Is Olive Oil Good For High Cholesterol

Olive Oil Has Antibacterial Properties

Olive oil contains many nutrients that can inhibit or kill harmful bacteria .

One of these is Helicobacter pylori, a bacterium that lives in your stomach and can cause stomach ulcers and stomach cancer.

Test-tube studies have shown that extra virgin olive oil fights eight strains of this bacterium, three of which are resistant to antibiotics .

A study in humans suggested that 30 grams of extra virgin olive oil, taken daily, can eliminate Helicobacter pylori infection in 1040% of people in as little as two weeks (

Extra virgin olive oil has antibacterial properties and has been found to be particularly effective against Helicobacter pylori, a type of bacterium that can cause stomach ulcers and stomach cancer.

Best For Dipping: La Tourangelle Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil

• Bright, peppery flavor that isn’t overpowering

• Recyclable, BPA-free packaging

• Design of container could be improved

While you can certainly use it for cooking, the La Tourangelle Extra Virgin Olive Oil really shines when paired with a big piece of fresh crusty bread. Thats why its earned the spot of best olive oil for dipping. To make the extra virgin olive oil, La Tourangelle harvests olives from Andalucia, Spain during the early season and cold presses them the same day.

This process creates an oil that has a fresh, bright, and peppery taste with hints of almond, olive leaves, and freshly cut grass. Customers love that its flavor isn’t overpowering, though some say the container could use a redesign so that the oil doesn’t dribble down the side of it.

The La Tourangelle olive oil is also 100 percent organic and non-GMO verified and the tin container its packaged in is BPA free.

Grade: Extra virgin | Processing: Cold-pressed | Origin: Andalucia, Spain | Size: 16.9 or 25.4 fluid ounces

• Smooth flavor with fruity notes

• Inexpensive

• Flavor might be too mild for some tastes

All five of its olive oil sizes, which range from 12.7 ounces to 128 ounces, are packaged in wine bottles, which just makes them feel kind of fancy.

Grade: Extra virgin | Processing: Cold-pressed | Origin: Mediterranean | Size: 25.4 fluid ounces

Can The Mediterranean Diet Help Reduce Ldl Cholesterol

Nearly twenty years ago two landmark randomized clinical trials appeared in The Lancet which forever changed the course of medicine for patients with coronary heart disease . The 4S study employed a cholesterol-lowering statin drug and reported a 30% mortality reduction. The Lyon Diet Heart Study utilized the Mediterranean diet and reported a 70% mortality reduction.

Subsequent studies of the Mediterranean diet have confirmed these findings and have also shown a reduced risk of cancer, diabetes, and Alzheimers disease. Subsequent statin studies have led the United States Food and Drug Administration to issue warnings regarding the increased risk of diabetes and decreased cognition with statin drugs. Paradoxically, statins have gone on to become a multi-billion dollar industry and the foundation of many cardiovascular disease prevention guidelines while the Mediterranean diet has often been ignored.

The authors of the study, Robert DuBroff and Michel de Lorgeril concluded we believe this statin-centric cholesterol-lowering approach to preventing CHD may be misguided. They further found.

The dramatic benefits of the Mediterranean diet are likely due to multiple mechanisms which do not directly involve cholesterol. Independent of cholesterol metabolism are the true fatal complications of coronary atherosclerosis thrombotic coronary occlusion, acute myocardial ischemia, left ventricular dysfunction, and malignant arrhythmias.

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Can You Use Olive Oil Instead Of Vegetable Oil

You can use extra virgin olive oil instead of vegetable oil in most cases. For cooking and baking, EVOO is a healthier option than vegetable oil.

The only instance where I would say vegetable oil would be a better option is for deep frying, where an oil with a more neutral flavor might be a better option.

Limit The Cocoa Butter

Cocoa butter is oil extracted from cocoa beans. It has 120 calories per tbsp and about 14 gm of fat. This oil has trace amounts of vitamins, less than a quarter of a mg/tbsp of vitamin E and just over 3 mcg/tbsp of vitamin K. Cocoa butter is mostly saturated fat, which should be limited in a heart-healthy diet. A diet high in saturated fats, like cholesterol, is linked to buildup of cholesterol in the body which can lead to heart disease and stroke. Cocoa butter contains 8 gm of saturated fat, 4 and a half gm of monounsaturated fat and less than half a gm of polyunsaturated fats. Cocoa butter has zero cholesterol. It’s smoke point is about 280 deg F.

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Olive Oil To Raise Good Hdl Cholesterol:

Q. My HDL cholesterol has always been low . Recently I read your article about someone who took two tablespoons of good olive oil a day to lower blood pressure.

