I got an email from a listener about olive oil. The email implied that ALL fat is bad. It is generally not reasonable to make sweeping assessments like this. I spent all of 25 seconds searching “olive oil” at the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition to find this article on olive oil, the Mediterranean Diet, and blood pressure.
I’m not going to argue that people should drink olive oil by the glass full. But, olive oil used in place of other less healthy fats, like saturated fat from animals and trans fat, seems to be beneficial for health when done in moderation. Olive oil has monounsaturated fat, polyunsaturated fat and, yes, it also contains some saturated fat. But, like all plant foods, olive oil is rich in other nutrients besides just fat that appear to promote health. Labeling ALL fat as bad is probably not correct.
Anyway – check out the article – there are lots of articles on olive oil, and no doubt some negative ones. Olive oil is indeed a fat and as such it carries a lot of calories, so use it in moderation, especially if you’re trying to lose weight.
As always, ask your doctor what she thinks about olive oil in your diet.
One last word: It seems that extra virgin olive oil is the kind to pick.
Monte
