Maurice Boscorelli
Senior Member
- Joined
- May 30, 2010
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Include extra virgin olive oil in your diet to get a potent dose of antioxidants and protect your heart. Olive oil is one of the healthiest cooking oils because it is packed with nutrients and antioxidants. High quality olive oil will improve your insulin health and boost metabolism, while protecting the liver from damage due to oxidative stress. Be aware that recent reports indicate that more than half the olive oil on the market is poor quality and not actually “extra virgin.” It won’t provide health benefits and may actually do you harm.
First, let’s look at how extra virgin olive oil will protect health with reasons it should be included in your diet. Olive oil is a unique fat because the olive is a fruit, rather than a vegetable or animal, which are the other primary sources for oil in our diets. Olive oil is primarily a monounsaturated fat and it is packed with antioxidants in the form of polyphenols and sterols. It also has a ton of vitamins such as E and K, and contains one of the highest levels of CoQ10, a pricey antioxidant that is known to be highly effective at protecting the heart and fighting chronic inflammation.
A new study in the journal Nutrition found that the high antioxidant content in extra virgin olive oil protected rats from oxidative stress and DNA damage in the livers due to exposure to a common pesticide. The antioxidants neutralized the dangerous free radicals that affect the liver as it metabolized the pesticide, which resulted in a protective effect and safe detoxification. Additionally, there was a decrease in LDL cholesterol and an increase in HDL cholesterol and triglycerides in the rats that had the olive oil included in their diets, which is a more favorable profile.
Researchers write that only extra virgin olive oil will contain sizeable amounts of antioxidants to protect the liver, counter oxidative stress, and support the heart. Refined olive oil or “sham” oil labeled as olive oil loses its antioxidant properties and may do you more harm than good. A recent study from the University of California at Davis Olive Center shows that this is a much greater problem than most people would realize. The study showed that more than 50 percent of olive oil labeled “extra virgin” does not pass sensory and chemical tests for quality and authenticity.
There are two common schemes in olive oil labeling. First, a portion of imported olive oil is not actually made entirely from olives, but is doctored with cheaper oils such as hazelnut or soybean. It may be contaminated with dye or scents to make it appear like olive oil. The second more widespread problem is that even though the oil is entirely from olives, it is overly refined, or from poor quality olives (spoiled, overripe, or olives that have fallen on the ground), which means it loses its virgin status. To see a chart from the UC Davis study that identifies which olive oils are authentic, check out my article,
Reference:
Nakbi, A., Tayeb, W., et al. Hypolipidimic and Antioxidant Activities of Virgin Olive Oil and its Fractions in 2, 4-Diclorophenoxyaecetic Acid-Treated Rats. Nutrition. 2012. 28, 81-91.
Frankel, E., Mailer, R., et al. Tests Indicate that Imported “Extra Virgin” Olive Oil Often Fails International and USDA Standards. University of California Davis, Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science. July 2010.
First, let’s look at how extra virgin olive oil will protect health with reasons it should be included in your diet. Olive oil is a unique fat because the olive is a fruit, rather than a vegetable or animal, which are the other primary sources for oil in our diets. Olive oil is primarily a monounsaturated fat and it is packed with antioxidants in the form of polyphenols and sterols. It also has a ton of vitamins such as E and K, and contains one of the highest levels of CoQ10, a pricey antioxidant that is known to be highly effective at protecting the heart and fighting chronic inflammation.
A new study in the journal Nutrition found that the high antioxidant content in extra virgin olive oil protected rats from oxidative stress and DNA damage in the livers due to exposure to a common pesticide. The antioxidants neutralized the dangerous free radicals that affect the liver as it metabolized the pesticide, which resulted in a protective effect and safe detoxification. Additionally, there was a decrease in LDL cholesterol and an increase in HDL cholesterol and triglycerides in the rats that had the olive oil included in their diets, which is a more favorable profile.
Researchers write that only extra virgin olive oil will contain sizeable amounts of antioxidants to protect the liver, counter oxidative stress, and support the heart. Refined olive oil or “sham” oil labeled as olive oil loses its antioxidant properties and may do you more harm than good. A recent study from the University of California at Davis Olive Center shows that this is a much greater problem than most people would realize. The study showed that more than 50 percent of olive oil labeled “extra virgin” does not pass sensory and chemical tests for quality and authenticity.
There are two common schemes in olive oil labeling. First, a portion of imported olive oil is not actually made entirely from olives, but is doctored with cheaper oils such as hazelnut or soybean. It may be contaminated with dye or scents to make it appear like olive oil. The second more widespread problem is that even though the oil is entirely from olives, it is overly refined, or from poor quality olives (spoiled, overripe, or olives that have fallen on the ground), which means it loses its virgin status. To see a chart from the UC Davis study that identifies which olive oils are authentic, check out my article,
Reference:
Nakbi, A., Tayeb, W., et al. Hypolipidimic and Antioxidant Activities of Virgin Olive Oil and its Fractions in 2, 4-Diclorophenoxyaecetic Acid-Treated Rats. Nutrition. 2012. 28, 81-91.
Frankel, E., Mailer, R., et al. Tests Indicate that Imported “Extra Virgin” Olive Oil Often Fails International and USDA Standards. University of California Davis, Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science. July 2010.