I began taking two tablespoons every day . On my most recent blood test, my good HDL went up to 50. I was pleasantly surprised, since I had made no other changes. Is there any correlation?

Olive Oil May Fight Alzheimers Disease

Alzheimers disease is the most common neurodegenerative condition in the world.

One of its key features is a buildup of so-called beta-amyloid plaques inside your brain cells.

One study in mice showed that a substance in olive oil can help remove these plaques (

Keep in mind that more research is needed on the impact of olive oil on Alzheimers.

SummarySome studies suggest that olive oil may combat Alzheimers disease, but more research is needed.

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Make Sure To Get The Right Type

Buying the right kind of olive oil is extremely important.

Extra virgin olive oil retains some of the antioxidants and bioactive compounds from olives. For this reason, its considered healthier than the more refined variety of olive oil.

Even so, there is a lot of fraud on the olive oil market, as many oils that read extra virgin on the label have been diluted with other refined oils.

Therefore, examine labels carefully to ensure youre getting real extra virgin olive oil. Its always a good idea to read ingredients lists and check for quality certification.

Can You Substitute Olive Oil For Vegetable Oil

You can substitute olive oil for vegetable oil in most cases, but you may not want to. Vegetable oil is mostly flavorless, while extra virgin olive oil has a strong, distinct taste. While this taste lends well to most savory dishes, it can overpower and/or clash with the flavors in baked goods, like cakes or brownies.

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What Is The Healthiest Oil For Cooking

Nutrition and cooking experts agree that one of the most versatile and healthy oils to cook with and eat is olive oil, as long as its extra virgin. You want an oil that is not refined and overly processed, says Howard. An extra virgin label means that the olive oil is not refined, and therefore of high quality.

Truth: All Plant Foods Are Rich In Polyphenols And Plant Sterols And Most Deliver Far More Polyphenols And Plant Sterols Than Does Olive Oil

Polyphenols are antioxidant plant compounds that are linked with better heart health, including less oxidative stress. Oxidative stress is a process that inflames the arteries and heightens the risk of plaque rupture and heart attacks. Plant sterols are another plant chemical that interferes with cholesterol absorption from the gut and helps lower LDL cholesterol.

But the problem is: If youre relying on olive oil for your polyphenols and plant sterols, youve got to eat a lot more calories to get a decent amount of these phytochemicals, and eating lots of calories is just what Americans, with our epidemic rates of obesity, do not need.

A mere tablespoon of olive oil delivers a hefty 120 calories for a mere 30mg of polyphenols/plant sterols. By contrast, just 11 calories of green leafy lettuce gets you about the same amount of polyphenols/plant sterols.

This olive oil nutrition chart compares the nutrients in olive oil with the nutrients in green leafy lettuce.

And so much more. to open a chart comparing the nutrients in the same number of calories from green leafy lettuce and olive oil. Keep in mind, too, what mountains of research over the past several decades have told us. Consistently, the foods linked with healthier, longer, disease-free lives are foods rich in all kinds of nutrients vitamins, minerals, fiber, polyphenols, beta carotene, and so on. Yes, foods like leafy greens. Olive oil, by comparison, tallies up a whole lot of zeros.

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Mono Vs Saturated Fats

What is even more surprising is that the monounsaturated-fat-rich diet and saturated-fat-rich diet were equally damaging. The monkeys fed monounsaturated fat developed equivalent amounts of coronary artery atherosclerosis as those fed saturated fat, wrote Dr. Lawrence Rudel and colleagues at Bowman Gray School of Medicine at Wake Forest University in WinstonSalem, North Carolina.

The point here is, weve got to look beyond blood lipids. Weve got to examine exactly what happens to our arteries, asserts Kimberly Gomer, MS, RD, LDN, Director of Nutrition at the Pritikin Longevity Center in Miami, Florida.

As this very important long-term study on monkeys demonstrates, better blood lipids do not necessarily lead to better arteries. Though the monkeys on the mono-fat-rich diet had lower LDLs and higher HDLs than the monkeys on the sat-fat-rich diet, they ended up with the same amount of damage to their arteries.

In a review, Dr. Rudel warned that the science supporting claims that monounsaturated fats are heart protective is weak, based largely on population studies, not controlled trials. Moreover, these claims are questioned by the demonstrated detrimental effects on atherosclerosis in animal models.

Is olive oil better than butter? Yes, foods rich in monounsaturated fats like olive oil may be better than foods full of saturated and trans fats, but just because something is better does not mean it is good for you.

The Verdict Is In The Fda Has Spoken

Scientific data reviewed by the FDA shows that replacing saturated fatty acids with their monounsaturated counterparts reduces total levels of LDL cholesterol.

