The health benefits of olive oil are numerous and well known, as various studies have shown. They include reducing the likelihood of occurrence of certain types of cancer, balancing cholesterol levels, and preventing heart diseases. In other words, it’s a key ingredient in heart health and hearty meals.

The next time you’re in the supermarket picking up groceries, stop and ask yourself: Is the $25 bottle of extra virgin olive oil really worth it?

There’s almost certainly a bottle for less than half that price claiming to contain an oily elixir of the same quality on one of the lower shelves, so why opt for top-shelf quality?

Well, if you care about the health benefits, the flavor, or the freshness of REAL extra virgin olive oil, a few extra bucks are clearly worth it.