Olive oil provides you with healthy fats and antioxidants, offering a healthier alternative to saturated fats like butter or margarine. There are different types of olive oil, but extra virgin olive oil may be the healthiest. Learn more about this nutritional powerhouse and what it brings to the table, whether you use it for cooking or salad dressing or both.
Significance
Extra virgin olive oil is olive oil from the first pressing of the olives. Chemically, extra virgin olive oil contains less than 1 percent acidity, according to WhatsCookingAmerica.net. Good quality extra virgin olive oil should have a richer flavor and color than other types, but many of the extra virgin olive oils sold in the United States today are of a lower quality and flavor.
Types
Extra virgin olive oil contains monounsaturated fats. Monounsaturated fats are associated with reduced low-density lipoprotein or bad cholesterol and total cholesterol levels, reports the Mayo Clinic. The Food and Drug Administration recommends replacing the saturated fats in your diet with a healthy fat, like extra virgin olive oil, to reduce your risk of heart disease.
Considerations
Olive oil contains 60 calories per teaspoon. All of the calories in olive oil come from fat, with 7 grams of total fat per teaspoon, according to PeerTrainer.com. One gram of the fat in each teaspoon of olive oil is saturated fat. The remaining fat is monounsaturated fats; however, the specific chemical composition varies depending upon where the olives were grown and the quality of the oil. Good quality extra virgin oils have the highest levels of antioxidant compounds, notes the Mayo Clinic.
Benefits
The fatty acids, like oleic acid, and antioxidant compounds in extra virgin olive oil may do more than just battle high levels of bad cholesterol. Reduced rates of breast cancer, colon cancer, insulin sensitivity and bone loss may all be related to consumption of olive oil, reports the George Mateljan Foundation. The antioxidant polyphenols in extra virgin olive oil may help to protect the heart by reducing damage from free radicals and plaque build-up in the arteries, and by acting as an anti-inflammatory.
Warning
Although olive oil is a healthy fat, even healthy fats are best consumed in moderation. The American Heart Association recommends a diet low to moderate in fat consumption with limited amounts of saturated fat. Moderate olive oil intake fits appropriately into this diet; however, excessive fat and calorie intake does not provide you with benefits. You receive the greatest benefit by replacing saturated fats with a monounsaturated fat like extra virgin olive oil.
Member Comments