Olive Oil Improves Metabolic & Cardiovascular Parameters

Unrefined and mechanically-extracted from olives, extra virgin olive oil is abundant in monounsaturated fat.   Francesco Violi, from Sapienza University (Italy),, and colleagues enrolled 25 healthy men and women, who consumed meals consisting of a typical Mediterranean diet– abundant in fruits, vegetables and grains, with fish as the protein source.  For one meal, they also consumed an additional 10 grams (about 2 teaspoons) of extra virgin olive oil; for the second meal, the subjects consumed an additional 10 grams of corn oil.  Blood tests conducted before and two hours after the meals revealed that blood sugar rose after eating in all the participants (a normal reaction); but blood sugar rose much less post-meal among those who consumed olive oil (as compared corn oil).  Further, the team observed that after meals with corn oil, participants had significantly higher levels of LDL cholesterol (as compared to the extra virgin olive oil meals). The study authors conclude that: “[extra virgin olive oil] improves post-prandial glucose and LDL-C, an effect that may account for the antiatherosclerotic effect of the Mediterranean diet.”