Reasons to Include Olive Oil in Your Daily Diet

Written by Ofek Laks

 

Now that the holiday season is over and it has come to the beginning of the new year, it is also time to change the way you prepare your meals for the benefit of your long term health, and Lake Country Medical Concierge is here to help! While browsing through your recipe book, every recipe requires some sort of saturated fat to help assemble the dish, for example butter or margarine, but what most do not realize is how switching to using olive oil has huge effects on your health and wellness. Not only is olive oil easy to find on the shelves of your local grocery store, it is not high priced so it enables you to prepare healthier food options while not breaking the bank.

Reduction of Cardiovascular Disease


Cardiovascular Disease has been known to be one of the main sources of mortality in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that “one person dies every 36 seconds” from cardiovascular disease and “about 659,000 people die annually which leads to one in every 4 persons”. These statistics can be gradually decreased by substituting olive oil into your everyday diet. The Journal of the American College of Cardiology (JACC) states that, “approximately half a tablespoon of olive oil may cut risk for CV death and all-cause death by 19%”. In the image below given by the JACC it illustrates the effects on the body when it comes to olive oil intake.

Nutritional Benefits


While olive oil reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, there are also nutritional benefits that can be added to your diet once you switch. Olive oil is simply made from being extracted from olives, so there are no artificial additives being added to the oil. Dr. Chronos recommends the usage of extra virgin olive oil since it is the least processed and is considered the healthiest type of olive oil. Healthline reports that one tablespoon of olive oil is “119 calories, 14% saturated fat of total calories, providing 13% of daily value of Vitamin E, and 7% of daily value of Vitamin K”.

Ways to Include Olive Oil in your daily meals

Olive Oil is very easy to incorporate into your daily diet, simply by switching out butter or margarine. Dr. Chronos recommends including the “Mediterranean Diet” into your daily lifestyle which in the end will help reduce inflammation and cardiovascular disease. CNN Health states that the Mediterranean Diet focuses on “simple cooking featuring fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans, seeds and nuts all with the inclusion of olive oil”. Some examples of food choices that olive oil includes are: marinades, salad dressing,appetizers to eat alongside with bread, and the preparation of meat/vegetables before cooking.

Resources:
https://www.jacc.org/doi/10.1016/j.jacc.2021.10.041
https://www.cnn.com/2022/01/10/health/olive-oil-benefits-wellness/index.html
https://www.cdc.gov/heartdisease/facts.htm
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/extra-virgin-olive-oil#nutrition