Is extra virgin olive oil really healthy food?

Extra virgin olive oil has long maintained the reputation of food to promote health.

With its assumed health benefits and anti-inflammatory properties, it is often recommended as a nutritional diet.

In fact, van-virgin olive oil is a key part of the Mediterranean diet, which the American news and world report ranks for years as the healthiest diet (1, 2).

However, is the extra virgin olive oil really useful for health as it believed? Let’s explore.

Background Evo and Health

Extra virgin olive oil is the main source of fat in the Mediterranean diet. Olive trees have long secured an important source of food and nutrients in this region (3).

Today, olive oil still provides useful herbal only and daily calories to people who exercise this diet, which is rich in fruit, vegetables, whole cereals, legumes, nuts with moderate spending fish, poultry and dairy products. (4).

This oil is a rich source of mononezatured fatty acids (muf). These fats can improve heart health by improving cholesterol and lowering the inflammation (5, 23).

It also contains plant steroles (6). They can help block cholesterol absorption in gut and lower LDL (“bad” cholesterol) (7). Mufe and sterols make up most of this oil. But, smaller parts, such as antioxidant polyphenols, may be actually more responsible for its health benefits (1).

Polyphenols can play a role in preventing high blood pressure, strikes and heart attacks (8). They may also influence how genes are expressed, influencing inflammation and oxidative factors of key stress in cardiovascular diseases (8).

Thus, consuming extra virgin olive oil regularly, especially as part of the Mediterranean diet (1) ,, was connected to:

• Heart health: It can support heart health by improving the functions of blood vessels, raising good cholesterol, descending bad cholesterol and reduce inflammation. It can also help prevent clots in the blood by stopping platelets from gluing together.
• Lower blood pressure: Polyphenols in extra virgin olive oil can lower blood pressure. This could make relaxing blood vessels and affected gene in blood pressure.
• Reduced inflammation: This oil lowers inflammation. This works by the death and death of proteins and chemicals that cause it.
• Metabolic health: Polyphenols can improve carbohydrate metabolism. This can reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes and aid in weight and cholesterol.
• Brain health: Polyphenols in extra virgin olive oil can lower Alzheimer’s risk by reducing oxidative stress and brain support.
• Hood hose: Polyphenols in extra virgin olive oil can improve hose health. They can change the hose of microbiote, strengthen intestinal immunity and increase good bacteria. His compounds also have antimicrobial properties that can help fight harmful bacteria and viruses.
• Cancer prevention: Extra virgin olive oil can reduce the risk of cancer. Its polyphenols can affect gene relating to cancer, providing protective effects.

What does the research say

Cardiovascular health benefits

Extra virgin olive oil can help prevent and manage different conditions. However, a lot of research focused on their potential health benefits.

Key study, overicated trial 2018. Over 7,000 high-risk people were tested for heart problems (9).

He saw that the Mediterranean diet with extra virgin olive oil or nut led to less heart problems, such as heart attacks and strokes, from low fat diets (9).

Surprisingly, in a predicted trial, the extra virgin olive oil appeared to have a little without an impact on LDL levels (9). .17).

But which is important, it can help prevent LDL to undergo a bad chemical process called oxidation (10).

LDL oxidation is a key contribution to accumulate plaque in arteries (atherosclerosis), a large factor in cardiovascular health (10).

Review 2022. Further highlighted the key role of extra virgin olive oil in the Mediterranean diet and heart health. His healthy fats and polyphenol antioxidants can help meet everyday essential fatty acid and antioxidant (1). Are important for cardiovascular welfare (1).

However, Some research suggests that consuming more extra virgin olive oil is not always better.

2024. Year trial in The magazine of the American Heart Association Tested high (4 tablespoons / day) in relation to low-minute olive oil (1 tablespoon) throughout food, plant-based plants. Examined the effects of health for a diet (11).

Both children have improved heart health compared to what they usually ate people. However, the diet with less olive oil seemed better in reducing bad cholesterol (LDL), although the difference was smaller (11).

Based on their findings, researchers said The advantages of the Mediterranean diet may not come from olive oil. (11). But the study has limits, so more research is needed.

In a low olive oil diet, most fat comes from all over food. They are involved avocado, nuts, seeds and olives. This meant that the diet had more fibers and untreated herbal chemicals (11).

These “intact” nutrients from all over food can be helped more efficiently in lower LDL cholesterol, but olive oil seems to continue to support heart health (11).

Evo’s role in a balanced diet

Understanding how extra virgin olive oil fits into your diet of essential to maximize its potential health benefits.

Look for olive oil “Extra Virgo”, which is less processed and contains more antioxidants than regular olive oil (12).

For benefits, people usually add 1 to 4 tablespoons of a non-perishable extra virgin olive oil in their food every day. Considered safe, efficient and well tolerated by most adults (1).

But olive oil is high in calories. Eating more calories than a daily basis can contribute to unwanted gain from unwanted weight.

So, Most people may want to restrict entry to 1 to 2 tablespoons per dayUnless a healthcare worker advises differently.

Also, although it probably helps, extra virgin olive oil is not the only reason for the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet. As mentioned, the whole food provides nutritional fibers and other nutrients that have not been found in olive oil.

So, it is important to consider your entire quality of eating and balance when adding extra virgin olive oil to everyday routine.

Replace ultra processed fat for healthy fats

The joint recommendation is to limit saturated fat in your diet, replaced for healthy fat sources like extra virgin olive oil.

Health organizations still say to limit saturated fat in your diet. But the research begins to show a nuanced view, and the official guidelines can be changed soon (13, 18). The effect of saturated fats on heart health can depend more about your quality of nutrition and specific sources of these fats. (13).

The point is that not all sources of saturated fats are inherently unhealthy. For example, eggs and unrefined coconut oil are minimally processed sources of saturated fats that are rich in nutrients and can offer health benefits (14, 15).

Saturated fat from processed foods can be worse than those from all food because it is refined and often comes with unhealthy ingredients (19). These include large amounts of added sugar, salt and other food additives (19, 20).

On the other hand, unsaturated fats are generally believed to be healthier. But, processing and heating can damage them, creating harmful only (21, 22). Refined seed and plant and plant and plant, often found in processed and fried food, are the main examples of that (21, 22).

Instead of focusing only on reducing saturated fat intakes, replacement of fat from processed and fried food with those from all over food can be more useful (13).

It is also important not to replace saturated fats in your diet with refined carbohydrates, such as food made of flour, because it is perhaps up for heart health (13).

Ultimately, although the debate on saturated fat continues, all animals that are eating fats that can represent different health risks of fat in ultra processed and fried food (16), such as:

• Processed meat
• Chicken nuggets and fries
• Keep chips, crackers and pastries

Thus, consider them to replace high-quality fat sources, including cold pressed, minimally processed oils and whole foods like:

• Extra virgin olive oil
• Nuts
• Seeds
• Avocados
• Fatty fish

Bottom line

Extra virgin olive oil is rich in healthy fats and antioxidants.

It uses health, especially when part of a balanced diet and replaces unhealthy fats, such as those in the ultra processed food.

But moderation remains important. They seem to eat a lot of olive oil does not offer additional benefits and can contribute to redundant calories intake.

More research is needed, especially in certain health results. But consuming extra virgin olive oil as part of a diet rich in plant, such as Mediterranean diet, is a wise choice for health and disease prevention.

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