Olive Oil Nutrition – What’s Wrong With Olive Oil?

Wondering what to splash into your frying pan has turned into a hot topic that’s left many of us wondering what’s wrong with olive oil? Research questions whether this so-called healthy fat is truly a good idea. While other research suggests olive oil could extend your life. Which is true? Our understanding of how the fats we eat impact our body is expanding, changing our views on how healthy olive oil is. Evidence suggests that olive oil may not necessarily be a healthy choice for all, and it could even be harmful when too much is consumed. Let’s pour over the facts, measure the science, and separate hype from truth to discover how much olive oil, if any, is best for your health.

Is Olive Oil as Healthy as We Believe?

Reconsider pouring olive oil everywhere and splashing it liberally into your frying pan, suggests health experts. Olive oil may not be the healthiest choice for you – eating too much olive oil could have potential adverse effects on the way your body metabolizes fat. Olive oil may also not be as good for your heart as you once imagined or as the headlines say. Come explore the world of olive oil and discover where to find the health answers you’re looking for.

Is Olive Oil Healthier than Butter?

Sometimes the news headlines declare scientists say olive oil is good for you. But, they miss the most important detail: the studies suggest olive oil is healthier, not healthy. There’s a big difference. When olive oil is used as a replacement for saturated fat (butter, mayonnaise) and other less healthy fat sources (margarine), olive oil is a healthier fat. Olive oil is high in monounsaturated fats which are considered to be better for your heart than the saturated fats found in butter, mayonnaise, or the trans fats in margarine. Yet, better does not necessarily mean healthier. For example, despite how crude it may sound, a better cigarette is still unhealthy. Olive oil is healthier than butter, but that doesn’t mean it’s healthy for you – particularly not in large amounts.

Is Olive Oil Good for Longevity?

You may be surprised to learn that the longest living population on the planet does not eat olive oil. The citizens of Okinawa, Japan are the longest living, healthy, and happy population. They have extremely low rates of heart disease. Research into their eating patterns suggests the secret to living to 100 is consuming foods that are rich in fiber and come straight from the earth (whole foods, not processed foods). Interestingly, science agrees that the recipe for longevity is eating foods that are rich in a variety of nutrients, such as whole foods (vegetables, beans, legumes, whole grains, potatoes, berries, fruit, and fish).

Is Olive Oil Heart Healthy?

It is confusing when the olive oil-rich Mediterranean diet is touted as a heart-healthy diet, to not assume olive oil is heart-healthy. However, science shows olive oil is not the star of this eating pattern. Back in the 1950s, when Ancel Keys and fellow scientists observed people living on the isle of Crete had low rates of heart disease, they touted the Mediterranean diet as a heart-healthy way of eating. The people were eating a diet rich in whole, natural foods, such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and beans, plus walked an average of 9 miles each day. Yet, a closer, more in-depth analysis of this heart-healthy lifestyle showed olive oil isn’t the star. The large Greek EPIC study followed over 23,000 people for more than 8 years, to find which part of the Mediterranean diet had the biggest health benefits. The high vegetable, low meat intake, and moderate alcohol consumption were the true heart-healthy factors. Only 11% of the benefit from eating a Mediterranean diet was attributed to a high ratio of monounsaturated to saturated fats.

Is It Healthy to Eat Olive Oil Every Day?

No matter which type of fat you eat, consuming a lot is unhealthy, shows research. There’s a negative impact of a high-fat diet on your health, according to research. Researchers fed mice two diets, one high in buttermilk and another high in olive oil. Both of the high-fat diets negatively altered how the body metabolized fat and sugar. Both insulin resistance and fatty liver disease developed.

Is Olive Oil Good for Lowering Cholesterol?

The problem with cholesterol is it can contribute to plaque formation and cardiovascular disease. As with most things in the human body, the answer as to whether olive oil lowers cholesterol is complicated and varies based on your unique health goals. Yes, some research studies show potential benefits of a high phenolic acid olive oil in people who have cardiovascular disease. However, that’s not likely the oil you’re eating. Plus, most kitchens liberally use olive oil and other oils, which has been shown in research studies to increase your risk of having high cholesterol and other cardiometabolic disorders.

