A healthy Mediterranean diet takes more than olive oil, but then, there is no such thing as a Mediterranean diet without olive oil either.
Olive oil is a monounsaturated fat that has the effect of lowering “bad†LDL cholesterol without affecting the “good†HDL cholesterol. High consumption of polyunsaturated fats, such as sunflower, corn and soya lower both the LDL and HDL cholesterol; while saturated fats, in meat, butter, cream, cocoa butter, palm and coconut oil, raise the level of LDLs.
Olive oil is also rich in antioxidants, which prevents cholesterol in the blood from oxidising and doing damage to arteries. Extra virgin olive oil has 30 to 40 different antioxidants.
Studies in Greece and Spain have shown olive oil has a protective effect against breast cancer – the Greek study also showed breast cancer was less likely amongst those who consumed lots of fruit and vegetables.
As fat carries flavour, olive oil helps many other health foods go down – about 50% of the olive oil in Mediterranean diets is used as a cooking medium.
Olive oil is still a fat, but the body is not nearly as good at storing the fatty acids from olive oil as it is at “taking on†the fat in meat or chocolate.
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