Know Your Oil’s Source: Fruits Nuts Grains Or Animals
The oils we love to cook with come from fruits, nuts and grains, or from animal products, and they have important distinctions. “All oils are a combination of many fatty acids,” says Seth J. Baum, MD, cardiologist at Preventive Cardiology Inc. in Boca Raton, Florida. The various cooking oils have nearly the same number of calories per tablespoon, tbsp, from 102 to 124, but each oil has a different amount of healthy fat known as “unsaturated” fat. Oils from animal products all contain the less healthy saturated fats as well as cholesterol. Certain vegetable cooking oils, the tropical oils like coconut, also have saturated fats. You can think of saturated fats as “full” fats because they have more hydrogen packed into them, and unsaturated fats as somewhat lighter.
A heart-healthy diet one that lowers your risks for heart disease and stroke is rich in healthier, unsaturated fats. In addition, “The longer one cooks, and the higher the temperature the more the cooked food absorbs that oil. So it’s important to choose wisely and cook properly,” says Dr. Baum. And different oils vary in their smoke point, the temperature where the fats begin to degrade and burn. Using data reported in the USDA’s National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, we compared fats in cooking oils to help you find the best ones for you and your loved ones.
Read on to get the fat facts about your favorite cooking oils.
Just Two Tablespoons Of Olive Oil Packs In 240 Calories
Most fundamentally, olive oil, like all oils and fats, are a concentrated source of calories. With over 4,000 calories per pound, olive oil is far more calorie dense than even pure refined sugar, which has 1,725 calories per pound. Because of its extremely high calorie density, adding olive oil to any food or meal will dramatically increase its calorie density.
Truth: Many People With High Hdls Have Diseased Arteries And Many With Low Hdls Have Very Clean Arteries
One of the hearty healthy effects of olive oil, argues the olive oil industry, is that it raises levels of HDL good cholesterol. But higher HDL levels do not always mean better arteries. Remember the study on monkeys discussed at the beginning of this article? The higher HDL levels of the monkeys consuming a diet rich in monounsaturated fat did not prevent them from developing plaqueridden, diseased arteries.
Moreover, recent research has called into question just how good HDL cholesterol is. Yes, it may have benefits, but scientists are now finding that theres also a bad side to HDL that promotes inflammation and contributes to the build-up of plaque in the artery wall.
This bad side of HDL may explain why several clinical trials aimed at increasing HDL levels failed to show benefits, such as fewer heart attacks.
Whats more, the populations who enjoy the lowest incidences of heart disease in the world, the people living in Okinawa and in other rural regions of Japan, as well as the Tarahumara Indians in Mexico, have very low levels of HDL in the 20s.
Conversely, other people, like some Americans, have very high levels of HDL and still have high rates of clogged arteries and heart attacks.
Finally, always keep in mind that HDL is just one number in a risk group of many. Ultimately, we should focus on the big picture on all the numbers that contribute to heart health.
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Why Is Extra Virgin Olive Oil Good In The Fight Against Cholesterol
Because extra virgin olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fats. These are the fats which increase good cholesterol and reduce the bad type contrasting with other foodstuffs which are full of saturated fats, responsible in part for the increase in cholesterol. Among these foods, we have dairy products and meat. These foods can be eaten but always in moderation so as not to increase the level of bad cholesterol.
If you want to know more about saturated fats, you can read this interesting article. And if you want to have more information about monounsaturated fats,
Olive Oil Helps Lower Cholesterol
Extra virgin olive oil can help lower cholesterol levels according to studies. Im not a registered dietician, but you can find plenty of information on the health benefits of olive oil.
Need to make food changes due to bad cholesterol and good cholesterol levels? Using olive oil mayonnaise in the chicken salad, like this Chicken Salad with Olive Oil Mayo Lunch, could help.
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When you want something light for lunch and feel like eating chicken salad but dont want bread, try it on Ritz crackers.
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How To Choose Heart
Who doesnt want to sample everything in sight at a holiday party? Staying away from the partyfood can be tough on everyone. However, if youre working on lowering or maintaining yourcholesterol levels, making thoughtful choices is crucial.
Avoiding saturated fats and trans fats as they raise your LDL-C cholesterol. Trans fats are particularly unhealthy because they also reduce HDL-C cholesterol.
If youre hosting a party, try offering grilled or roasted foods. They are tastier, in my opinion,than fried foods and a lot healthier!
While cholesterol is vital for many processes in the body, too much cholesterol can build up in your arteries, which may lead to a heart attack or stroke. Cholesterol is made by your liver, but it also comes from the foods you eat, which is why its important to make smart food choices to help manage your cholesterol levels. The great news is that my hummus recipe below is perfect for holiday gatherings and to keep in your fridge at all times!
Myth #: Cholesterol Is Cholesterol
While cholesterol is an actual molecule, what it is bound to, while its floating through your blood is whats more important than just how much of it there is overall. In fact, depending on what its combined with can have opposite effects on your arteries and heart. Yes, opposite!
