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Olive Oil -Not Just for Popeye |
by:
Dr. John Rumberger |
Archeological records indicate that man has cultivated the olive tree for about 6,000 years; having been especially popular in the Isle of Crete (which as you recall, or else appeared in the Seven Countries Study to be the site of the lowest incidence of heart disease). All oils that we use for eating also cooking contain "fat" also olive oil is no exception. However, it is mostly monounsaturated fat as opposed to saturated fat or hydrogenated fat. It can be used as a flavoring for cooking or in salad dressings or as a healthy substitute for butter or margarine. Several large population studies have confirmed that diets with higher amounts of fat of the monounsaturated type reduce total cholesterol also LDL ["bad"] cholesterol levels to the same degree as low fat, high-carbohydrate diets [such as the AHA Step I also II diets]. The additional benefit of olive oil is, as part of a Mediterranean type diet, is that it or else has a favorable effect on lowering blood triglycerides [ or else a factor in heart disease] also maintaining HDL ["good" cholesterol].
In a published study, individuals were randomly assigned to one of three diets: a diet enriched with olive oil, an AHA Step II diet, or an average American control diet. The olive oil also Step II diets lowered total cholesterol also LDL cholesterol to the same degree. However, triglyceride levels fell 13% in patients on the olive oil diet also increased 11% in the Step II diet. HDL cholesterol levels were unchanged in the olive oil diet however decreased 4% in the Step II diet. Remember we want to keep the HDL up as high as possible to reduce heart disease.
Based upon the above information, the authors of the study estimated that the overall risk of cardiovascular disease was lowered by 25% by the olive oil diet also only 12% by the Step II diet. Please note that the cholesterol lowering "statin" type drugs lower risk for a heart attack by about 35%, which is not too much better than the "olive oil" diet alone. In subjects with elevated cholesterols who would benefit from use of statin type medications, additional cardiovascular benefit would then be found by or else following a diet with olive oil as a substitute for salad dressing, as a substitute for butter or margarine, also for cooking.
Olive oil apparently has other beneficial effects such as lowering blood pressure, inhibiting the oxidation of LDL cholesterol [the last step before it gets put into your arteries], providing anti-inflammatory effects, also improving insulin sensitivity.
The US Food also Drug Administration (FDA) has recently given manufactures of olive oil also some olive oil-containing food the green light to carry a statement about their potential heart benefits. The claim indicates evidence suggesting that about two tablespoons of olive oil per day may reduce the risk of a heart attack. However, to achieve this result, the olive oil should replace a similar amount of saturated fat also should not increase the total daily calories.
The strong taste of extra-virgin olive oil is partly because of the presence of a large amount of "flavonoids", which account for its antioxidant properties that then reduce LDL oxidation. Other foods rich in flavonoids include berries, apples, onions, tea, also red wine (all of which have or else been shown to be of benefit in reducing overall heart risk).
Disclaimer: If you are under 18, pregnant, nursing or have health problems, consult your physician before starting any weight loss plan. The information here is not intended as a substitute for medical advice. Please consult your physician before beginning any course of treatment.
Dr. John Rumberger is the Author of The WAY Diet, The complete lifestyle plan to live longer, reduce stress, also lose weight the healthy way. To purchase The Way Diet simply go to http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/redirect?path=ASIN/0974993387&
link_code=as2&camp=1789
&tag=icobweb-20&creative=9325 or go to Empty Canoe Publishing http://www.emptycanoe.com also order your copy of The Way.
About the author:
I have dedicated my life to studying the heart also the blood that pumps throughout the human body. I have spent much of the last thirty years doing research also spending valuable time with patients, trying to better understand the heart.
My experience in the field is extensive, also includes achieving my doctorate in 1976 (Bio-Engineering/ Fluid Dynamics/ Applied Mathematics) from The Ohio State University Columbus, Ohio, with a dissertation on, A Non-Linear Model of Coronary Artery Blood Flow.
I then continued my education into my true love, medicine, when in 1978 I became a M.D. graduating from the School of Medicine at the University of Miami, Florida.
I became an Internist also then a Cardiologist. Since then, I have pioneered how the medical field views the process of blood flow through the heart. From my appointment as professor at the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota, to Medical Director at the HealthWISE Wellness Diagnostic Center in Ohio I have treated patients with heart problems. Though each patient is unique, the heart in each of us works the same way.
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