Olive Oil Won’t Protect You from a Heart Attack

Eating olive oil won’t protect you from a heart attack, suggests research. An olive oil-rich diet didn’t appear to help reduce the thickness of plaque in a study. In fact, eating a lot of olive oil may even be a problem: when scientists fed monkeys a monounsaturated fat-rich diet for 5 years, the monkeys developed extensive atherosclerotic plaques in their coronary arteries. Scientists are looking at the monounsaturated fat oleic acid (about 78% of olive oil is oleic acid). Research suggests that eating oleic acid causes an increase in the amount of chylomicrons in the bloodstream. Chylomicrons are cholesterol remnants that are known to contribute to the growth of cholesterol-filled plaques. These cholesterol remnants can be dangerous as shown by a study at the University of Copenhagen. The researchers followed the health of nearly 12,000 people with established coronary heart disease. The scientists found a 3-fold greater risk of coronary heart disease event for each 1 mmol (38.7mg/dl) increase in the non-fasting remnant.

Is Olive Oil a Blood Thinner?

Eating any high-fat meal impairs blood flow, explaining why many find angina pain increases a few hours after a fatty feast. Olive oil does not appear to be different than other fats: when research looked at olive oil’s effect on the lining of the blood vessels, it negatively interfered with how the endothelial functioned (tissue that lines the arteries).

Does Olive Oil Cause Inflammation?

“More research is needed, but there appears to be a link between the fats you eat, inflammation in your body, and heart health. Inflammation inflames the arteries and heightens the risk of plaque rupture and heart attacks. It may be time to question diets with 20 to 35% fat for people with cardiovascular disease or type 2 diabetes”, comments Kara Burnstine, a Registered Dietician and Certified Diabetes Care and Education Specialist at The Pritikin Center. Diets high in fat increase acute and chronic low-grade inflammation in the body. A study conducted at the University of Kentucky demonstrated that when animals ate a high-fat diet it increased inflammation. The high-fat meal promoted the absorption of lipopolysaccharides (LPS) from the cell membranes of harmful bacteria in the gut, which are toxic and trigger inflammation. If eating a high-fat meal triggers inflammation it’s concerning: inflammation is linked to cardiovascular disease, insulin resistance, and type 2 diabetes. Of note, olive oil contains more than fat: the polyphenols and phenolic acids in olive oil can decrease inflammation, according to research studies.

What’s Wrong with Olive Oil?

The problem is, if you’re relying on olive oil for your polyphenols and plant sterols, you’ve got to eat a lot more calories to get a decent amount of these phytochemicals. Eating a lot of calories is not what most Americans, with our high epidemic rates of obesity, need. By contrast, you can get the same amount of polyphenols and plant sterols by eating just 11 calories of green leafy lettuce as you can from olive oil. Plus, those lettuce leaves offer a far superior array of nutrients to support your health than olive oil. Its impressive what leaves contain! Click Here to open a chart comparing the nutrients in the same number of calories from green leafy lettuce. Olive oil isn’t the star of your plate.

Is Olive Oil Fattening?

Like all oils and fats, adding olive oil to any food or meal will dramatically increase its calorie density, as just two tablespoons contain 240 calories. “That’s a big problem,” remarks Kara, “because several studies have shown that increasing the calorie density of the diet by increasing the fat content increases the “total” amount of calories people tend to consume at each meal before they get up from the table, feeling full.î Consuming a lot of olive oil (or any other fat) can easily lead to weight gain and obesity, which leads us straight to poor heart-health. That’s because weight gain increases insulin resistance in many people and leads to a variety of metabolic changes that promote heart disease, including higher levels of cholesterol and triglycerides, as well as higher levels of markers linked with chronic inflammation.

Which Fat is Good for the Heart?

