All olive oils are not the same
So you started buying olive oil instead of that over-processed, chemically enhanced, more-or-less useless vegetable oil we've learned isn't so good for us after all. But if you're buying the wrong kind of olive oil then you're wasting your time-and mucking up your heart anyway.
That's right: There's a right and wrong kind of olive oil. And some people are saying that the right kind-virgin olive oil-protects you from heart disease.
First of all, virgin olive oil is actually considered a good, healthy fat (called monounsaturated fatty acid). But that's not the only thing-or the most important thing-making it good for your heart.
In fact, a new study shows that virgin olive oil contains more antioxidants than refined olive oil, which is why it provides more protection for your heart.
You see, olive oil is made by a pressing process, in which the oil is squeezed from the olives in several stages. And virgin oil comes from the first pressing stage, causing it to glean more antioxidants than the refined olive oil, which is made in later pressings. And those antioxidants, called polyphenols, can play a big role in quelling inflammation, a major cause of heart disease.
Recently, a group of researchers decided to compare the effects that olive oils have on heart disease risk factors when consumed at different levels of polyphenols.
The researchers gathered a group of 200 healthy European men, and divided them into three groups. One group ate a tablespoon of virgin olive oil every day for three weeks. Another group received virgin olive oil. And another received a mixture of the two.
Then, two weeks later, the men were retested, but with a different type of oil than they had originally consumed.
When researchers ran a cholesterol check on the men, they found that those who had taken the virgin olive oil had higher levels of "good" cholesterol and lower levels of "bad" cholesterol than those taking more refined oils. And, as you know, cholesterol is a big factor when it comes to predicting and preventing heart disease.
