What differences can we find between olive oil and sunflower oil? We delve into what distinguishes both oils and try to discover which of the two is best for cooking and for our diet.
They are both oils, but it is clear that olive oil is not the same as sunflower oil. But why? And, which is better according to what? The doubts are legitimate, and give rise to interesting questions. Issues that we are going to address in this text, trying to give a more or less complete understanding of the nature of each of these fats, their use, their price, their nutritional and even health value, among many other things.
The first is the first. An oil is nothing more than a “liquid” fat at room temperature. Without going into their molecular composition, we will say that, normally, fats of vegetable origin are usually liquid (not always, of course) just as animal fats are usually solid.
What is olive oil
Olive oil is oil that is obtained either by mechanical manipulation of the olive (crushing, centrifuging, which was previously pressing and filtering) or by chemical extraction with solvents. We are not going to go into these technical details, but there is a difference in the final product that classifies it as virgin olive oil, extra virgin, refined, etc.
What is sunflower oil?
Likewise, sunflower oil is a liquid fat at room temperature obtained from sunflower seeds. This oil is obtained by cleaning, husking, crushing, and heating seeds before centrifuging. This process is quite similar, in essence, to that of olive oil. As with the previous one, it can also be extracted with solvents, refined, etc.
How are olive and sunflower oil different?
Although, essentially, both are oils, due to their origin, rather than their processing, both fats have essential differences.
Origin and production (collection, processing, and refining)
Of course, the essential difference is that one comes from the olive, that is, from the olive tree ( Olea Europaea ), and the other from the sunflower ( Helianthus annuus ). The olive is harvested once a year, usually around autumn. The sunflower, although it also has an annual cycle, can be more productive in tropical and subtropical climates, and two crops can be planted.
On the other hand, the olive fruit can provide an oil richer in polyphenols with a very different profile at an organoleptic level depending on the state of maturity of the fruit, while the sunflower seed does not have such a wide range of differences in flavor and composition.
Both the olive and the sunflower seeds are collected, stored, washed, crushed, and heated before being centrifuged. There is, however, an essential difference and that is that, while olive oil is preferred without refining or extraction, leaving this process to increase the product, in the case of sunflower seeds, extraction is used with all those whose content in oil it is less than 25%, which makes it much more common.
On the other hand, the collection and handling processes are very different, which has important implications. For example, the ripening of olive fruit, and its storage and processing obey very specific times. Otherwise, due to the fleshiness of the fruit, they can rot more easily, become damaged or suffer another series of defects that will manifest themselves in the final product, resulting in different qualities.
This does not happen with sunflower seeds, whose storage and processing is much easier to manage and does not have as much opportunity to suffer defects that compromise its quality.
Polyphenols
In general, the biggest difference in terms of health between these two types of oil will be found in the amount of polyphenols, and antioxidant substances associated with health. Olive oils are the ones that have the most polyphenols, although only if we compare them with virgin and extra virgin oils. In the case of extracted and refined oils, things change a lot and will depend on the final product, something that is not always adequately indicated.
Chemical composition and type of fatty acids
Of course, the composition and structure of both oils are also different.
- Olive oil is made up of 75.5% oleic acid, 11.5% palmitic acid, and 7.5% linoleic acid, in addition to other fatty acids in trace concentrations, such as caffeic, margaric, stearic, etc.
- Sunflower oil, however, consists of a majority component: linoleic acid (omega-6), with more than 55%, followed by oleic acid (omega-9), with more than 25%.
Nutritional value
The nutritional profile per 100 g of EVOO:
- Calories: 884 kcal
- Fats: 100.0 g
- Saturated fat: 13.8 g
- Monounsaturated fats: 73.0 g
- Polyunsaturated fats: 10.5 g
- Sodio: < 0,1 g
- Vitamin E: 14.3 mg
- Vitamin K: < 0.1 mg
- Calcium: 1.0 mg
- Iron: 0.6 mg
- Potassium: 1.0 mg
The nutritional profile per 100 g of sunflower oil:
- Calories : ~884 kcal
- Total fat: ~100 g
- Saturated fat: 12 g
- Monounsaturated fats: 20 g
- Polyunsaturated fatty acids: 63 g (mainly omega-6 linoleic acid)
- Vitamin E: 49 mg (approximately, but may vary)
- Cholesterol: 0 mg
Color and texture
The color and texture of oils, whether olive or sunflower, can vary depending on factors such as the variety, the extraction process, and the degree of refining. Be careful, because these aspects do not have to (and in fact are not usually) related to its nutritional quality.
Generally speaking, olive oil has a color that can vary from deep green to golden yellow, depending on the variety of olive and its degree of maturity at the time of harvest. Its texture is smooth and may be slightly denser or more viscous compared to sunflower oil, especially if it is a high-quality extra virgin olive oil. The perception of this viscosity can also be influenced by the presence of compounds such as polyphenols.
