Some olive oils — like Picual and Cornicabra — hold up better when heated than others, like Arbequina and Manzanilla, because they lose fewer healthy compounds and form less gunk when cooked.
Scientific Claim
Picual and Cornicabra extra virgin olive oils exhibit greater thermal stability than Arbequina and Manzanilla, as evidenced by lower degradation of tocopherols, lower formation of triacylglycerol polymers, and more favorable lipid nutritional indices after heating at 170–200 °C.
Original Statement
“The most stable olive oils were Cornicabra and Picual... The least triacylglycerol polymers were observed in Picual olive oil... The analyzed oils were characterized by high initial quality, but they varied and depended on the olive variety... The order of stability: Cornicabra > Picual > Sensation > Armonia > Arbequina > Manzanilla.”
Evidence Quality Assessment
Claim Status
appropriately stated
Study Design Support
Design supports claim
Appropriate Language Strength
definitive
Can make definitive causal claims
Assessment Explanation
The study directly measured and compared multiple chemical degradation markers across defined oil varieties under controlled heating, enabling definitive statements about relative stability.
Evidence from Studies
Supporting (1)
The study found that Picual and Cornicabra olive oils held up better when heated than Arbequina and Manzanilla, meaning they didn’t break down as much or form as many harmful compounds.