Olive Oil May Boost Blood Vessel Function

[dania]

Olive Oil May Boost Blood Vessel Function
September 4, 2012

Supplementing the diet with olive oil may improve the function of cells lining blood vessels in people with atherosclerosis, says a new study from the U.S. and Italy.

"The current study demonstrates that longer-term supplementation of olive oil improves endothelial function in individuals with low to intermediate cardiovascular risk, an effect likely attributed to reduction in vascular inflammation," they wrote in the European Journal of Nutrition.

"This is the first such demonstration of such a permanent endothelial benefit via long-term supplementation of a macronutrient."

Researchers from the Mayo Clinic and College of Medicine and the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Florence investigated the effects of olive oil supplementation (30 mL per day providing 340 mg/kg polyphenols), with or without added EGCG (providing a total of 600 mg/kg of polyphenols), on the function of the endothelium—the cells lining the surface of the blood vessels.

Endothelial dysfunction is reported to be a predictor of future cardiovascular events in people with high risk of atherosclerosis and heart disease.

The participants all had atherosclerosis, meaning they already had dysfunction of the endothelium. Eighty-two people participated in the double-blind, randomized trial.

Fifty-two people completed the four month study and results showed that olive oil "significantly improved endothelial function," with no significant differences between the groups.

Olive oil was also associated with a "significant reduction in inflammatory parameters," said the researchers. "Interestingly, patients with low endothelial function at baseline appear to garner the most benefit from olive oil," they said.

"Thus, supplementation with olive oil seems a reasonably easy and relatively cheap dietary measure to improve the endothelial function and perhaps favorably alter the progression of atherosclerotic disease, particularly in patients with already markedly impaired endothelial function

[Cece]

Wow! Great find. Do you know what it is about olive oil that makes it superior to other oils? I currently use canola instead. But am willing to switch.

[blossom]

important to buy organic extra virgin cold pressed if you can.

www.all-about-olive-oil.com/cold-pressed-olive-oil

[cheerleader]

Great article, dania! Wondeful to see more studies on the healing properties of this oil. Olive oil is a wonderful anti-inflammatory agent. I mention it as a "healthy fat" alternative to transfats in the endothelial health program.

Salmon, trout, herring, avocados, olives, walnuts, and olive oil all contain healthy fats. An omega-3 fish oil supplement is important, particularly if you do not have fish in your diet. Current research suggests that the most important fish oil fatty acid is docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). We have long known that fish is healthy, but it is now proven that the omega-3s in fish fat improve endothelial function by enhancing nitrec oxide production, increasing HDL (good) cholesterol levels, and reducing LDL (bad) cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Further, fish oils have been shown to reduce production of free radicals and substances that cause inflammation in the body26.
Lakatta, Ed G. (2009). How to Promote and Maintain a Healthy Endothelium, Article XV. Retrieved 10 March, 2010 from http://healthandage.org/professional/ho ... art-3-of-4

http://www.ccsvi.org/index.php/helping- ... ial-health

Here's a list of fats which gives amounts of saturated, monounsaturated (the best for you, like olive oil), polyunsaturated, and transfats and explains the good, the bad and the ugly (BTW--coconut oil is a saturated fat and many put it in the bad column, but it has many healing properties. Jury's out on that one._
http://culinaryarts.about.com/od/culina ... ttable.htm
cheer

[dlynn]

cheerleader,
does flaxseed oil also improve endothelial function as olive oil? I take expeller pressed organic 2tbs. daily (mixed with lowfat cottage cheese,
Dr. Johanna Budwig protocol)

[ThisIsMA]

Wonderful article! Because I decided to reduce my intake of saturated fat as part of the Swank Diet, and because I read about the health benefits of olive oil, I switched to using Olive Oil as a replacement for butter or margarine shortly after I was diagnosed with MS.

I have a glass container with a plastic lid that is roughly the same size and shape as a tub of margarine. I fill it with Olive oil and put it in the fridge. Within about two days it has solidified to a consistency and color that is fairly similar to butter or margarine. I take it out of the fridge just long enough to spread the olive oil on my toast in the morning. Its very melt in your mouth yummy in addition to being very good for you!

When the first tub of olive oil is about half empty I get out my second glass jar and fill it with olive oil to put in the fridge. That way by the time the first tub is empty, the second one is ready to be used.

Its a simple easy way to get your daily dose of olive oil. And I recommend buying extra virgin organic olive oil, in order to get the best quality oil with the least amount of pesticide and herbicide residues. I watch for the sales and buy several bottles on sale at a time.

