Vegan Diet And Olive Oil: A Healthy Combination?

Olive oil is a controversial topic in the vegan community. Some doctors swear by the health benefits of olive oil, while others insist that it is harmful. Olive oil is a liquid fat that has been extracted from olives, leaving behind fibre and other nutrients. It is highly calorific, with around 120 calories per tablespoon, and has been linked to increased atherosclerotic plaque build-up, which can lead to heart disease. On the other hand, olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fats, which have been linked to lower blood cholesterol levels. Ultimately, it is up to the individual to decide whether or not to include olive oil in their diet, but it is important to be aware of the potential health implications.

Olive oil is highly processed and calorie-dense

Olive oil is extremely dense in calories, with a whopping 4,000 calories per pound. One tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil contains roughly 120 calories. To give you an idea of how much that is, the same amount of refined white sugar only has about 50 calories. Oil is some of the most calorie-dense food there is. So, if calories are a concern for you, then olive oil should be too.

Olive oil is a processed, calorie-heavy, nutrient-deficient fat source. It is still not a whole food, and it is not included as part of the whole-food plant-based lifestyle.

Olive oil is not a whole food

Olive oil is 100% fat and contains 120 calories and 14 grams of fat per tablespoon. That adds up fast, and since oil has zero fiber, the body absorbs it quickly and it is immediately converted into body fat.

The human body has no essential need to consume monounsaturated fat. The only fat our body has an essential need to consume is omega 6 and omega 3 fat. People worry about getting enough omega 3. Olive oil is a poor source of omega 3. You’d have to drink seven ounces of olive oil to get sufficient omega 3. Seven ounces of olive oil is 1,800 calories and 30 grams of saturated fat (yes, a percentage of the fat that makes up olive oil is saturated.)

Olive oil is not heart-healthy. Yes, foods rich in monounsaturated fats like olive oil are healthier than foods full of saturated and trans fats, but just because something is "healthier" does not mean it is good for you.

Several human studies have questioned olive oil's heart-health claims. When researchers from the University of Crete recently compared residents of Crete who had heart disease with residents free of the disease, they found that the residents with heart disease ate a diet with "significantly higher daily intakes" of monounsaturated fats (principally olive oil) as well as all fats.

Data from the Nurses Health Study, an on-going study from Harvard Medical School analyzing the habits and health of nearly 90,000 female nurses, found that those who consumed olive oil were only marginally healthier than those eating a typical high-in-saturated-fat American diet.

Another study investigated how well subjects' arteries were dilating to accommodate blood flow after they had eaten several meals. Each meal emphasized a different component of the Mediterranean diet. After the meal rich in olive oil, dilation in the arteries was impaired. The meal caused severe constrictions, which can injure the endothelium, the inner lining of arteries, contributing to heart disease. No such problems occurred with the other meals. "The beneficial components of the Mediterranean diet," concluded Robert Vogel, MD, and colleagues at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, "appear to be antioxidant-rich foods... " These foods, he continued, "appear to provide some protection against the direct impairment in endothelial function produced by high-fat foods, including olive oil." So if you're not eating fruits and veggies, you're not getting protection. If you're pouring olive oil on an already bad diet – one devoid of protectors and full of destroyers like cheeseburgers – you've only made that diet worse.

Research recently published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology also found that "dilation was worse" after 24 people, 12 healthy and 12 with high cholesterol levels, consumed olive oil. Five teaspoons of olive oil swallowed after salami-and-cheese meals did not help the arteries relax and expand. According to Dr. Robert Vogel, this research and other data indicate that olive oil is not heart protective.

Finally, and most fundamentally, pouring a lot of olive oil means you're consuming a lot of fat. And eating a lot of any kind of fat, including "healthier" ones, means you're eating a lot of calories, which leads to excess weight, which leads to increased risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, stroke, many forms of cancer, and yes, heart disease.

Olive oil is not heart-healthy

Olive oil is often touted as a healthy fat, but is it really? While it's true that olive oil is high in monounsaturated fats, which can help lower "bad" LDL cholesterol, it's important to remember that olive oil is still a processed, calorie-dense food.

First, let's look at the claim that olive oil is heart-healthy. While some studies have suggested that olive oil may reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke, the evidence is mixed. One study found that olive oil was the only source of monounsaturated fat associated with a reduced risk of stroke and heart disease. However, another study found no significant link between olive oil intake and stroke risk.

