The relationship between extra virgin olive oil and heart health is one of the most extensively studied areas of Mediterranean nutrition.
Its potential cardiovascular value may involve:
- replacing saturated fats,
- supporting a healthier blood-lipid profile,
- reducing the susceptibility of blood lipids to oxidative damage,
- supporting blood-vessel function,
- contributing phenolic compounds,
- helping people maintain a healthier dietary pattern.
However, olive oil should not be viewed in isolation.
Research into Mediterranean diets usually examines an entire way of eating that may include:
- more vegetables,
- more pulses,
- more nuts,
- more fish,
- fewer heavily processed foods,
- less saturated fat,
- regular use of extra virgin olive oil.
This means that taking a spoonful of olive oil does not guarantee protection from heart attack or stroke.
Olive oil is part of a system.
The heart does not experience olive oil as a marketing claim. It experiences the long-term effects of thousands of meals.
It may help protect blood lipids from oxidative stress
Cholesterol is often discussed as though it were a single substance that is either good or bad. In reality, the situation is more complex.
Low-density lipoprotein, commonly called LDL, transports cholesterol in the blood. Oxidative modification of LDL is one process involved in the development of atherosclerosis.
Olive-oil phenolic compounds have attracted scientific interest because they may help protect blood lipids from oxidative stress.
For consumers, this means two things:
- polyphenol content matters,
- vague statements such as “rich in antioxidants” should not automatically be treated as proof of a medical effect.
Not every extra virgin olive oil contains the same level of phenolic compounds.
The quantity may be affected by:
- olive variety,
- harvesting time,
- extraction method,
- storage conditions,
- exposure to oxygen,
- exposure to light,
- temperature,
- the age of the oil.
Freshness and storage therefore matter.
It can help the body use nutrients from vegetables
Vegetables contain valuable compounds, but eating them is only the first stage. Nutrients must also be released from the food and absorbed by the body.
Some nutrients and plant compounds are fat-soluble. These include:
- vitamins A, D, E and K,
- beta-carotene,
- lycopene,
- lutein,
- other carotenoids.
Adding a reasonable amount of olive oil to vegetables can support the absorption of some fat-soluble compounds.
This is one reason traditional combinations make nutritional sense:
- tomatoes with olive oil,
- carrots with olive oil,
- roasted peppers with olive oil,
- leafy vegetables dressed with olive oil,
- pumpkin or squash with olive oil.
The olive oil is not creating the nutrients. It is helping create a meal in which vegetables can be enjoyed and their fat-soluble components may be more effectively absorbed.
This also explains why a completely fat-free salad is not always the nutritional ideal that people imagine it to be.
A bowl of vegetables can be nutritious.
A well-composed bowl of vegetables may allow the body to make better use of what it contains.