Olive oil, a staple of the Mediterranean diet, contains monounsaturated fat, a healthy fat. While saturated and trans fats increase your risk of heart disease, good fats have a number of health benefits. Olive oil is made from the crushing and pressing of olives. Try substituting olive oil for other fats and oils in your diet to reap the health benefits.
Heart Health
Monounsaturated fat lowers total and low-density lipoprotein --- LDL, or "bad" cholesterol --- levels in your blood, reducing risk of heart disease. "Extra-virgin" or "virgin" olive oils are the least processed kinds, so they contain the highest levels of polyphenols, an antioxidant that may protect against cardiovascular diseases.
Cancer Prevention
Polyunsaturated fats may have a cancer-promoting effect. Monounsaturated oils, like olive oil, may be associated with decreased risk of some cancers, according to a 1999 study by Sergio López and colleagues, who published the results in the journal "Grasas y Aceites." Olive oil contains antioxidants, substances that may protect your cells against the effects of free radicals. Free radical damage may lead to cancer.
Atherosclerosis Prevention
A diet rich in olive oil may reduce risk of atherosclerosis, according to a 2000 article published by Claire Madigan and colleagues in the journal "Diabetes Care." Atherosclerosis is a condition in which fatty material collects along the walls of arteries, which can lead to coronary artery disease, carotid artery disease, peripheral artery disease or aneurysms. People with diabetes are at increased risk for atherosclerosis. The study compared the diet rich in olive oil to a diet rich in sunflower oil.
Diabetes Prevention
Diets rich in monounsaturated fat can lower your blood sugar, improve your sensitivity to insulin and keep fat from collecting around your middle, according to the results of a study published by J.A. Paniagua and colleagues in 2007 in the journal "Diabetes Care." Belly fat and insulin resistance are associated with increased risk of type 2 diabetes.
Reduce Inflammation
The oleocanthal in extra-virgin olive oil may exhibit an anti-inflammatory effect, much like ibuprofen, according to results of a study published by Gary K. Beauchamp and colleagues in 2005 in the journal "Nature." Oleocanthal is a potential treatment of inflammatory degenerative joint diseases, such as osteoarthritis, Anna Lacono and colleagues reported in the journal "Arthritis and Rheumatism" in 2010.
References
- Mayo Clinic: Olive oil: What are the health benefits?
- "Grasas y Aceites"; Olive Oil and Cancer; Sergio López, et al.; 2004
- "Diabetes Care"; Dietary Unsaturated Fatty Acids in Type 2 Diabetes: Higher Levels of Postprandial Lipoprotein on a Linoleic Acid-Rich Sunflower Oil Diet Compared with an Oleic Acid-Rich Olive Oil Diet; C. Madigan, et al.; October 2000
- "Diabetes Care"; Monounsaturated Fat--Rich Diet Prevents Central Body Fat Distribution and Decreases Postprandial Adiponectin Expression Induced by a Carbohydrate-Rich Diet in Insulin-Resistant Subjects ; J.A. Paniagua, et al.; July 2007
- "Nature"; Phytochemistry: Ibuprofen-like Activity in Extra-virgin Olive Oil; Gary K. Beauchamp, et al.; September 2005
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