Thursday 14 March 2013

olive oil is NOT a health food .. that's what they say in this article !

"Olive oil is not a whole food – it is a processed food, consisting of 100% fat. All oil is fattening at 120 calories per tablespoon. Olive oil is not a heart healthy food – its high content of monounsaturated fats simply makes it less harmful than saturated or trans fats. However, it still is 14 percent saturated fat, but this is why consuming olive oil instead of animal fats which are much higher in saturated fats, can reduce LDL cholesterol (from the reduction in saturated fat).

The epidemiological studies on Mediterranean populations cite the increased monounsaturated fats and decreased saturated fats as a likely causal factor in the decreased cardiovascular death rate in this region.2 The LDL lowering properties are primarily the result of replacing saturated fat with monounsaturated fats. When olive oil is substituted for animal fats, benefits occur because you are omitting more dangerous fats. Olive oil in itself, though, is not health-promoting.

Olive oil is deficient in nutrients - the vitamin and mineral content of olive oil is very small due to the discarding of the protein during extraction, which contain a significant portion of the sterols anit-oxidants and protein-bound fibers. The beneficial micronutrients that do remain in the olive oil, like some plant sterols, are plentiful in other foods that are less calorically dense. Although there are a few beneficial nutrients in olive oil, all oils are so calorie-dense and these calories add up quickly, promoting weight gain. Weight gain raises cholesterol, and increases one’s risk of heart disease and cancer.

Plus, we want to utilize high nutrient fats in our diet, not low nutrient fats. Seeds and nuts (not their oils) are rich in fat, but have powerful disease-protective properties. A very low fat diet that does not include any nuts and seeds or any fatty foods can be harmful, promoting irregular heartbeats and cardiac arrhythmias in some people. Since raw nuts and seeds have been linked to reduced cholesterol levels and dramatic protection against sudden cardiac death, by reducing or eliminating oils and in their place using raw seeds and nuts, in dressings and dips, we can have a dramatic effect at reducing cardiovascular disease risk. These foods are essential for optimum health.

Plus, we can consume significantly fewer calories and get the a much higher micronutrient value from nuts and seeds compared to olive oil – nuts contain about 40-50 calories per tablespoon, compared to 120 calories for olive oil. The overall goal is not to eat a very low fat diet, but to eat an assortment of health-promoting foods and get the maximum number of nutrients per calorie.

Olive oil simply contains too many calories and too few nutrients, and if used, it should be only be in very small quantities." - Dr. Fuhrman

Read more & find references here: http://bit.ly/MWYxHf
"Olive oil is not a whole food – it is a processed food, consisting of 100% fat. All oil is fattening at 120 calories per tablespoon. Olive oil is not a heart healthy food – its high content of monounsaturated fats simply makes it less harmful than saturated or trans fats. However, it still is 14 percent saturated fat, but this is why consuming olive oil instead of animal fats which are much higher in saturated fats, can reduce LDL cholesterol (from the reduction in saturated fat). 

The epidemiological studies on Mediterranean populations cite the increased monounsaturated fats and decreased saturated fats as a likely causal factor in the decreased cardiovascular death rate in this region.2 The LDL lowering properties are primarily the result of replacing saturated fat with monounsaturated fats. When olive oil is substituted for animal fats, benefits occur because you are omitting more dangerous fats. Olive oil in itself, though, is not health-promoting.

Olive oil is deficient in nutrients - the vitamin and mineral content of olive oil is very small due to the discarding of the protein during extraction, which contain a significant portion of the sterols anit-oxidants and protein-bound fibers. The beneficial micronutrients that do remain in the olive oil, like some plant sterols, are plentiful in other foods that are less calorically dense. Although there are a few beneficial nutrients in olive oil, all oils are so calorie-dense and these calories add up quickly, promoting weight gain. Weight gain raises cholesterol, and increases one’s risk of heart disease and cancer. 

Plus, we want to utilize high nutrient fats in our diet, not low nutrient fats. Seeds and nuts (not their oils) are rich in fat, but have powerful disease-protective properties. A very low fat diet that does not include any nuts and seeds or any fatty foods can be harmful, promoting irregular heartbeats and cardiac arrhythmias in some people. Since raw nuts and seeds have been linked to reduced cholesterol levels and dramatic protection against sudden cardiac death, by reducing or eliminating oils and in their place using raw seeds and nuts, in dressings and dips, we can have a dramatic effect at reducing cardiovascular disease risk. These foods are essential for optimum health. 

Plus, we can consume significantly fewer calories and get the a much higher micronutrient value from nuts and seeds compared to olive oil – nuts contain about 40-50 calories per tablespoon, compared to 120 calories for olive oil. The overall goal is not to eat a very low fat diet, but to eat an assortment of health-promoting foods and get the maximum number of nutrients per calorie. 

Olive oil simply contains too many calories and too few nutrients, and if used, it should be only be in very small quantities." - Dr. Fuhrman

Read more & find references here: http://bit.ly/MWYxHf

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