Benefits of Olive Oil

I love it! A simple, easy-does-it way to improve your health and energy level. I made this switch 3 or 4 years ago and have never looked back. You can start today ...

This information is from the article "Accolades for Olive Oil" found at
http://www.realage.com/news_features/tip.aspx?dat=12_3_2007

Starting an olive oil habit could be as healthful as kicking a
smoking habit. And the proof is in your urine.
Microscopic substances in your urine reveal how well your body is
defending against everyday cancer-causing cell damage. Think of the
substances as shrapnel -- too much means your body is taking some
serious hits. Enter olive oil. In a study, men who upped their intake
had less of the damage-signaling shrapnel in their urine samples. How
much less? The drop was similar to what smokers experience when they
quit. Now that's some potent oil.

Olive oil is full of good-for-you substances. So which one is
responsible for the cancer-fighting effects? Until this recent study,
researchers suspected it was the phenolic compounds in the oil;
phenols have antioxidant (read anticancer) properties. But the
phenolic content of the oils seemed to have little impact in this
study. Three different types of oil with varying amounts of phenolic
compounds were tested, and the type made little difference in the
amount of cell-damage markers found in urine samples. Researchers
suspect there is something anti carcinogenic about monounsaturated
fat, in and of itself.

Which would mean that olive oil, rich in monounsaturated fat, is not
only a heart helper but may also deter cancer. That helps explain
why, compared to Northern Europeans, Southern Europeans, whose diets
tend to overflow with the oil, have lower rates of both heart disease
and cancer.

But one caveat to keep in mind: The men in the study didn't add olive
oil to their diets. They used it to replace the fats they normally
consume -- about 5 teaspoons total per day. Use olive oil to chase
out the butters, margarines, and shortenings in your diet so you
don't increase your overall calorie count; if you go overboard on
calories, you're looking at a different set of health problems.



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