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Five Reasons Why Olive Oil Is the Ultimate Healthy Fat
Five Reasons Why Olive Oil Is the Ultimate Healthy Fat
Whether in Rome or at home, do as the Romans do: Make olive oil a staple in your diet. If you already eat the Mediterranean way, you know that olive oil not only tastes good but also is good for you. It's an amazing source of antioxidants, capable of dousing inflammation, defending cells from menacing molecules, and more. Here's the latest on this superhero food.
It Cuts Your Cancer Risk
Olive oil's cancer-preventing powers are legendary. Which substances get the credit? Polyphenols, for one. These potent plant antioxidants protect against cancer-causing cell damage. But it also looks like the oil's monounsaturated fat has anticancer effects, which means olive oil packs quite a one-two punch! Need some proof? Check the lower rates of breast, ovarian, and prostate cancer among Southern Europeans, whose diets flow with olive oil, compared with their neighbors from the north.
It Helps Your Heart
There's virtually nothing better than the big "double O" when it comes to your heart. Olive oil ups good HDL cholesterol, lowers bad LDL cholesterol, and reduces other harmful blood fats (triglycerides). That's not all. It also reduces inflammation, another contributor to cardiovascular disease.
It Keeps Your Blood Pressure Down
Speaking of your heart, how's your blood pressure? If it’s above 115/76, you need to get it down. And yes, olive oil can play a role, helping enough to reduce the need for daily meds. Those potent polyphenols appear to dilate arteries, which lowers blood pressure. (Always choose extra-virgin olive oil, by the way -- its minimal processing preserves the maximum number of antioxidants and heat-sensitive vitamins.)
It Helps You Lose Weight
"Great taste, less filling" -- that light-beer slogan rings true for olive oil. Ounce for ounce, all oils have the same calories, but olive oil has a fuller flavor, so less is needed for tantalizing taste. Plus, research shows that overweight people who eat a diet with some fat -- including olive oil -- are more likely to shed pounds than the people who slash fat. Why? Oil's rich flavor makes it easier to stick with the program.
It Eases Your Aching Head
If you're prone to headaches and wary of overdoing ibuprofen, try routinely dressing your salad or veggies in extra-virgin olive oil. It contains oleocanthal, a natural compound that, like ibuprofen, blocks pain-producing and inflammatory substances -- but without the risk of stomach upset. Although daily oleocanthal doses aren't the painkiller's complete equal, they could lower your risk for heart disease, cancer, arthritis, and possibly Alzheimer's. Quite a trade-off.
Get the skinny on fats, from hydrogenated (aack!) to heart-healthy (ahhh).
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Comments
Don't cook with olive oil; cook with expeller pressed virgin coconut oil because it doesn't produce trans fats. Cooking with olive oil does produce trans fats. Posted by: Stan Smalheiser | August 28, 2007 at 06:09 PM
Why haven't you included extra virgin coconut oil, which happens to be a saturated fat and very healthful and can use for cooking/frying without producing trans fats,whereas poly-unsaturated fats are dangerous, especially when it is used for cooking/frying, with the formation of trans fats. It helps you lose weight, helps the thyroid gland function, kills candida and many other beneficial things. Cooking/frying olive oil produces trans fats, however, without cooking, it's a very healthful oil.. Posted by: Stan Smalheiser | August 28, 2007 at 06:04 PM
I've just read the Real Age health tip about the health benefits of olive oil. Since I live in Italy, I consume a lot of olive oil, both raw on salads and for cooking. I always buy organic olive oil: extra-virgin cold pressed for salads, and extra-virgin (not cold pressed) for cooking. But now I see a new Real Age tip, which says that plain virgin olive oil is better than extra-virgin for cooking. I've looked in the supermarket, but the only choice in the numerous brands available is between extra-virgin and a cheaper (non-organic) mixture of virgin and refined olive oil. Would I be better off using this for cooking, or should I stick to my organic extra-virgin? Posted by: Anna Lowenstein | August 21, 2007 at 08:04 AM
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