Olive oil is a cooking and medicinal staple throughout Southern Europe and the Mediterranean, and it is considered a health-promoting oil. With more than 750 million olive trees cultivated around the world, and nearly 50 million gallons of olive oil imported into the United States every year, more and more Americans are learning about the health benefits linked with consuming olive oil. Unlike animal fats, the monounsaturated fats found in olive oil have been clinically proven to lower cholesterol levels in the blood, according the Mayo Clinic, as well as reduce blood sugar levels and blood pressure.
Regulating Cholesterol
According to a clinical trial cited by the World's Healthiest Foods website, individuals who consume up to 40 milliliters of polyphenol-rich extra virgin olive oil exhibit both an increased arterial elasticity and reduced levels of cholesterol. Improved elasticity of the arterial walls has been scientifically linked with a reduction in cardiovascular stress, which reduces the risk of both heart attack and stroke. The research relates the consumption of olive oil to a reduction in the amount of LDL, known as "bad cholesterol," as well as a reduction in overall cholesterol. While the study relates to adding olive oil to food dishes, such as salads, drinking 40 milliliters of the uncooked oil can match the dosage of adding oil to food.
Olive Oil and Heart Disease
One component of olive oil is the monounsaturated fatty acid known as oleic acid. According to a study cited by the website Healing Daily, diets with a higher proportion of monounsaturated fats, particularly oleic acid, have been linked to reducing the risk of coronary heart disease. Considering the peripheral beneficial effects of a reduced likelihood of strokes and heart attacks, the comprehensive benefits of olive oil to cardiovascular health are hard to miss. A similar study reported at World's Healthiest Foods, a dietary study conducted in 2001 placed 5,611 adults placed on a Mediterranean-style diet composed chiefly of olive oil, raw vegetables, soups and poultry. The individuals maintaining a Mediterranean-style diet experienced a 50 percent reduced risk in overall mortality and heart failure compared with people who ate a diet based on pasta and meat. The authors of the study concluded that the Italian elderly population should adopt "a dietary pattern characterized by a high consumption of olive oil."
Olive Oil as a Cancer Inhibitor
Unlike most saturated and unsaturated fats, nearly all of which are associated with higher risks of colon cancer, olive oil has the rare quality of protecting the cells of the colon from carcinogens. A 2008 study reported at ScienceDaily links the antioxidants in olive oil to a reduction in the number of carcinogens formed when meat and animal products are cooked. The monounsaturated fat known as oleic acid has also been associated with reducing the effect of cancer-forming oncogene cells---particularly those associated with the rapid growth of breast cancer tumors. Supporting the general cancer-inhibiting properties of olive oil is a Spanish study reported at Healing Daily, wherein rats that were fed a diet supplement of olive oil exhibited a reduced risk of colon and other cancers when compared with a supplement consisting of other fats.
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