Gourmetcook - Cooking & Living

Heart-Healthy Stamp of Approval

 

Most of us have read again and again about the heart-healthy benefits of olive oil, with study after study concluding that it can reduce the risk of coronary heart disease (CHD), the leading cause of death for both men and women in the United States. What people may not be aware of is that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) allows olive oil producers to put a label on their bottles, claiming it to be a heart-healthy product. In 2004, the FDA stated “that consumers may reduce their risk of CHD if they consume monounsaturated fat from olive oil and olive oil-containing foods in place of foods high in saturated fat, while at the same time not increasing the total number of calories consumed daily, ” suggesting “that eating about 2 tablespoons (23 grams) of olive oil daily may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease due to the monounsaturated fat in olive oil.” Monounsaturated fat helps lower the “bad” cholesterol, called LDL. According to the American Heart Association, it not only “helps lower your risk of heart disease and stroke, it also provides nutrients to help develop and maintain your body’s cells...and is also typically high in vitamin E, an antioxidant vitamin most Americans need more of.” Although foods such as avocados and canola oil are high in monounsaturated fat, olive oil is considered one of the richest sources of the fat, with the highest percentage of monounsaturated fat (around 74 percent) of its total fat content.

 

 

Nearly everyday in the news there is a new study either confirming the health benefits we already know about olive oil or finding new reasons why we need to include olive oil in our diets. Here is some of the recent research on the health benefits of olive oil:

 

Breast Cancer: Scientists from the Catalonian Institute of Oncology and the University of Granada (Spain) discovered that the bioactivity of polyphenols (natural antioxidants) found in extra virgin olive oil have the potential to help in the battle against breast cancer. When fractions of phenolic compounds extracted from extra virgin olive oil were tested against the breast cancer gene HER2, the fractions were found to both inhibit the activity of the gene and to promote its degradation. Researchers remarked that the results “endorse the fact that such phytochemicals could be an excellent and safe basis for the design of new antiHER2 compounds.”

Alzheimer’s: Researchers at the Monell Center in Philadelphia discovered that oleocanthal, a naturally occurring compound found in extra virgin olive oil, could help prevent and treat Alzheimer’s disease. The compound changes the structure of neurotoxic proteins (known as ADDLs) that researchers believe contribute to the effects of the disease, such as memory loss, disruption of brain function and cell death, working to stop the protein’s ability to damage brain nerve cells.

 

Anti-Inflammatory: In another study at the Monell Center, scientists also discovered that the oleocanthal found in extra virgin olive oil is a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agent. Sharing the same pharmacological action as ibuprofen, oleocanthal inhibits activity of cyclooxygenase (COX) enzymes. The finding is important because inflammation increasingly is believed to play a crucial role in a variety of chronic diseases. "The Mediterranean diet, of which olive oil is a central component, has long been associated with numerous health benefits, including decreased risk of stroke, heart disease, breast cancer, lung cancer and some dementias. Similar benefits are associated with certain NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory agents), such as aspirin and ibuprofen. Now that we know of oleocanthal's anti-inflammatory properties, it seems plausible that oleocanthal plays a causal role in the health benefits associated with diets where olive oil is the principal source of fat,” remarked Monell sensory scientist Paul Breslin, PhD.

 

Bone Mass: Researchers at the Harokopio University of Athens (Greece) studied whether a Mediterranean diet rich in olive oil, fish and plant foods and low in intake of alcohol, meat and dairy products had an impact on maintaining bone mass in women. The study suggested that following this diet could have a positive impact on bone preservation throughout adult life.

 

Vision: In a study published in the Archives of Ophthalmology, researchers from the Centre for Eye Research Australia studied what role omega-three polyunsaturated fatty acids in the diet had in protecting against the development of late-stage age-related macular degeneration (AMD), the leading cause of severe vision loss for people 65 and older in the developed world. Although fish is one of the best sources of omega-three fatty acids, the study found little association between fish and the prevention of AMD, yet when comparing an individual olive oil intake of 100 milliliters per week verses 1 milliliter per week, there was a significant association, with researchers concluding that a diet low in trans-unsaturated fatty acids and high in omega-three fatty acids and olive oil may help protect against AMD.

Childhood Respiratory Allergies: A study of children between the ages of 7 and 18 years old on the Greek island of Crete found that children who ate a Mediterranean diet that included 12 foodstuffs, such as fruits, vegetables, whole-grains, nuts, legumes and olive oil, were protected against allergic rhinitis and asthma symptoms, as well as skin allergies. Also, the study showed that children who consumed a high amount of margarine doubled their chances of allergic rhinitis and asthma.

 

Depression: According to a report in the Archives of General Psychiatry, following a Mediterranean diet composed of a high ratio of monounsaturated fatty acids to saturated fatty acids, a high intake of legumes, fruit, nuts, cereals, vegetables and fish with a moderate intake of alcohol and dairy products and a low intake of meat, had a reduced risk in developing depression. Researchers from the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and the Clinic of the University of Navarra, Pamplona, Spain, are not sure of the exact reasons for the reduction, but suggested that the diet may aid in reducing risk for heart disease, improve blood vessel function, fight inflammation and repair oxygen-related cell damage, all of which could reduce the risk of developing depression. Researchers stated that “it is plausible that the synergistic combination of a sufficient provision of omega-three fatty acids together with other natural unsaturated fatty acids and antioxidants from olive oil and nuts, flavonoids and other phytochemicals from fruit and other plant foods and large amounts of natural folates and other B vitamins in the overall Mediterranean dietary pattern may exert a fair degree of protection against depression."

 

Curb Hunger: Although fatty foods are often associated with weight gain, a study by UC Irvine pharmacologists demonstrated that foods rich in unsaturated fats, such as olive oil, could in fact curb hunger. The study found that in the small intestine, oleic acid (an unsaturated fatty acid that makes up 55-88 percent of olive oil) is converted into oleoylethanolamide (OEA), a fat derived compound, which sends a message to the brain to stop eating.

 

Longer Life: Past research has found that a Mediterranean diet is associated with longer life, but a recent study, led by Professor Dimitrios Trichopoulos at the Harvard School of Public Health, was the first to research the significance of individual components of the diet and their link to longer life. Along with the benefit of eating more fruits and vegetables and lowering intake of meat and alcohol, the study also stated the importance of combining olive oil consumption with these dietary habits in order to help lead a longer life.