Fats in your food are mixtures of fatty acids, and olive oil is considered a healthy fat because it is predominantly made up of unsaturated fatty acids. However, it does not contain docohexaenoic acid or eicosapentaenoic acid. The best way to get all of the beneficial fatty acids including DHA aand EPA is to eat a variety of foods with healthy fats.
Fatty Acids in Olive Oil
Olive oil gets 100 percent of its calories from fat, and each tablespoon contains 13.5 g of fat, but it does not have any DHA or EPA, heart-healthy, long-chain, omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids. Olive oil provides 1.4 g polyunsaturated fats, with most of them from linoleic acid, an omega-6 fat. Most of the fat in olive oil is from monounsaturated fatty acids, which may lower your cholesterol levels and blood pressure. Other sources are avocados, peanut oil and canola oil, according to the Mayo Clinic. Olive oil contains only 1.9 g saturated -- unhealthy -- fatty acids per tbsp.
Sources of DHA and EPA
Seafood provides DHA and EPA, and good sources include salmon, anchovies, herring, sardines, tuna, shrimp, oysters and scallops, according to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Fatty fish and shellfish provide high-quality protein, and they are natural sources of vitamin D, which helps your body absorb calcium from food. Canned fatty fish, such as canned salmon and sardines, are rich in calcium, and they make good alternatives to dairy products, such as milk, cheese and yogurt. Olive oil does not provide DHA, EPA, protein, calcium or vitamin D.
Olive Oil Nutrients
Using olive oil, which is a good source of heart-healthy monounsaturated fatty acids, instead of more saturated fats, such as butter or palm or coconut oil, may lower your risk for heart disease, according to the Mayo Clinic. Another beneficial nutrient found in olive oil but not in sources of DHA and EPA is vitamin E, an antioxidant. Phytosterols are cholesterol-lowering nutrients that you can only get from plant-based foods, and olive oil is a good source, according to the Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Information Center.
Recommendations
Monounsaturated fatty acids are not essential nutrients because your body can make them from other fats, but a higher intake may lower your risk for heart disease, according to the Harvard School of Public Health. Aim to get about 10 to 25 percent of your calories from monounsaturated fatty acids, such as from olive oil. You may lower your risk for heart disease when you average about 250 mg per day of DHA and EPA, or about two servings of fatty fish or shellfish per week, according to the aforementioned 2010 Dietary Guidelines.
References
- U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010; January 2010
- U.S. Department of Agriculture: Fats and Oils
- Harvard School of Public Health: Fats and Cholesterol: Out With the Bad, in With the Good
- Mayo Clinic; MUFAs: Why Should My Diet Include These Fats?; Katherine Zeratsky; November 2010
- Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Information Center; Phytosterols; Jane Higdon; September 2008
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