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What are the health benefits of olive oil?
By Christina | October 12, 2007
The label says high fat but I have heard some fats are not just okay but actually good for me. Can you please help me understand the difference and which type of oil I should be using when I cook? Is there a difference between virgin and extra virgin olive oil?
Olive oil is a healthy choice when cooking with fats. It contains monounsaturated fat, which can lower your risk of heart disease by reducing the total and low-density lipoprotein or bad cholesterol levels in your blood. Saturated and trans fats such as butter, tropical oils and hydrogenated margarines have the reverse effect increasing your risk of heart disease by increasing your total and LDL cholesterol levels.
The Food and Drug Administration recommends consuming approximately two tablespoons of olive oil a day suggesting this may reduce your risk of heart disease. A nutritionally smart plan is to substitute olive oil for the saturated fats you are currently using. This way you are eliminating the bad fats from your cooking and not just adding more fats to your diet.
All types of olive oil provide monounsaturated fat, but “extra-virgin” or “virgin” olive oils are processed least and as a result, they contain the highest levels of powerful antioxidants.