Its good to buy it in small enough containers that you can use it up within two months of opening the bottle, and store the bottles in a cool dark place.

I have found that some brands of olive oil solidify when refrigerated better than others. I researched this and found an article that says the difference has to do with the variety of olive used. Some varieties of olives have more naturally occurring wax in them than others. Its the wax that allows the olive oil to solidify when refrigerated. So if you try refrigerating your olive oil and it won't solidify, try a different brand.

Mary Ann

[CureOrBust]

I grew up on the stuff, and most meals today are created with it; but I still have MS. Dr Zamboni also appears to find patients to treat, in a country using it heavily; although I personally prefer Spanish olive oil.

[ThisIsMA]

Yes, I would never say its a cure or even a preventative for MS. But it seems possible that it might contribute to moderating the affects of the disease in some modest, incremental way. Every little bit helps, or at least we can hope so. I consider it to be part of my toolbox of tricks that I hope will help slow the progression of my MS. Even if it has no effect on MS, it has been shown to be helpful with respect to other aspects of health.

[NHE]

Wow! Great find. Do you know what it is about olive oil that makes it superior to other oils? I currently use canola instead. But am willing to switch.

Hi Cece,
I stopped using canola oil for sautéing veggies and use olive oil instead since I found that the veggies burn more easily with canola oil. My hypothesis is that this is due to the high omega-3 content of canola oil as these polyunsaturated fats are sensitive to heat. In contrast, canola oil is great for baking.

NHE

[Cece]

thanks NHE, that's good to know.
I bet omega-3s was why I settled on Canola, along with the price being low.

[drsclafani]

Wow! Great find. Do you know what it is about olive oil that makes it superior to other oils? I currently use canola instead. But am willing to switch.

Hi Cece,
I stopped using canola oil for sautéing veggies and use olive oil instead since I found that the veggies burn more easily with canola oil. My hypothesis is that this is due to the high omega-3 content of canola oil as these polyunsaturated fats are sensitive to heat. In contrast, canola oil is great for baking.

NHE

that is difficult to understand. Canola oil has a higher boiling point than olive oil and for that reason i think it smokes less. so I use canola for frying and sauteing. Olive oil taste is better as long as it is not heated.

also frying with olive oil degenerates the oil and diminish some of its beneficial effects, in addition to degrading the taste.

[daniel]

cheerleader,
does flaxseed oil also improve endothelial function as olive oil? I take expeller pressed organic 2tbs. daily (mixed with lowfat cottage cheese,
Dr. Johanna Budwig protocol)

I know this is an old post but I was curious if you're still following the budwig protocol and if you've noticed any benefits from it?

[ElliotB]

Olive oil is not as good for your health as it is often thought to be.


There is upated info on the web as to why this is the case (but to no surprise, the majority of articles about olive oil are of course favorable). Here is one such article that explains why this is so:


Olive Oil Nutrition – What’s Wrong With Olive Oil?
SEPARATING THE TRUTH FROM THE HYPE

https://www.pritikin.com/your-health/he ... e-oil.html


There are potentially better choices. Macadamia nut oil is probably a better/healthier choice over olive oil. Macadamia nut oil contains 85% monounsaturated fats, exceeding olive oil, which contains 76%. The ratio of Omega-3 to Omega-6 fatty acids in macadamia nut oil is perfectly balanced. Macadamia nut oil contains up to four times as much vitamin E than olive oil. Macadamia nut oil has a relatively high smoke point of 410° F, making it less likely to oxidize when heated, making it the perfect oil for cooking and baking.

Grass fed ghee [butter] is also an excellent option with its balanced Omega fatty acids It has a creamy buttery flavor somewhat similar to butter. Although ghee is made from butter and is technically a dairy product, just like milk, yogurt, ice cream, cream, butter and cheese, it's made only from the fattiest part of dairy and contains very little milk protein. Most consider it non-dairy. It also has a pretty high smoke point (485°F) which makes it ideal to use for foods requiring high cooking temperatures. Great for cooking eggs too! It is kind of expensive compared to similar products but in my opinion, it is worth the extra cost because of all the health benefits. I have used ghee butter for several years. And while it typically is made using grass fed cows, I have just found a ghee butter made from grass fed goats. I have not tried it yet but did just ordered some. The reviews seem good.

[dlynn]

Hi daniel,
sorry this reply is so late. Yes, I still take the Budwig protocol of flaxseed oil/cottage cheese. I no longer have heinous allergies, it has completely eliminated them. And as for MS, I just feel better overall on it, a feeling of well-being.

dlynn