18 Apr The Olive Oil Scandal: Why Your ‘Healthy’ Oil Might Be Making You Sick with TJ Robinson
Have you been cooking with olive oil all wrong? Most Americans have no idea that the “extra virgin olive oil” sitting in their pantry might be robbing them of the incredible health benefits they think they’re getting. The truth is shocking: most olive oil on American shelves has already lost its health-boosting properties before you even open it.
In this interview with TJ Robinson, known as “The Olive Oil Hunter” and is the founder of the Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club, we uncovered startling revelations about olive oil that could transform your health—and debunk myths you’ve believed for decades.
The Great Olive Oil Deception: What You’re Really Buying in Stores
If you’ve been purchasing olive oil from major grocery stores, you might be getting far less than you bargained for. Most olive oil sold in America is treated as a commodity product—traded like corn in newspapers—not the artisanal food it should be.
A UC Davis study sent 30 bottles of olive oil from supermarket shelves to an Australian lab and discovered that almost 70% of them weren’t actually extra virgin as claimed. This widespread deception means most Americans have never experienced truly fresh, high-quality olive oil.
Real extra virgin olive oil must pass both an organoleptic test (tasting panel) looking for defects and a chemistry analysis. Without these certifications, companies can slap “extra virgin” on bottles regardless of quality.
The “High Heat” Myth
One of the most persistent myths about olive oil is that you can’t cook with it at high heat. This falsehood, according to TJ, was strategically created by marketers in the 1950s and 60s to sell consumers TWO different olive oil products instead of one.
Traditional Sicilian grandmothers who live to nearly 100 years old use only olive oil for all their cooking needs—from frying eggs to baking cakes–nothing else enters their kitchens.
The truth? High-quality olive oil has a smoke point around 400°F—more than adequate for most home cooking. TJ even recommends using quality olive oil for baking everything from banana bread to brownies, replacing unhealthy seed oils with this nutritional powerhouse.
Why Timing Matters More Than You Think
Unlike wine, not only can you hide anything in it like you can with wine, olive oil also doesn’t improve with age. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. Within six months of pressing, the polyphenols and antioxidants in olive oil deplete by 50%. This is why the harvest date is far more important than the expiration date when buying olive oil. This is why TJ travels to both hemispheres of the world throughout the year hunting the FRESHEST harvests – thus the name The Olive Oil Hunter.
Fresh olive oil should be consumed within 6 months of pressing – and most companies are selling it 12 months after it’s been pressed.
Most commodity olive oils are made from olives that have fully ripened to black on the tree—which yields more oil (about 30% by weight) but dramatically fewer polyphenols and health benefits compared to early-harvested green olives (which yield only about 10% oil, but pack the most health benefits).
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How to Identify Quality Olive Oil
Real, high-quality olive oil has three distinct characteristics that you can identify through tasting:
- Fruitiness – A vibrant, fresh aroma reminiscent of green plants, herbs, or fruit
- Bitterness – A pleasant bitter note that indicates high polyphenol content
- Spiciness – A peppery sensation at the back of your throat (sometimes enough to make you cough!)
These characteristics, especially the spicy “cough factor,” are actually indicators of the oil’s anti-inflammatory properties. As TJ explains, this sensation comes from the same compounds that act like nature’s ibuprofen in your body.
The Mediterranean Secret
The much-celebrated Mediterranean diet may owe much of its health benefits to olive oil consumption. Greeks consume about 28 liters of olive oil per person annually, while Americans consume just a fraction of that amount (and apparently much of which isn’t even high quality).
This incredible liquid gold delivers:
- Powerful anti-inflammatory compounds
- Heart and brain-protecting nutrients
- Polyphenols that support cellular health
- A high level of satiety that helps control appetite
How to Find and Use Quality Olive Oil
The olive oil sitting in most American kitchens bears little resemblance to the health-giving elixir that has nourished Mediterranean populations for centuries. By understanding what true quality olive oil is, how to identify it, and how to use it properly, you can unlock profound health benefits while elevating your culinary experience.
TJ emphasizes that switching to high-quality olive oil is one of the easiest and most impactful changes you can make in your kitchen. By replacing nutrient-poor oils with this anti-inflammatory powerhouse, you’ll not only enhance the flavor of your food but potentially transform your health.
To experience the true health benefits of olive oil, look for:
- Harvest date (not just expiration date)
- Dark glass bottles (light destroys olive oil)
- Oils that have a peppery kick and bitter notes
- Small quantities that you’ll use within a few months
And when cooking with olive oil:
- Heat your pan first
- Add the oil just before adding your food (don’t heat the oil with the pan)
- Keep temperatures below 400°F (which is adequate for most cooking)
- Use it as a flavorful finishing “sauce” on vegetables, proteins, and even in baking
The Olive Oil Lifestyle
Quality olive oil isn’t just for cooking—it’s a lifestyle. TJ recommends:
- Setting your table with olive oil alongside salt and pepper
- Replacing store-bought dressings with simple oil and lemon or vinegar
- Taking small bottles with you to restaurants to avoid seed-oil laden dressings
- Using different varieties for different foods (mild oils for fish, robust oils for red meat)
🫒 Go to getfreshnataliejill.com and get a bottle of the highest quality olive oil for $1!
The contents of the Midlife Conversations podcast is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult with a qualified healthcare provider. Some episodes of Midlife Conversations may be sponsored by products or services discussed during the show. The host may receive compensation for such advertisements or if you purchase products through affiliate links mentioned on this podcast.
