Is Olive Oil Healthy?

What does science say about Olive Oil...

Is the hype around the health benefits of olive oil really true?

Is the ‘extra virgin’ olive oil in fact healthy or does the fat content in it overpower its health benefits?

The notions around this belief are quite complicated, but here is my perspective…

Olive oil is absolutely packed with antioxidants. These antioxidants in olive oil' have long been thought to protect the body against cellular damage, which may lead to various health problems and illnesses.

Furthermore, because it undergoes the least processing, extra virgin olive oil, which has a bitter flavor, is considered to have more antioxidants than other varieties.

However, although olive oil is healthy in comparison to other types of fat oils, it is still not the best idea to consume it on a regular basis or make it part of your daily diet routine.

Here is why…

A faucet does not exist on olives or an olive tree to naturally take out the oil. Olive oil, in other terms, is not a natural product.

The process of extracting olive oil is similar to that of extracting sugar. To make sugar, you take sugarcane and remove all of its fiber, pulp, and natural components, leaving only the sugar, which is then referred to as the refined product.

In a similar method, olive oil is extracted. You take tens of thousands of olives, remove all of the beneficial fiber and pulp, and you're left with the olive oil you consume.

This extracted olive oil is although better than chicken fat and other fat oils, it is not perfect because of its saturated fat component. This saturated fat component of the oil is known to raise cholesterol levels and is also linked to Alzheimer's disease.

The saturated fat content may be lesser as it is 30% for chicken fat and 14% for olive oil fat. However, if you replace this oil completely with water while cooking and just sauté your food with water, the fat content that you consume is 0%.

What does science say?

Olive oil is studied extensively due to its supposed benefits on a Mediterranean diet. We do fail to understand however, that the Mediterranean diet is also healthy because it includes essential food groups like lentils/ pulses/ vegetables/ fruits and leafy greens.

So could it be that the beneficial components of a Mediterranean diet overpower the negative effects of Olive oil? We need to look at studies that solely test for Olive oil and arterial function.

One study called “The postprandial effect of components of the Mediterranean diet on endothelial function” tested just that. The study showed that even extra virgin Olive Oil significantly impaired arterial function.

The bottom line to this argument is, olive oil is way better than chicken fat. But, if you’re trying to lose weight, olive oil is in fact as fattening as any other fat.

Additionally, if you’re dealing with any hormonal issue like hot flashes or pre- diabetes, getting any kind of fat out of your diet is the best option.

Trust this helps,

Roshni Sanghvi.