So cholesterol is just one component of a compound that floats around your blood. These compounds contain cholesterol as well as fats and special proteins called lipoproteins.
Theyre grouped into two main categories:
- HDL: High Density Lipoprotein that cleans up some of those infamous arterial plaques and transports cholesterol back to the liver.
- LDL: Low Density Lipoprotein that transports cholesterol from the liver .
And yes, it is even more complicated than this. Each of these categories is further broken down into subcategories which can also be measured in a blood test.
So cholesterol isnt simply cholesterol because it has very different effects on your body depending on which other molecules its bound to in your blood, as well as their size and type and what it is actually doing there.
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Olive Oil For Cardiovascular Disease
Its reasonable to deduce that if olive oil is beneficial for blood pressure and cholesterol, it also has value for reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, and this is supported by research.
A 2018 investigation featured in Endocrine, Metabolic & Immune Disorders Drug Targets states that numerous studies confirm that the Mediterranean diet has heart-protective properties. However, the research team discovered that the most relevant component of the diet thats linked to prevention of heart disease is olive oil. The oils antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and blood vessel-dilation effects may decrease the risk of atherosclerosis, the depositing of clot-causing plaque in arteries.
In a May 2014 study published in BioMed Central Medicine, scientists explored the difference in the effects on cardiovascular risk of three dietary interventions: a low-fat diet, a Mediterranean diet supplemented with nuts and a Mediterranean diet supplemented with olive oil.
The results showed that approximately each tablespoon-sized increase of olive oil, especially the extra virgin variety, was associated with a 10-percent decreased risk of cardiovascular disease and a 7-percent reduced risk of death.
What Is The Difference Between Olive Oil And Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Extra-virgin olive oil is made from pure, cold-pressed olives, whereas regular olive oil is a blend, including both cold-pressed and processed oils. Any cold-pressed oil that doesnt meet extra-virgin standards is then refined to get rid of undesirable impurities, giving the oil a more neutral flavor and lighter color.
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Olive Oil’s Benefits Include Lowering Cholesterol When Consumed As Part Of A Healthy Diet Just Don’t Go Overboard On Calories And It’s Best To Use It As A Substitute For Other Types Of Fat In Your Diet
Talk about a great job. As president of Oliveoil.com, Yasser Elshair travels to olive oil competitions in the United States and throughout Europe in search of the best olive oil producers. He takes part in about 200 tastings a year, swirling the fragrant oil in a small blue glass, sniffing, swallowing, and rating. You can bet his cholesterol levels are low.
The generous amount of olive oil consumed by people who live in Mediterranean countries is at the core of the good-for-you Mediterranean diet. A study published in 2018, in The New England Journal of Medicine suggests why. Turns out, people at high risk for cardiovascular disease who followed the Mediterranean dietan eating plan that favors vegetables, fruits, nuts, and grains, as well as olive oilhad fewer major cardiovascular events than participants who followed a reduced-fat diet.
A more recent study, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, zeroes in on the heart-health benefits of olive oil, specifically. Consuming just a half-tablespoon of olive oil a day is linked to a significant reduction in the risk for cardiovascular disease. The study also suggests that swapping out margarine, butter, mayonnaise, and dairy fat with olive oil could lead to a lower risk for coronary heart disease and cardiovascular disease.
Olive Oil Use Recommendations
The Food and Drug Administration says research supports but doesn’t prove conclusively that daily consumption of about 1 1/2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil may lower coronary heart disease risk. In addition, according to the University of California Davis Olive Center, 2 tablespoons per day can reduce blood pressure. So, getting 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons daily may be a good idea.
Olive oil has many culinary uses. Harvard Health Publishing suggests using it in place of butter for scrambling eggs or sauteing vegetables. The University of Virginia Health System School of Medicine suggests pouring it over ripe tomatoes or using it as a base for a homemade salad dressing by mixing it with balsamic vinegar and Dijon mustard.
Other ideas include adding it to vegetable soups, drizzling it over roasted chicken or cooked fish or using it as a bread-dipping sauce combined with herbs and Parmesan cheese.
Read more:Can Too Much Extra Virgin Olive Oil Be Bad for Your Health?
Exercising care in storing olive oil can increase the shelf life. Instead of storing it near the stove or a source of heat, keep it in a cool dark cabinet. If you use the oil infrequently, store it in the refrigerator. Wrap a clear bottle of oil in aluminum foil to protect it from light exposure.
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Strengths And Limitations Of This Study
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The randomised trial design comparing three dietary fat interventions minimised confounding and bias.
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There was good compliance and participants were from the general community in a real life setting.
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Objective measures of outcomeblood biochemistry and anthropometrywere used, minimising bias.
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Participants were not blinded as to the intervention, and the intervention was relatively short term over 4weeks.
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What Are The Dangers Of High Ldl Levels
Having too much bad cholesterol in your body and bloodstream is dangerous especially if your cholesterol levels are 240> .
Dangerously high cholesterol levels like this put you at risk of things like heart disease, heart attack, strokes, Angina , or even Arteriosclerosis .
