Olive oil is used for cooking and added to salad as dressing. It contains a number of antioxidant compounds, from terpenes to flavonols, which have been associated with anti-inflammatory properties. Although you probably don't think of olive oil for weight loss, its high amount of healthy monounsaturated fat might increase your metabolism.
Fat Oxidation
Olive oil might increase fat oxidation, or fat-burning, which increases your metabolism, according to an animal study performed by researchers at Sao Paulo State University in Brazil. They discovered that rats fed a diet in olive oil had higher rates of fat oxidation and energy expenditure compared with rats without olive oil. The findings were reported in the October 2010 issue of "Nutrition Journal."
Oleic Acid
Olive oil is a rich source of the monounsaturated fatty acid oleic acid, which may have metabolism-boosting effects. Researchers at McGill University in Canada assigned participants to a breakfast rich in one of the following fats: olive oil containing oleic acid, sunflower oil rich in linoleic acid, or flaxseed oil containing linolenic acid. Energy expenditure was analyzed before and after the breakfast. Scientists reported in the September 2008 issue of "Metabolism" that those in the olive oil group experienced a significant increase in energy expenditure compared with the other groups.
Monounsaturated Fat
Researchers at CISRO Health Sciences and Nutrition in South Australia investigated the impact of a very low-fat, containing 10 percent of calories from fat, versus a high monounsaturated fat containing 35 percent of calories from fat. Nondiabetic women followed one of the diets equal in calories for 12 weeks. Scientists discovered that both groups lost a similar amount of fat, particularly around the stomach area, according to research published in the July 2004 issue of "The Journal of Nutrition."
Caution
Olive oil seems to be effective for increasing your metabolism when combined with a calorie-reduced diet. Keep in mind that olive oil has a lot of fat and calories, and it should be used in moderation to receive its metabolism-boosting benefits.
References
- "Nutrition Journal"; Effects of Olive Oil and Its Minor Phenolic Constituents on Obesity-Induced Cardiac Metabolic Changes; G. Ebaid, et al.; October 2010
- "Metabolism"; The Effect of Dietary Oleic, Linoleic, and Linolenic Acids on Fat Oxidation and Energy Expenditure in Healthy Men; P.J. Jones, et al.; September 2008
- "The Journal of Nutrition"; Very Low-Fat (12%) and High Monounsaturated Fat (35%) Diets Do Not Differentially Affect Abdominal Fat Loss in Overweight, Nondiabetic Women; P.M. Clifton, et al.; July 2004
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