LOWER BAD CHOLESTEROL WITH OLIVE OIL

Cholesterol! That word can evoke terror like no other, whether we understand it or not we all know we should be scared of it! Cholesterol is the culprit behind the increasing cases of heart disease and sudden death we face in Nigeria today. Fear not my friends; there is a natural way to fight cholesterol and its right under your nose.

We all know olive oil, but what do we really know about it? Olive oil is not some “special” spiritual oil to bind and cast evil spirits (My apologies to GOYA brand which seems to be to go to olive oil for this!)  What olive oil actually does is to bind and cast away the evil of bad cholesterol from your blood. Let’s start at the beginning shall we?

Olive oil has long been popular in the Mediterranean countries i.e. Greece, Italy, Spain etc. It constitutes part of the Mediterranean diet. Scientists then discovered that people from that area have a very low incidence of heart disease and death from high cholesterol. Studies were carried out and it turns out that the low incidence of heart disease has a direct relationship with high olive oil consumption.

HOW IS OLIVE OIL EXTRACTED?

Olive oil is literally what you think, it is the oil extracted from the fruit of the olive tree. It is pressed out of the olive fruits and processed to give you olive oil.

WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF CONSUMING OLIVE OIL?

There are numerous benefits associated with consuming olive oil; it contains a high amount of monounsaturated fat which is a good fat. Hence, olive oil is effective in lowering total blood cholesterol as well as LDL (bad cholesterol) without reducing levels of HDL (good cholesterol).

Another benefit researchers have found is that olive oil may help regulate insulin and blood sugar levels in diabetics.

The last and most important benefit of olive oil is that it helps to prevent arteriosclerosis (quite a mouthful!)

WHAT IS ARTERIOSCLEROSIS?

It is a condition in which patches of bad cholesterol are deposited along the walls of our arteries over a period of time. This obstructs blood from reaching the tissues and will obstruct the work of our vital organs over time; especially at risk are the heart and brain.

CONSEQUENSES 

Arteriosclerosis puts us at risk of sudden death from cardiac arrest; it can block arteries in the brain leading to strokes. It can also cause blood clots in the arteries of our legs, leading to gangrene!

HOW DOES OLIVE OIL PREVENT THIS?

It has been found that olive oil can help prevent arteriosclerosis by preventing the formation of blood clots in the blood stream. Studies conducted on people from areas with high olive oil consumption found a direct correlation between high olive oil consumption and a low incidence of heart disease.

THE BEST OLIVE OIL TO BUY

There are many good brands to buy, but please note that the purest and most effective and healthy olive oil is EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive Oil) EVOO is the highest grade of olive oil and it is a bit pricey but effective, please not buy cheap brands that are not EVOO you will not get the best results!

COOKING AND EATING TIPS

Scientists and nutritionists recommend about two table spoons of olive oil a day in the diet for best results. I like to add olive oil as a salad dressing on my vegetable salad in place of salad cream or mayonnaise which often contains sugar. You can also cook your stews with olive oil instead of vegetable oil. Word of caution though, olive oil does not like high temperatures please do not fry your plantain eggs etc. with olive oil. The oil just breaks down and you will lose ALL the healthy benefits.(OLIVE OIL AND SALAD)

Finally I want to encourage you to add EVOO to your diet today; it will improve your health and protect your heart. Need I say more? For more health tips please follow me on twitter:  @corefitness_ngr

Do have a wonderful day!