More Sonoma Diet Powerhouse Foods: Olive Oil

In addition to its health benefits, olive oil has a rich and pleasing flavor which makes it an easy diet switch for most people. Try dipping a chunk of crusty bread in olive oil instead of smearing it with margarine or butter. Drizzle a little balsamic vinegar into a thin puddle of olive oil and sprinkle on some herbs first. As they say in Italian “Buonissimo!”



Olive oil has 126 calories per tablespoon. It is all fat after all. But remember that your body does require a small amount of fat. Olive oil not only meets your body’s need for fat, but provides other major health benefits.



Olive oil is monounsaturated and lowers LDL cholesterol, reducing you risk for heart disease. Most other oils and fats are saturated and raise LDL cholesterol. Not only has olive oil been shown to reduce risk of heart disease, but there are also studies which correlate consumption of olive oil as the primary dietary fat with reduced risk of atherosclerosis, diabetes, asthma, colon cancer, breast cancer and arthritis.



It seems that olive oil’s health benefits are not only due to its monounsaturated composition but also to its high concentration of antioxidants, including polyphenols. As well, polyphenols have anti-inflammatory and anticoagulant actions which may account for the reduction in cancer risk.



“Buon appetito e buona salute”!



Tags: olive oil for health, monounsaturated fat, olive oil and disease prevention