in sauces. It has more flavor and is full of healthy nutrients like vitamins, minerals, polyphenols, and antioxidants. You can also cook and fry with this type of oil up to 207 degrees Celsius. Want to try our pomace olive oil? Available in a handy 1-liter tin of pomace olive oil at Albert Heijn. For bulk users, there is also a 5-liter tin of pomace olive oil available in our webshop.
Want to know more about pomace olive oil? Read also our articles: ‘What is good pomace olive oil?’, ‘Is pomace olive oil healthy?’ and ‘Pomace olive oil vs. other types of oil’.
In short: the choice is yours! Let’s continue with pomace olive oil versus coconut oil.
Coconut Oil
Coconut oil mainly consists of saturated fats, which are the unhealthy fats. It also contains some antioxidant nutrients, but much less than pomace olive oil. Finally, it is important to check if the oil comes from a virgin, cold-pressed coconut. We also advise against the ‘deodorized’ variant. Look carefully at the label or ask in a specialized store.
Coconut oil is not included in the Schijf van Vijf. It also receives a health score of 5.6. Read more about the health of coconut oil here.
Finally, unrefined coconut oil (the healthiest variant) can be heated up to about 177 degrees Celsius. Refined coconut oil can be heated up to 230 degrees Celsius.
Sunflower Oil
Sunflower oil contains about 85% unsaturated fats, of which 22% monounsaturated and 63% polyunsaturated fats. Some of these polyunsaturated fatty acids, such as linoleic acid, are essential and must be obtained through our diet. Sunflower oil is rich in vitamin E. One tablespoon almost covers your daily requirement.
Sunflower oil is included in the Schijf van Vijf. It also has a health score of 7.2. More information about whether sunflower oil is healthy can be found here.
The smoke point of sunflower oil is 227 degrees Celsius. The taste is very neutral. This is positive for stir-frying when you don’t want to add (extra) flavor to your dish, but makes this oil less relevant for example for bread, sauces, or salads.
By the way, an important note is that sunflower seeds must be heavily processed to produce this oil. Machines, high temperatures, solvents, and bleaching agents are used. Not really healthy additives for humans and the environment!
Rapeseed/Canola Oil
The rapeseed plant (wild variant of the turnip plant) are closely related, so we count them as the same. Rapeseed oil has the lowest percentage of saturated fatty acids of all vegetable oils, about 7%. It also contains valuable omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids and a high amount of unsaturated fats, approximately 60% monounsaturated fats and about 30% polyunsaturated fats. Rapeseed oil naturally contains a lot of vitamins E and K, but that’s about it.
Unfortunately, little is known about rapeseed oil. It is not listed as an oil included in the Schijf van Vijf, but it might be part of it. Also, it has no health score. However, there is a subjective value, this is a 5.3… Read everything about whether rapeseed/canola oil is healthy here.
