Heart Healthy Foods You Should Eat 7
We're a week into my 14 days of Heart Healthy Foods and today I want to talk about Olive oil. This oil is rich in oleic acid, which is an EFA (essential fatty acid) capable of reducing oxidative stress within our bloodstream.
Using olive oil for dressing and cooking food can reduce one’s chances of falling prey to cardiovascular disease. There are many scientific studies that suggest that olive oil helps prevent and treat heart disease. Studies have shown that olive oil offers protection against heart disease by controlling LDL ("bad") cholesterol levels while raising HDL ("good" cholesterol) levels. No other naturally produced oil has as high as a percentage of mono-unsaturated fat as olive oil. It appears that people who consumed about 2 tablespoons - of virgin olive oil daily showed less oxidation of LDL cholesterol and higher levels of anti-oxidant compounds, particularly phenols, in the blood. But while all types of olive oil are sources of mono-unsaturated fat, extra virgin olive oil (and especially the higher quality ones) contains higher levels of anti-oxidants, particularly vitamin E and phenols, because it is less processed.
Make olive oil a part of your diet even if you are looking to lose weight!
