By eDiets Staff
Olive oil has been considered healthy for many years, but now researchers think they have pinpointed the ingredient responsible for its benefits.
Researchers tested the effects of eating a meal with bread and olive oil; they found that people's blood vessels appeared healthier, which may be a result of the phenolic compounds in olive oil.
Phenolics are plant-based compounds that are believed to have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-clotting properties. They are found in higher concentrations in less-processed oils. Researchers say their results suggest virgin olive oil may be better for the heart than seed oils because it is a natural juice that doesn't go through the processing needed to extract oil from seeds, such as sunflowers and soybeans. Therefore, the oil retains more of its original nutrients.
"It could be that the beneficial effect of the Mediterranean diet on cardiovascular disease and arteriosclerosis depends on the synergistic effects of the different nutrients that constitute complete foods and, as an example, virgin olive oil is more than fat because it is a real juice with other healthy micronutrients," says researcher Francisco Perez Jimenez, MD, from the Reina Sofia University Hospital in Cordoba, Spain.
In the study, which appeared in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, researchers compared the effects on blood-vessel function from consuming virgin olive oil high in phenolics versus consuming olive oil stripped of most of its phenolics.
Although more studies are needed to confirm these results, experts say the findings suggest that even a very small change in diet, such as using olive oil rich in phenolic compounds, may have a significant effect in reducing the risk of atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) and heart disease.
Want more information on the heart-healthy Mediterranean Diet? Please see our Mediterranean Diet report card.
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Labels: food, health, healthy, heart-healthy, Mediterranean-diet, nutrition, olive-oil
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