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JT 28 November 2013

HEALTH

The miracles of olive oil

Dr Anders Nerman ND
IL is of major importance to the celebration of Chanukah. We customarily eat oily latkes and oily doughnuts. As well, it is a preferred custom to use olive oil when performing the mitzvah of lighting the Menorah. All these rituals are there to help us remember that Hashem made olive oil miraculously burn for eight days so that we could properly rededicate the Beis Hamikdosh. I would like to take the number eight a stage further and share with you what I consider to be eight miraculous properties of olive oil. Many scientic studies have shown that there are exceptionally good reasons to include more olive oil in our diets. 1. Lowers risk of heart disease by lowering cholesterol Traditionally doctors prescribed a low fat diet to prevent various diseases such as heart disease and diabetes. While studies did show that high fat diets could increase the risk of certain diseases such as cancer and diabetes, it appears we now know that it is the type of fat that counts rather than the amount of fat. When looking for the right source of fat one should denitely consider olive oil. Olive oil is unique in that it is the plant highest in a type of fat called monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs). Nuts and seeds also contain MUFAs but not as much as olive oil. MUFAs are considered a healthy dietary fat and if your diet emphasizes monounsaturated fats like MUFAs instead of saturated fats (red meat and whole-milk dairy products, including cheese, sour cream, ice cream and butter) and trans fats (in some processed food products) you may gain certain health benets. We now know that MUFAs found in olive oil may improve the major risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease. For instance, MUFAs may lower your total cholesterol and lowdensity lipoprotein cholesterol levels. As well, recent studies indicate that regular consumption of olive oil can help decrease both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Try choosing MUFA-rich foods such as olive oil instead of other fatty foods like butter and stick margarine to get the best results. It may take some getting used to but Extra Virgin olive oil tastes really good with your toast, bagels, or corn on the cob! 2. Reduces inammation The phytonutrient in olive oil oleocanthal has similar chemical effects to that of ibuprofen making it particularly good in reducing inammation. Investigations showed that oleocanthal was actually substantially more potent in vitro. Inammation causes many problems in the body. It is likely that this oleocanthal compound is the reason for many of olive oils health benets. If an olive oil consumer ingests an average amount of olive oil per day, the amount of the oleocanthal consumed only equates to a relatively low (10%) equivalent dose of ibuprofen (recommended for adult pain relief). Chronic low doses of ibuprofen and other COX inhibitors such as aspirin are known to have important health benets in the prevention of cancer development (e.g. colon ) and Cardiovascular Disease. Therefore, long-term ingestion of oleocanthal may contribute to a reduction in chronic disease development and certainly emerging evidence supports this idea. Studies on oleocanthal have shown it to be effective in ghting certain types of cancer. Studies have reported that oleocanthal possesses anti-proliferative effects in human prostate cancer lines in vitro. 3. Reduces Oxidative Stress Extra virgin oil is rich in plant antioxidants, especially vitamin E, a potent antioxidant. Monounsaturated fats, (MUFAs) are particularly interesting in that they do not oxidize in our bodies. This is unlike polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs) that do oxidize. The oxidization of a fat creates what are called Lipid Peroxides that are formed mostly in polyunsaturated fatty acids in the presence of oxygen and put a lot of oxidative stress on the body. Please note, however, that does not mean PUFAs found in foods such as walnuts, sunower seeds, and sesame seeds are bad for you, but it just means that MUFAs