It's also worth noting that olive oil is high in calories. A single tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil contains about 120 calories. Compare that to a tablespoon of refined white sugar, which has only about 50 calories. When consumed in excess, olive oil can contribute to weight gain, which is a risk factor for heart disease.

In addition, olive oil is a processed food. While it's true that olives themselves are a whole food, olive oil is extracted and refined, stripping away many of the nutrients and leaving behind only the fats and calories. This means that olive oil is not a good source of nutrients like vitamins, fiber, and minerals.

So, is olive oil heart-healthy? The answer is complicated. While it's true that olive oil can help lower LDL cholesterol, it's also high in calories and processed, which may negate some of its potential health benefits. As with any food, moderation is key. Including small amounts of olive oil in your diet is probably fine, but it's important to be mindful of how much you're consuming and to prioritize whole, plant-based foods that provide a variety of nutrients.

Now, let's take a closer look at some of the specific claims about olive oil:

• Olive oil is high in monounsaturated fats, which can help lower "bad" LDL cholesterol. However, this doesn't mean that olive oil is a healthy food in large amounts.
• Olive oil is often touted as a key component of the Mediterranean diet, which is associated with a reduced risk of heart disease. However, it's important to remember that the Mediterranean diet includes plenty of other heart-healthy foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and nuts.
• Olive oil contains antioxidants, which may help reduce the risk of chronic diseases like heart disease. However, other plant-based foods like fruits and vegetables also contain antioxidants and provide additional nutrients that olive oil lacks.
• Olive oil has anti-inflammatory properties, which may help reduce the risk of chronic diseases. Again, other plant-based foods like nuts and seeds also have anti-inflammatory properties and provide additional nutrients.
• Olive oil may help prevent strokes, but the evidence is mixed. Some studies have found a link between olive oil consumption and a reduced risk of stroke, while others have found no significant association.
• Olive oil has been shown to lower blood pressure, which is a risk factor for heart disease. However, other plant-based foods like nuts and seeds can also help lower blood pressure and provide additional nutrients.

Olive oil is not a superfood

In addition to being calorically dense, olive oil is also highly processed. The process of extracting oil from olives involves crushing the olives and then separating the oil from the pulp. This results in a product that is stripped of many of the nutrients found in whole olives. As such, olive oil is not a good source of nutrients like vitamins and minerals.

While olive oil does contain some antioxidants, these can also be found in other plant-based foods such as fruits and vegetables. In fact, a mere 11 calories of green leafy lettuce will provide you with the same amount of polyphenols as 120 calories of olive oil.

Furthermore, olive oil has been linked to increased risk of heart disease. Several studies have shown that people who consume large amounts of olive oil have higher rates of heart disease. This is likely due to the high-fat content of olive oil, which can lead to increased cholesterol levels and weight gain.

In conclusion, while olive oil may have some health benefits due to its antioxidant content, it is not a superfood. It is highly processed, calorically dense, and has been linked to increased risk of heart disease. For these reasons, it is best to consume olive oil in moderation as part of a balanced diet that includes a variety of whole plant-based foods.

Olive oil has very few micronutrients

Olive oil is a processed, calorie-heavy, nutrient-deficient fat source. It is not a whole food and is not included as part of the whole-food plant-based lifestyle.

Olive oil is extremely rich in monounsaturated fats. Research has linked diets high in monounsaturated fats to heart disease in much the same way as saturated fats. Simply put, too much fat — of any kind — is a problem.

Olive oil is not a whole food. It is the fatty part of what was a whole food. It is extremely dense in calories: while vegetables typically have around 100 calories per pound and fruits 300 calories per pound, oil has 4,000 calories per pound.

Even with all those calories, oil contains little in the way of micronutrition. Valuable omega-3 fatty acids, sometimes, but virtually nothing else.

The difference here is that the oil hasn't been extracted, processed, and refined. When you eat the oil in its natural state, you're also getting vitamins, fiber, and nutrients — the whole package. Processing strips away those nutrients, leaving you with just the fats, and in amounts that your blood isn't prepared to handle.

Olive oil is a processed substance that has no nutrients, whatsoever. Manufacturers take whole foods and take all the fiber and nutrients away and leave the fat to make oil.

Some oils do have omega-3 fatty acids, but usually, it's so minuscule that you're not getting much bang for your caloric buck when ingesting them.

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