OH! Magazine - Australian Version February 2018 | Page 12

( Nutrition )
FIVE REASONS TO LOVE
DR
JOANNA
EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE
Dr Joanna explains five key health benefits of EVOO.

xtra virgin olive oil really is
unique amongst common oils
consumed. It is literally the juice of the
olive and as such contains many of the
naturally present phytochemicals of the
fruit. Combined with the high levels of
healthy mono-unsaturated fats, this
powerful plant food mix has many
benefits to our health. Here are five of
the key ones:
E
1. Reduces your risk of type 2 diabetes
The Nurses’ Health Study is a massive
ongoing study that follows tens of
thousands of women in the US over many
years. They assess their diet and various
aspects of their lifestyles, then track
what diseases they succumb to over
time. 3. Protects your skin
After following up almost 60,000 women
for over two decades, researchers found
that those who consumed more than a
tablespoon of olive oil a day had a 10 per
cent lower risk of type 2 diabetes
compared to those who never consumed
it. They also showed that substituting
olive oil for stick margarines, butter and
mayo had the potential to greatly reduce
the risk. This study didn’t state whether
the oil was truly extra virgin – wonder
what result that would give if they did? Extra virgin olive oil is rich in a
substance called squalene. Squalene
concentrates in the skin, where it is a
major ‘quencher’ of free radicals,
preventing them from damaging skin
cells. This is thought to be part of the
reason why traditional Mediterranean
regions have a lower rate of skin cancer,
despite their sunny climates.
2. Boosts your heart health
The PREDIMED study is one of the most
famous Mediterranean Diet studies from
Europe. They gave three diets – a control
group advised on a low-fat diet and two
Mediterranean Diet groups, one
supplemented with nuts daily and
another with extra virgin olive oil. They
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followed the groups for almost five years.
There were over 7000 people who started
the trial with a high risk of cardiovascular
disease (think heart disease and stroke).
Among these people, in particular, the
results were pretty spectacular. Those
consuming the most extra virgin olive oil
had a whopping 35 per cent= lower risk!
In fact, for every 10g of extra virgin olive
oil they consumed daily, the risk of
cardiovascular disease dropped by 10 per
cent.
OH! MAGAZINE ( FEBRUARY 2018 )
Getting some sunshine on your bare skin
is important for the production of vitamin
D, but get too much and you cause
oxidative damage that results in skin
ageing and potentially skin cancer.
4. Reduces your risk of cancer
Cancer is a complex process and many
times it really is pure bad luck or caused
by factors out with your control. However,
diet and lifestyle do play a role with extra
virgin olive oil standing out as a
potentially protective agent.
Extra virgin olive oil is rich in a rich array
or phytochemicals, many of which have
protective actions. One phytochemical
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has gained research attention for its
anti-cancer effects. That is oleocanthal.
It has been shown to be anti-
inflammatory, thereby helping to reduce
your risk of all sorts of chronic
conditions, but has also been shown to
prevent the growth of human cancer
cells. It may be contributing to the lower
risk of skin cancer, but to many other
forms of cancer too.
5. Helps to keep blood pressure down
Usually discussions around diet and
blood pressure centre on salt. However,
extra virgin olive oil has been shown in
rat studies to play a role in protecting
against high blood pressure. The effect
seems to be due to the polyphenols. A
study in young women with mild
hypertension showed that while daily
consumption of a polyphenol-rich olive
oil decreased their blood pressure,
consuming a polyphenol-free olive oil did
not.
The conclusion?
You need to consume
true extra virgin
olive oil and not a
refined olive oil to
gain the
benefit.