I drink oodles of extra virgin olive oil.   Every day.   My kids and wife do too. It's a crucial staple in our diet...yet there's plenty of confusion around olive oil...   Can you cook with olive oil? How should you store olive oil? What should you look for in a good olive oil? How do you differentiate between all the different certificates and grades of olive oil?   And much more!   So in today's podcast, I interview T. J. Robinson, aka "The Olive Oil Hunter ®" who is one of the world's most respected authorities on all matters olive oil.   Known for his “platinum palate,” he is one of the few Americans invited to serve as a judge in prestigious Italian olive oil tasting competitions.   These days he is dedicated to importing rare fresh-pressed olive oil via , the most flavorful and healthiest extra virgin olive oil on the planet, until now virtually impossible to obtain year-round in the U.S. All his oils are independently lab tested and certified for 100% purity. During our discussion, you'll discover: -What makes olive oil so efficacious to our health...5:13 Olive oil leads to a distinct drop in blood pressure w/ no change in cholesterol; increased triglyceride, decreased HDL count (atherogenic index) Bigger predictor of C/V disease is the HDL to triglyceride ratio (more so than total LDL cholesterol) Research on mental health and depression Stabilization of blood glucose w/ small amounts of olive oil throughout the day Rheumatoid arthritis Mediterranean diet associated w/ improvements in longevity (not the modern bastardized version) Fasting Sprouting, fermenting, etc. The primary fatty acid in olive oil is oleic acid (C18:1) It's a double bond (less oxidation); safe for cooking at high temperatures Two fatty acids for the brain: Oleic acid, and fish oil (sardines, mackerel, salmon, herring) Other bioactive compounds: Bi0phenyls (found in the olive fruit that scavenges free radical species) (author of Eat to Beat Disease) Oleocanthol has the same anti-inflammatory pathways as ibuprofen (sans the gastric side effects) Phytosterols Squalines (extra virgin olive oil has high amounts) to protect the skin Alphatocopherols (Vitamin E) Hydroxy turpenic acids (lowers inflammation, risk of cancer, decreases blood pressure) -How T.J. Robinson became acquainted w/ the olive oil mafia...20:18 Grew up in Asheville, NC Scored a gig w/ the Food Network; was sent on assignment to Sicily, Italy, where he became acquainted w/ olive oil Harvest of the olive fruit is celebrated widely in Italy and Greece New Yorker article:  by Tom Mueller, author of the aforementioned New Yorker article Rampant fraud: It is easy to package cheaper, lesser quality oils as olive oil and sell at olive oil prices Olive oil sold in bulk is far more susceptible to adulteration than an artisan oil Polyphenols and antioxidants deplete by up to 50% during the first 6 months after distribution -What you need to know about the dates on the package, and how to store your olive oil...33:52 Three killers of olive oil: light, time, temperature Look for the "harvest date" rather than the expiration date Look for dark plastic or glass bottles Don't store olive oil above the stove or in the fridge Store in a pantry at room temperature, away from light Polyphenols and antioxidants prevent the olive oil from oxidizing Restaurant olive oils are often adulterated w/ GMO's, soy, etc. Spirulina and glycine protect the gut from oxidized oils Ben discusses this in his book,  Olive oil has similar fat makeup as human breast milk Olive oil is used as a delivery mechanism for food to babies -How olive oil is actually produced...44:07 Olives are picked from the tree, contain 10% oil when they're green Deleafed and washed at the mill Crusher (like a food processor) turns it into a paste Goes into the millaxer (paste begins to break into parts: solid, water, oil) Oil is spun via centrifuge, then goes into the tasting cup The solids are dried out and reused as orga