Olive oil, prized for centuries as an elixur of healing and beauty, deserves its legends. Olive oil's status in Mediterranean cuisine continues gaining appreciation in America. The flavor, silky texture, ease of use in salads, cooking and baking makes trading olive oil for other fats pleasurable and painless. Mayo Clinic nutritionist Katherine Zeratsky asserts that extra virgin and virgin olive oil contain high levels of polyphenols, an antioxidant that contributes to heart health.
Replace Damaging Fats
One powerful advantage of using olive oil comes from replacing saturated fats (butter, lard) and trans fats with heart-healthy mono-saturated fat. Use olive oil-based salad dressings instead of creamy dressings and reduce cholesterol. Use olive oil for stir-frying and for cooking eggs, sauces and vegetables, instead of butter or less healthy oils. Cooking with olive oil results in lighter, less fatty-flavored foods. Commercial mayonnaise now comes with olive oil for a lower-cholesterol choice. You can make your own mayonnaise and sauces with olive oil. For some recipes try light olive oil. More refined light olive oil has less antioxidants, yet may be preferred for its milder taste. Antioxidants protect the body's cells from damage that can occur during metabolism.
Reduced Disease Risk
It sounds like magic: substitute olive oil for other fats and slash your risk of disease. Ongoing research substantiates these advantages of using olive oil. Clare Hassler, an expert on Food Science at the University of California at Davis, affirms that eating olive oil reduces risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, rheumatoid arthritis and some cancers.
Many of olive oil's benefits stem from its mono-saturated fats, including oleic acid. Because mono-saturated fats diminish potentially damaging LDL cholesterol, they protect against plaque build-up in the coronary arteries and the heart attacks this plaque leads to. Protect the olive oil's beneficial substances by keeping the lid on the bottle and keeping it in a cabinet when not in use. Consider investing in organic olive oil, to enjoy the benefits without added pesticides or chemicals.
Mediterranean Cuisine
Use olive oil with traditional healthy cuisines for increased health benefits. Amy Scholten, a nutritionist and health educator at New York University's Langone Medical Center cites numerous advantages of the Mediterranean diet and physically active lifestyle. These traditional cuisines combine whole grains, moderate amounts of protein and wine, beans, nuts, fresh fruits and vegetables with olive oil. Inhabitants of Crete and other Mediterranean countries that maintained traditional diets enjoy better health with lower incidence of cardiovascular disease, and leaner, healthy aging compared to populations consuming refined chemical-laden foods, excessive animal protein, saturated fats, trans fats, high sugar content, and other staples of American food and beverages. Traditional Mediterranean cuisines come naturally high in antioxidants and improve insulin resistance, resulting in lower risk for diabetes. Those combining physical activity and Mediterranean diet also enjoy lower incidence of obesity, stroke and cancers, including breast and colon cancer. Dieters lose weight and maintain the weight loss better on the Mediterranean diet as compared to a low-fat diet. An olive oil drizzled cuisine provides a lifestyle change people can live with, and enjoy.
Tags: with olive, Mediterranean diet, light olive, lower incidence, mono-saturated fats