If looking for a good fat to include in your food preparation there are many reasons to include a little bit of extra virgin olive oil, with studies suggesting it may have some anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, gut health, and neurological benefits. However, there is one group of fats worth adding into your meals for its cardioprotective effect: “Fish have omega-3 fatty acids which have been shown to be beneficial to cardiovascular health,” explains Registered Dietician, Lon Ben Asher of The Pritikin Center. A published review of research concluded that increasing the intake of omega 3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA) causes the amount of bad fat (triglycerides) to decline in the body. Of note, only certain fish are high in omega-3 fatty acids (salmon, mackerel, anchovies, tuna). Lon helps Pritikin Guests learn where to find these types of fats, how to shop for them, prepare them, and include them in your everyday eating plan through a series of small group seminars. Plus, how to design an eating plan that works for your health goals. “You want to limit your animal meat intake, as they contain saturated fats, which increases our non-HDL and LDL (the bad fats). The more saturated fat people consume, the greater risk of heart disease.” The Pritikin Eating Plan is proven†to help you lower your triglyceride levels naturally.

How Can I Improve My Heart Health Fast?

There’s growing evidence that a delicate intricacy exists between the fats we eat and their impact on our blood lipids and arteries. Learning more about what science knows is a healthy lifestyle that promotes heart health is the best way to improve your heart health fast and enjoy longevity. “Things that have high sugar, high salt, and high fat – are not good for longevity,” explains Dr. Danine Fruge of The Pritikin Center in a LiveStrong interview. At The Pritikin Center, in Miami, Florida, Dr. Fruge and the extensive team of doctors and health experts believe that by helping guests learn about their unique health needs, they can create a plan that will work, and develop the skills and confidence to establish lifelong healthy habits.

It’s impressive how fast health improves during a stay at the Center, doing the Pritikin Longevity Program*. In fact, across the United States, cardiac rehabilitation programs are using the heart-healthy lifestyle plan created by Pritikin experts. Over 100 clinical studies show using the Pritikin Eating Plan, and lifestyle strategies, people are able to improve their health (lower cholesterol, blood pressure, reduce the need for medication) within weeks.

Should I Eat Olive Oil?

During a stay at The Pritikin Center, you get to work with your team of Pritikin experts, create an eating plan that supports your unique body and health goals, plus determine if olive oil is a healthy choice for you. For some individuals, as part of an eating plan that is rich in whole plants (vegetables, legumes, beans, whole grains), extra virgin olive oil may be a good choice in small amounts, and not heated*. According to a 2022 study, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, replacing margarine, butter, mayonnaise, and other dairy fat with olive oil is associated with lower risk of mortality. Just a little goes a long way ñ the study found only 1 teaspoon of olive oil a day was needed to potentially extend your life.

*Caution: the potential nutritional benefits of polyphenols in olive oil may decline when it is heated, as well as when it is processed, such as in the creation of lower grades of olive oil.

REFERENCES

• Olive oil consumption and its repercussions on lipid metabolism. Nutr Rev 2020 Nov 1;78(11): 952-968.
• Virgin Olive Oil and Health: Summary of the III International Conference on virgin olive oil and health consensus report, JAEN (Spain) 2018. Nutrients 2019 Sep; 11(9): 2039.
• The secrets of the Mediterranean Diet. Does [only] olive oil matter? Nutrients 2019 Dec, 11(12): 2941.
• Mediterranean diet and life expectancy; beyond olive oil, fruits and vegetables. Curr Opin Clin Nutr Metab Care 2016 Nov 19(6): 401-407.
• Exchanging dietary fat source with extra virgin olive oil does not prevent progression of diet-induced non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and insulin resistance. PLoS One 2020; 15(9): e0237946.
• Marine omega-3 (n-3) fatty acids for cardiovascular health: an update for 2020. Int J Mol Sci 2020 Feb 18; 21(4):1362.
• Effects of high phenolic olive oil on cardiovascular risk factors: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Phytomedicine 2015 Jun 1; 22(6): 631-40.
• The postprandial effect of components of the Mediterranean diet on endothelial function. J Am Coll Cardiol 2000 Nov 1; 36(5): 1455-60.
• Effects of olive oil and its minor components on cardiovascular diseases, inflammation and gut microbiota. Nutrients 2019 Aug; 11(8): 1826.
• Consumption of olive oil and risk of total and cause-specific mortality among U.S. adults. J Am Coll Cardio 2022 Jan, 79(2): 101-112.