may be a better choice in providing less oxidative stress. PUFAs have other major benets to our health so to cut them out would be a mistake. Consuming olive oil as a replacement for other oils will decrease the total oxidative stress on your body that will likely reduce the risk of heart disease and cancers and will promote longevity. 4. Lowers the risk of Alzheimers Disease Studies have been done demonstrating that oleocanthal inhibits tau brillization. The brillization of tau proteins leads to neurobrillary tangles in the brain which are inherently associated with neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimers Disease. Without getting too technical it has been postulated that since olive oils unique compound oleocanthal has been shown to slow down this process of tau brillization it could be said that it may also prevent or slow the development of Alzheimers Disease. Further studies still need to be done to prove this hypothesis but it does seem likely. 5. Reduces risk of Type 2 Diabetes It has been demonstrated that a diet called the Mediterranean diet (a diet indigenous to the Mediterranean region) that is rich in olive oil, low in saturated fats, moderately rich in carbohydrates and soluble bre from fruit, vegetables, and grains is the most effective approach for diabetics. It appears that this diet improves blood sugar control and enhances insulin sensitivity. A recent Spanish study published in the scientic journal Diabetes Care showed that a Mediterranean style diet can reduce type 2 diabetes by almost 50 percent compared to a low fat diet. Type 2 diabetes is the most common and preventable form of diabetes. 6. Good for Osteoporosis A high consumption of olive oil appears to improve bone mineralization and calcication. It helps calcium absorption and so plays an important role in aiding sufferers and in preventing the onset of Osteoporosis. 7. Reduces the chances of developing Rheumatoid Arthritis and Osteoarthritis Although the reasons are still not fully clear, recent studies have proved that people with diets containing high levels of olive oil are less likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis. Further, as mentioned above, the antiinammatory properties of oleocanthal draws attention to it as a potential therapeutic compound that may be of interest in the quest to nd suitable natural NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-inammatory drugs)for the treatment of joint degenerative disease. This has still yet to be proven outside of laboratory studies, however. 8. Lowers the risk of stroke A recent study from France showed that the intensive users of olive oil, those that used for both cooking and dressings, had a 41 percent lower risk of stroke compared to those that did not use olive oil at all. These results were noted even after considering weight, diet, physical activity and other risk factors.

extra virgin olive oil a day is needed to be benecial to your health and wellbeing. Having said this, note that it is essential to replace the other bad fats you are consuming with good ones like those found in olive oil to really achieve any health benets. If one just adds olive oil without reducing the bad oils, then one may just be adding unnecessary calories into their diet. Olive oil is quite high in calories so dont overdo it! Proper Storage Be aware that light, air and heat can affect the taste of olive oil and affect its health-promoting compounds. Store olive oil in a dark, room-temperature cupboard, or even in the refrigerator. The fats and healthy phytonutrients in olive oil can slowly degrade over time. Always use Extra Virgin Olive Oil as it is the one richest in these compounds. Can I cook with olive oil? There is a dispute about this. Many natural health practitioners claim that cooking with olive oil creates toxic byproducts or converts the olive oil to a bad oil. However, when I researched this myself I found that this is not totally scientically accurate. As mentioned previously, MUFAs do not oxidize easily at room temperature. Several studies have shown that extra virgin olive oil produces fewer oxidation products than polyunsaturated oils when heated so it really is a very good choice for cooking. The smoke point for olive oil (the point when real toxic biproducts are released) is 200C. It is possible that at frying temperatures for prolonged periods of time with little food in the pan one could reach this temperature, but being mindful of this and making sure to not overcook the food or leave the oil burning in the pan that one would be quite safe in using olive oil. I therefore think that it is not a problem to cook with olive oil as long as one is careful. It is quite clear that olive oil is a special gift to us from Hashem. I believe that the evidence has made it apparent that if one chooses to make olive oil a regular part of ones diet while at the same time reducing their consumption of saturated and trans fats, one has a much greater chance of reducing the risks of some of the greatest health concerns of our era. Olive oils ability to help us do this, in my opinion, is truly miraculous. The author is a Naturopathic Doctor with an Integrative Family Medical practice in Wolfson Medical Centre in Jerusalem, Israel. For more call 00972-54-427-8667. Information is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for the advice provided by your physician or other healthcare professional. Always speak with your physician or other healthcare professional before taking any medication or nutritional, herbal or homeopathic supplement, or adopting any treatment for a health problem.

H o w much olive oil should I consume? I recommend up to two tablespoons of