In addition, the European Food Safety Authority stated that by consuming olive oil high in phenolic content daily, such as Hydroxytyrosol and derivatives, people can prevent bad cholesterol oxidation, and in turn, stop atherosclerotic plaque formation from occurring in blood vessels. All of this while lowering the chances of cardiovascular disease .

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Olive Oil Bad For Your Heart

Unfortunately, we’ve grown used to this kind of dietary flip-flop. Many Americans have begun to wonder if even the experts know what they’re talking about. One day margarine is good for you, the next it’s bad. One day vitamin E protects against heart disease, the next it offers no benefit at all. Now it’s olive oil’s turn.

Vogel tested the effects of three different meals on a group of 10 volunteers who had normal cholesterol levels. One meal consisted of canola oil and bread. Another was olive oil and bread. The third meal was a piece of salmon. All three meals contained 50 grams of fat.

But their effect on blood vessels was very different. Before and again three hours after each meal, Vogel’s team measured constriction of the volunteers’ arteries. Sharp constriction can injure the inner lining of blood vessels, according to Vogel.

The arteries didn’t constrict much after the salmon meal. After the meal containing canola oil, they constricted slightly, reducing blood flow by 11%. After the olive oil and bread combination, however, blood flow plummeted 34% — exactly the effect that Vogel had seen in previous research after volunteers ate a Big Mac with fries.

Sardines And Cholesterol Risk

Because sardines are of animal origin, they contain some cholesterol. One 3-oz. serving of sardines canned in oil contains 121 mg of cholesterol. By comparison, 3 oz. of canned shrimp has 214 mg of cholesterol. The saturated fat content of a 3-oz. serving of sardines is 1.30 g. Sardines have no trans fat. For a low cholesterol diet, the National Institutes of Health recommends reducing cholesterol intake to less than 200 mg per day and obtaining less than 7 percent of calories from saturated fat. For a 2,000-calorie-per-day diet, that means limiting saturated fat intake to 13 g or less per day.

• Because sardines are of animal origin, they contain some cholesterol.
• serving of sardines canned in oil contains 121 mg of cholesterol.

By Neecey

If you want one of the healthiest proteins with a whole slew of other nutritional benefits, the item you should be putting in your grocery cart every week is tuna. Fish is good for us and we really should eat more of it and tuna is one of the very best choices. Want to know why?

Prevents Cell Membrane Damage

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Is The Cholesterol Found In Canned Tuna Fish Healthy

Fact Checked

Asking whether the cholesterol in a food is healthy is missing the point when it comes to dietary cholesterol 2. Its not the cholesterol in a food, but the ability of a food to stimulate your bodys production of its own cholesterol, thats primarily responsible for your cholesterol levels 2. The fats and oils in canned tuna will stimulate that production.

Kidney Stones And Gallstones Claims

Your dietary habits can play a crucial role in the formation of kidney stones and gallstones. A low intake of vitamin C and a high intake of saturated fats are known to contribute to these conditions .

Gallstones are solidified deposits of digestive fluids and cholesterol that develop in the gallbladder. Depending on the size and location of the gallstones, you may or may not experience any symptoms.

Some sources have suggested that some people use a combination of lemon juice and olive oil to promote the movement of gallstones as a folk remedy. However, theres no research to back up this claim.

There are many healthy eating guidelines to help prevent gallstones, including the recommendation to consume healthy fats such as olive oil.

Some evidence suggests that eating healthy fats, such as olive oil, may help prevent gallstones by contracting and emptying the gallbladder on a regular basis (

Overall, the research is limited and older, so more research is needed.

Summary

The vitamin C in lemon juice and the MUFAs in olive oil may protect against gallstones. However, research observing their effectiveness for weight loss, cleanses, and detoxes is limited. No studies examine the combined effects of these foods.

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Shopping For Olive Oil

Not all olive oils are created equal. A better oil will add more flavor to your food. The main types of olive oil are:

• Extra Virgin Olive OilSometimes described as cold pressed or first press, extra virgin olive oil has the lowest acidity of all olive oils and meets the highest taste and aroma standards. It also has the greatest cholesterol-lowering benefits and the most antioxidants.
• Regular Olive Oil Sometimes described as pure, this is a blend of refined olive oil and extra virgin olive oil. The process of refining removes color, taste, and some of the nutrients.
• Light Olive Oil or Extra Light Olive Oil No, they dont have fewer calories. These are a blend of refined oil and just enough extra virgin oil to give them a lightor extra lightflavor and color.

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.

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Olive Oil For Cardiovascular Disease

It’s 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 that’s linked to prevention of heart disease is olive oil. The oil’s 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.