A newly released study shows olive oil could be infusing antioxidants and essential nutrients for the body’s function into foods.

According to a recent study published in Food Chemistry, deep-frying certain foods, like French fries, in olive oil enhances the food’s nutritional value. The Higher Council for Scientific Research (CSIC), a leading scientific research institution in Spain, revealed similar results.

The CSIC found that when frying using different grades of olive oil the following happens with pomace oil, food absorbed the nutrients from the oil. Virgin olive oil replicated the same benefits.

Shockingly, the oil still transferred nutrients after several uses. Then, when fresh olive oil was added to previously used olive oil in the fryer, it replenished the used oil’s antioxidant levels.

This latest data should calm concerns you may have about whether frying in olive oil is healthy, as tocopherols and plant sterols are some of the most significant nutrients introduced to the food.

In addition to the plant sterols and tocopherols, other bioactive compounds transfer to food fried in olive oil, like lignans and triterpenes. These compounds have been linked to maintaining and supporting a healthy gut and heart health, reproductive organs, and cholesterol levels.

The research primarily focused on deep-frying in virgin olive oil. Given the negative reputation deep-frying in vegetable, seed, and plant oils has developed, the data about deep-frying in olive oil is some much-needed reprieve for those who still want to enjoy deep-fried foods without the health risk posed by other commonly used oils.

Researchers put virgin olive oil through its paces, deep-frying French fries in thirty cycles at 190°C (374°F), with each cycle showing nutrients from the virgin olive oil had been transferred to the fries.

Researchers also noted that, of the oils available for deep-frying, olive oil showed the most promise because of its nutritional make-up and its position as an oil-rich in oleic and other beneficial compounds.

But olive oil also has another advantage over other vegetable oils: it has a distinct flavor that adds depth to your meals without being too overpowering, especially if you select the best olive oil for frying.

When heated, olive oil’s natural flavors are enhanced and slightly altered, giving a unique experience that would not be attainable if the oil is not heated. Cuisine fried in the Koroneiki Estate Extra Virgin Olive Oil, for example, will be infused with both the oil’s nutritional make-up and its robust flavors, which adds unrivaled depth to the fried foods.

Koroneiki Estate Extra Virgin Olive Oil is the perfect olive oil for frying. This oil from Greece is versatile but flavorful. Despite the rich flavor, Koroneiki is not too intense, resulting in your food having a hint of the olive oil’s delightful notes that elevates fried foods in a way that does not clash with the foods’ flavor profile.