So, we now know the difference between bad and good cholesterol. But how can you make sure youre consuming and absorbing the latter?
Well, thats where extra virgin olive oil comes in, which is rich in something called monounsaturated fats. These work to naturally boost your good cholesterol levels in your body and bloodstream, while reducing the prevalence of bad cholesterol found in foods with high amounts of saturated fat like meat and full dairy products.
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Butter And Cream Cheese: High In Cholesterol
The dairy products butter and cream cheese are derived from cows’ milk. Each tbsp of salted butter contains 102 calories, about 12 gm of fat, and in addition, 32 mg of sodium. Butter also has fat soluble vitamins 355 international units, IU, of vitamin A and 9 IU of vitamin D per tbsp. The fat in butter is mostly saturated fat, and butter is also high in cholesterol, which should be limited in a heart-healthy diet. In each tbsp of butter, about 7 gm are saturated fats, and 3 gm are monounsaturated, with only less than half a gm polyunsaturated fats. Each tbsp of butter also contains 31 mg of cholesterol. It has a low smoke point of 250 to 300 deg F.
Cream cheese has 51 calories per tbsp and is high in fat content, at 5 gm. It also contains trace amount of many vitamins, 195 IU of vitamin A, and 4 IU of vitamin D in a tbsp. Cream cheese is mostly saturated fat, which should be limited in a heart-healthy diet. One tbsp of cream cheese has about 3 gm of saturated fat, 1 gm of monounsaturated fat and just less than one and a half gm of polyunsaturated fat, along with 16 mg of cholesterol.
Olive Oil: The Better Fat
Olive oil originates from the pressed fruit of olive trees. Each tbsp has 119 calories and about 14 grams, gm of fat. Olive oil also contains a small amount of vitamin E and vitamin K . The fat in olive oil is mostly unsaturated, which makes it a heart-healthy choice. Olive oil is one of the better fats for your heart, according to the American Heart Association . Olive oil has 2 gm/tbsp of saturated fat, 10 gm of monounsaturated fat including oleic acid, and about 1 gm of polyunsaturated fat. Olive oil has zero cholesterol. It has a smoke point of 375 deg F for extra virgin, to 468 deg for extra light varieties.
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Health Benefits Of Olive Oil
Olive oil has the highest monounsaturated fatty acid content of any oil, according to registered dietitian Heidi Reichenberger McIndoo in an article on Today’s Dietitian Health & Nutrition Center. One tablespoon of olive oil contains 9.85 grams of monounsaturated fatty acids. Monounsaturated fats provide protection against heart disease by lowering total and LDL cholesterol levels and increasing HDL cholesterol levels. LDL cholesterol is known as the bad cholesterol high circulating levels can increase your risk for heart attack and stroke by clogging your arteries. The good, or HDL, cholesterol protects you from heart disease by preventing LDL from attaching to the walls of your arteries.
Is Extra Virgin Olive Oil A Healthier Choice
In a cohort study designed to measure the effects of a Mediterranean diet as the primary prevention of cardiovascular disease, extra virgin olive oil was shown to be better than regular olive oil, but neither significantly reduced heart attack rates. Other studies report similar findings, showing that EVOO damages endothelial function just like its regular olive oil counterpart.
In the PREDIMED study, 7,447 people at high risk for cardiovascular disease were randomly placed into three groups. One group was told to eat a Mediterranean diet using only EVOO . The second group ate a Mediterranean diet and added a half-pound of nuts per week. The third group, the control group, was told to reduce fat intake .
After five years, the conclusions were stunning there were nearly no differences between groups. No differences in weight, waist circumference, systolic and diastolic blood pressure, fasting glucose, or lipid profile.
And no difference in the number of heart attacks or deaths from cardiovascular disease those in the EVOO group suffered just as many heart attacks and cardiovascular disease as those in the control group.
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Combine Oil With Antioxidants To Be Safe
Vogels own research, in fact, has shown that when olive oil is combined with foods rich in antioxidants, such as vegetables, the vessel-constricting effect disappears. All you have to do is combine olive oil with red wine vinegar, which is loaded with the same antioxidants found in wine, and it appears you can prevent the deleterious effect on blood vessels.
So was the uproar over olive oil a false alarm? Only time will tell. First, the results of Vogels small study must be duplicated by other researchers. Keep in mind, his findings were presented at a meeting and havent yet been published. Then, if the effect on blood vessels is firmly linked to greater risk of heart disease, there may well be a reason to steer clear of olive oil.
For now, if you are the worrying type, make sure you drizzle your olive oil over leafy greens and vegetables or in pasta with a lot of tomatoes and basil. And avoid sopping your bread with the olive oil served at trendy Italian restaurants these days.
Remember, to study the effects of certain foods or nutrients, researchers must isolate them from the rest of the diet. But most of us dont eat meals consisting of a single food. To play it safe, just make sure your diet is abundant in fruits and vegetables, which have clearly been found to lower heart disease risk.