Olive oil quality highlighted in European rankings and health advice

Portuguese olive oil brands have secured positions in TasteAtlas’s ranking of the best olive oils in Europe. The list, which features 100 producers primarily from Spain, Italy, and Greece, includes Portuguese brands such as Esporão, Acushla, Casa de Santo Amaro, and Viveiros Monterosa. Esporão achieved the highest ranking among the Portuguese entries at 13th place. The TasteAtlas rankings are based on user evaluations rather than a single official competition.

In a separate health context, cardiologist Aurelio Rojas has highlighted the importance of how olive oil is consumed to reap its medicinal benefits. Rojas suggests that many people misuse the product by not selecting extra virgin olive oil or by cooking it rather than consuming it raw. He notes that consuming approximately 15 milliliters of extra virgin olive oil daily can potentially reduce the risk of heart attack by 30% and the risk of death from dementia by 28%.