[henearkr]

Extra virgin olive oil is easily denaturated under relatively low heat, which is why it is recommended to use it with salads etc.

The olive oil that is perfect for cooking, with a high smoke point, is the refined one, or a mix of refined and virgin.

Not a lot of people know the fact right, hence a lot of confusion.

Unfortunately the olive oil for cooking is much harder to find than virgin oil, thus everybody ends up using the oil that does not stand well the heat.

Saying that it is easily denatured by heat does not mean it will smoke at these temperatures, but it will get its unsaturated fats partly becoming trans fats etc, thus losing its dietary benefit.