Health benefits of adding olive oil to your diet

Olive oil has been described as the "Mediterranean Miracle". This impressive title is based on the finding of numerous studies that have confirmed that a diet containing olive oil offers many health benefits. Olive oil, for instance, plays an important role in the prevention of several life-threatening diseases. People who live around the Mediterranean Sea, where olive oil is major constituent of their daily diet, have much lower death rates from heart disease and certain cancers. Interestingly, this is particularly true of the native Greeks from the island of Crete. Cretans are reputed to drink olive oil (on its own!), as well as incorporate it into their daily diet.

It is significant that those who eat a Mediterranean diet, actually eat as much fat as people from other countries. The important difference is that the former get their "fat" calories primarily from olive oil, which is largely composed of monounsaturated fat. The major advantage of monounsaturated fat is that it can lower blood cholesterol, without reducing the health giving properties of HDL, good-type cholesterol.

Olive oil reduces cholesterol:

A study conducted in the Netherlands concluded that a high-fat olive oil diet was far superior to an ordinary low fat diet in controlling levels of cholesterol. A group of forty- eight healthy adults was divided into two. Under strictly controlled conditions, half the group ate a diet high in fibre and low in fat (i.e. only 22% of calories from fat). The other half of the group ate a high fat diet where 41% of the calories came from fat and most of that fat came from olive oil. The cholesterol of the olive oil group was reduced by twenty points, whereas the control group saw only a reduction of an average seventeen points. In addition, the good-type HDL cholesterol, which helps prevent heart disease, was reduced to worrying levels in the low fat group, but was not affected in the olive oil diet group.

Olive oil lowers blood pressure:

Widespread studies have shown that consumption of olive oil can lower both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Tests have concluded that, as little as three fluid ounces a day can significantly lower blood pressure. Olive oil can even lower the blood pressure of those people eating a high fat diet (high fat being defined as forty percent of calories coming from fat).

Olive oil regulates the body's blood sugar levels:

Studies have concluded that olive oil can markedly lower blood glucose levels. Tests have proved that even diabetes suffers who switch from a high carbohydrate and low fat diet to a high fat (fifty percent of calories from fat), with most of that fat coming from olive oil, can lower their blood sugar levels to such a degree that they require less insulin.

Olive oil is a powerful antioxidant:

Olive oil has antioxidant characteristics that help inhibit the process that produces LDL (the bad-type cholesterol). This may go some way towards explaining why olive oil is so good at preventing heart attacks. Olive oil's antioxidant capabilities can also play a part in inhibiting the development of cancer and many other diseases. It can even help slow down the ageing process.

The benefits of incorporating olive oil into one's daily diet cannot be over-stated. It is wise to use olive oil as a substitute for animal fats, such as butter and lard, wherever possible.