Go Straight to the Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Using the proper oils for cooking is one of the key components to a heart healthy diet. There are some vegetable oils that are considered healthy, such as olive oil and canola oil, and others that are not, such as corn or the generic vegetable oil. The primary reason for this distinction is the level of saturation in the oils and the likelihood that cooking with them will create trans fatty acids.

Monounsaturated oils such as olive oil are much healthier than saturated cooking oils, such as butter or lard. If one cooks at the correct temperature with these healthy oils, trans fatty acids will not be produced. This is not true for the unhealthy oils.

Monounsaturated oils do not contribute to high LDL, or bad cholesterol, as saturated oils and fats do. They actually have the ability to increase the level of HDL, or good cholesterol, while often lowering the LDL.

Most people use olive oil in their kitchens. It is considered to be the healthiest oil to use at low to moderate temperatures and can be used as a dressing or dip uncooked.
But when we go to the market to buy olive oil, we are faced with a shelf that possesses numerous varieties from extra virgin to virgin, as well as different ages, qualities, and flavors.

According to a study published in the September Annals of Internal Medicine extra virgin olive oil has the greatest health benefits versus its virgin and non-virgin counterparts.

The primary reason for this distinction is the level of antioxidants, special polyphenols that are in extra virgin compared to other olive oil types. The researchers believe that the high levels of polyphenols may be a large factor in the heart healthy image that extra virgin olive oil possesses.

They enrolled 200 healthy men in a study to observe the differences that the three main olive oil types, extra virgin, virgin, and regular, had on cholesterol and oxidative stress markers in the body. The olive oil was to take place of fats in the diet, and was not taken in addition to normal fat intake. Each man consumed the oils for three weeks and results were compared across the board.

The extra virgin olive oil is less processed so naturally it contains higher amounts of the antioxidants where as the virgin and regular undergo levels of processing that strip out the polyphenols.

Compared to the others, extra virgin olive oil was the most heart healthy. The men had higher levels of HDL, or the good cholesterol after consuming extra virgin olive oil compared to the others. They also had lower levels of oxidative stress markers in their blood when compared to the other two olive oil versions.

The authors concluded that olive oil a superior choice for cooking because it is monounsaturated. But the choice to buy extra virgin olive oil is more superior because of the additional benefits naturally occurring polyphenols possess. This study showed that there is a difference between the versions of olive oil, and we should pay attention to that difference at the market if we want to provide the greatest benefit to our hearts.