For its part, sunflower oil is usually pale yellow in color . It is lighter and less intense than olive oil, especially compared to greener olive oils. When refining, sunflower oil can lose even more color, becoming even lighter. Additionally, it generally has a light texture and is less viscous than olive oil. This lightness is one of the reasons why sunflower oil is often used for culinary preparations where an oil with a neutral flavor and texture is preferred.
Flavor and aroma: organoleptic factors
Organoleptic factors refer to the characteristics perceived by our senses, such as smell, flavor, and appearance… Good quality olive oils, especially extra virgin ones, have aromas that can be described as fruity, herbal, freshly cut grass. , almond or apple among others. They can be moderately to very intense and are the result of the various volatile compounds formed during the ripening and processing of the olive.
Additionally, high-quality extra virgin olive oils can have flavors ranging from fruity, spicy, and bitter. The bitterness and spiciness are indicative of a high polyphenol content, making them very noticeable on the palate.
On the other hand, sunflower oil usually has a neutral aroma, especially if it is refined. Sunflower oil also has a mild, neutral flavor. Notably, it does not have the bitterness or spiciness characteristic of some olive oils. Its neutrality is one of the reasons why it is chosen for many culinary preparations since it does not alter the original flavor of the food.
It is important to highlight that the perception of these organoleptic factors can vary from one person to another and can also be influenced by the context in which the oil is tasted. In addition, it must be taken into account that there are different varieties and qualities of both olive and sunflower oil, which can affect their organoleptic characteristics. For example, a high-quality extra virgin olive oil will have a much richer and more complex organoleptic profile than a refined olive oil.
High-temperature resistance
High-temperature resistance is a crucial factor when considering which oil to use for cooking, especially if we are going to fry. Heat spoils fats and their quality, in addition to helping potentially harmful components to be absorbed. To better understand this aspect, you have to know some things such as the so-called smoke point.
The smoke or smoke point corresponds to the temperature at which an oil begins to decompose and release smoke. When an oil reaches its smoke point, beneficial compounds break down and harmful compounds can form. With this in mind, we must now differentiate between the two oils and, furthermore, between their types:
- Extra virgin olive oil: its smoke point generally varies between 190°C and 215°C (375°F to 420°F), making it the most suitable and healthy for cooking, including frying.
- Refined olive oil: can have a higher smoke point, reaching up to 230°C or even higher. This may make it more suitable for frying than extra virgin olive oil. However, its low antioxidant content also has a negative point, as we will see later.
- Sunflower oil: Depending on the grade of refining and whether or not it has been modified to be high oleic acid, the smoke point of sunflower oil can vary widely, from around 225°C to 260°C (440°F). at 500°F). This makes it very suitable for high-temperature cooking, including frying.
Oxidation and stability
Aside from the smoke point, it is important to consider how the oil reacts to heat in terms of oxidation. Oxidation can cause oils to become rancid and produce potentially harmful compounds.
- Olive oil, particularly extra virgin, has a relatively high content of antioxidants and monounsaturated fatty acids, which provides it with good heat stability and protects it against oxidation.
- Sunflower oil is rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are more susceptible to oxidation. However, there are varieties of high oleic sunflower oil that have fewer polyunsaturated fatty acids and therefore greater heat resistance.
Kitchen uses: Which oil is best for frying?
Based on what we have seen above, although both oils can be used for cooking, sunflower oil, especially refined varieties or those modified to be high in oleic acid, is usually preferred for high-temperature cooking techniques such as frying. However, olive oil, and particularly extra virgin oil, offers nutritional and antioxidant benefits that may make it more desirable in preparations where the oil’s flavor is stronger.
Price
The price of olive and sunflower oils varies depending on factors such as quality, region, demand, harvest conditions, and other aspects of the market. Generally speaking, olive oil is usually more expensive than sunflower oil, especially if we are talking about extra virgin olive oil, which is the highest quality.
The price of olive oil is influenced by factors such as the variety of the olive, the production process or the designation of origin, among others. Premium brands, protected designations of origin, and organic, varietal or artisanal productions usually have higher prices.
The price of sunflower oil is generally cheaper than olive oil. Its large-scale production and process make costs lower compared to the production of high-quality olive oils. In addition, there are modified versions of sunflower oil, such as high oleic sunflower oil, which can have higher prices than conventional sunflower oil due to their nutritional characteristics, although they do not usually reach the levels of olive oils.
What is healthier, olive oil or sunflower oil?
Although this question is usually the juiciest, and it can also be open to all kinds of outrages, the truth is that in the case of olive and sunflower oil the answer is quite clear, supported by scientific evidence and supported by experts: virgin olive oil, or extra virgin.
A refined or extracted olive oil can be just as healthy as sunflower seed oil, but it will not be worse. This is due both to its chemical composition, which we have seen before talking about the type of fats that make it up, and to its concentration of antioxidants, which, although there are none in refined oils, we still have the fat composition in our favor.
This does not mean that sunflower oil is bad, in any case, but that it is worse in comparison, but it is still, if it is of quality, just as good, and better than other fats whose composition is worse.