EVOO, which stands for extra virgin olive oil, is an abbreviation I first encountered watching Rachel Ray's cable TV show "30 Minute Meals."

The celebrity chef has even launched her own brand of olive oil (which she's dubbed EVOO, naturally). But even though Ray uses extra virgin olive oil in abundance, I was never sure what made extra virgin different from regular olive oil. A little research revealed that there are, in fact, culinary as well as health reasons behind choosing this type of olive oil.

Extra virgin olive oil, known for its strong taste and flavor, is produced from the first pressing of the olives and has no more than 0.8 percent acidity. Regular olive oil is a blend of virgin and refined olive oil and can have up to 1 percent acidity. The flavor and taste of regular olive oil is not as strong as that of extra virgin olive oil.

All olive oil contains monounsaturated fats that help lower total and low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels in our blood. In fact, the FDA has stated that there is limited evidence to support consumption of two tablespoons a day of monounsaturated fat to help reduce the risk of heart disease.

So when you add fat to your meals, replace saturated fats, found mainly in animal products, with sources of monounsaturated fat, like nut, canola, and olive oils.

Like regular olive oil, extra virgin olive oil contains monounsaturated fats. Because extra virgin olive oil is less processed, however, it contains more of the antioxidant polyphenols, said to help reduce the risks of cancer and heart disease.

Despite the health benefits, I suspect Rachel Ray uses extra virgin olive oil in most of her dishes because of its distinctive flavor. The popularity of her term EVOO has made it a new addition to our culinary vocabulary.