Should you cook with olive oil, or with no added oil at all?

Joel H. FuhrmanMD · board-certified family physician, nutrient-density author

No added oil. Sauté in water, broth or tomato sauce instead.

What it rests onHe argues oil is the most calorie-dense food with almost no micronutrients, so it displaces calories that could have carried nutrients, and that browning and flavour can be achieved by heating the pan, adding a tablespoon or two of water, letting it dry down and repeating. The reasoning is a direct consequence of his nutrients-per-calorie equation rather than a claim about oil being toxic.

Valter LongoPhD · biogerontologist, Professor of Gerontology, USC

Generous amounts of olive oil, about three tablespoons a day.

What it rests onHis daily longevity diet says to 'Eat whole grains and high quantities of vegetables (tomatoes, broccoli, carrots, legumes, etc.) with generous amounts of olive oil (3 tablespoons per day) and nuts (1 ounce per day)', set inside an instruction to minimise saturated fats from animal and vegetable sources and maximise good fats and complex carbohydrates. The basis is the Mediterranean and centenarian-population evidence running through his five pillars.