When you heat certain types of olive oil really hot, the healthy antioxidant called alpha-tocopherol disappears completely in some kinds, but not as much in others — Picual and Cornicabra oils hold up better.
Scientific Claim
Heating extra virgin olive oil at 200 °C in a thin layer causes complete degradation of α-tocopherol in Arbequina and Armonia oils, while Picual and Cornicabra oils retain 22–24% of their initial α-tocopherol content, indicating varietal differences in thermal stability of this key antioxidant.
Original Statement
“At 170 °C, complete or partial degradation of tocopherols was observed. A heating temperature of 200 °C resulted in complete degradation of tocopherols regardless of the type of olive oil. The least stable tocopherol was α-tocopherol. At 170 °C, its complete degradation was observed in Arbequina and Armonia olive oils... In the other two olive oils, Picual and Cornicabra, the tocopherol content was 22.5% and 23.5% of the initial level, respectively.”
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 used precise HPLC measurements of tocopherol content before and after controlled heating, allowing definitive statements about chemical degradation levels under specific conditions.
Evidence from Studies
Supporting (1)
This study found that some types of olive oil, like Picual and Cornicabra, can handle high heat better than others, keeping more of their healthy antioxidants — while Arbequina and blends with lots of it break down more, which matches the claim.