Last week we saw how the low-fat diet was popularized.  Most importantly, how sugar and carbs increased to make the low-fat diet palatable.

To make matters worse, the “criminalization” of fat meant that we ignored the important role it plays in health, and this is certainly true when it comes to heart disease.  Recent research is reversing this thinking. 

In a large Spanish study a low fat diet was compared to two Mediterranean diets.  One supplemented with walnuts and one supplemented with 1 liter of Olive Oil/week, which is 9.5 Tablespoons of olive oil/day! 

The Mediterranean diet plus nuts was superior to the low fat diet, but the Mediterranean diet plus the olive oil was superior to both!  The conclusion of the study?  Nuts and olive oil reduce cardiovascular risk. 

What should you to do? 

Add unprocessed nuts and olive oil to your heart healthy diet.

Later, results from another study indicated that consumption of olive oil (specifically extra-virgin) is “associated with reduced cardiovascular disease and mortality in individuals at high cardiovascular risk.”

Why is olive oil that is so protective?  Because it is rich in Vitamin E and polyphenols.  While these act as anti-oxidants, the polyphenols in olive oil have been shown to reduce blood pressure, and show improvements in HDL.

What should you to do? 

Add extra virgin olive oil to anything, be generous!  Especially add it cold over any vegetable, salad, or entrées.

Want to learn more about olive oil?   Come talk to me across from the cafeteria!

Mary Lou Block
Registered Dietician