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Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Whole food sources of fat such as nuts, seeds, and avocadoes are likely superior.

September 8, 2010 |
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Supplementary Info

Extra Virgin Olive Oil, 5.0 out of 5 based on 2 ratings

Sources Cited

Jakulj F, Zernicke K, Bacon SL, van Wielingen LE, Key BL, West SG, Campbell TS. A high-fat meal increases cardiovascular reactivity to psychological stress in healthy young adults. J Nutr. 2007 Apr;137(4):935-9.

Cortés B, Núñez I, Cofán M, Gilabert R, Pérez-Heras A, Casals E, Deulofeu R, Ros E. Acute effects of high-fat meals enriched with walnuts or olive oil on postprandial endothelial function. J Am Coll Cardiol. 2006 Oct 17;48(8):1666-71. Epub 2006 Sep 26.

Canales A, Benedí J, Nus M, Librelotto J, Sánchez-Montero JM, Sánchez-Muniz FJ. Effect of walnut-enriched restructured meat in the antioxidant status of overweight/obese senior subjects with at least one extra CHD-risk factor. J Am Coll Nutr. 2007 Jun;26(3):225-32.

Mills EW, Seetharaman K, Maretzki AN. A nutribusiness strategy for processing and marketing animal-source foods for children. J Nutr. 2007 Apr;137(4):1115-8.

Acknowledgements

Image thanks to Jon Cockley

Transcript

Now what about those who say there's no such thing as good fat, advising people to cut back on foods like nuts an avocados, even though they are whole plant foods? I do not believe this is supported by the balance of evidence. When in good faith I've challenged these folks to provide me with scientific studies supporting their position, they show me studies done on African Green monkeys. I'm a physician  not a veterinarian! Rather than finding out what happens when you feed monkeys guacamole, I'm interested in human studies. Human studies show that eating a handful of nuts a day may cut our risk of fatal heart attack in half. Now there are human studies like this new on that show that even a single high fat meal can immediately adversely affect our arteries. What exactly were they eating though? The high fat meal consisted of McDonald's Sausage and Egg McMuffin, 42gms of fat. What would happen if you did the same study and even doubled the amount of fat to 80gms, but from olive oil or walnuts, plant sources? You don't get the negative reaction you do fro animal fat, and with walnuts you get a beneficial effect. An immediate positive effect on our arteries, eating handfuls of walnuts. So, high fat animal foods? Bad reaction. Higher fat olive oil? No reaction. And walnuts? Good reaction. Despite what some may have us believe, avocados and nuts are health promoting foods, at least in human beings.

In fact, the positive health effects of nuts are so powerful they are trying to add walnuts to meat. Walnut enriched restructured meat. Essentially injecting walnut paste into steaks to improve people's nutrition. Why not just eat the walnuts? The food industry is definitely creative!

Check out this new study published in the Journal of Nutrition, "A Nutribusiness Strategy for Processing and Marketing Animal-Source Foods for Children". The meat laboratory at Penn State University trying to come up with a novel animal product called the "Chiparoo" designed especially for children. It's meant to be a cross somewhere between beef jerky and a potato chip, made out of chickens or rabbits. Here is actual footage of a guy making it. Strips of raw bunny batter to sell to kids! I couldn't make up stuff like this! Walnut enriched restructured meat?

To see any graphs, charts, graphics, images, and quotes to which Dr. Greger may be referring watch the above video. This is just an approximation of the audio contributed by veganmontreal.

To help out on the site please email volunteer@nutritionfacts.org

Dr. Michael Greger

Doctor's Note

Please feel free to post any ask-the-doctor type questions here in the comments section and I’d be happy to try to answer them. Also, there are 1,449 other subjects covered in the rest of my videos--please feel free to explore them as well!

  • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/veguyan/ Veguyan

    Insane!

    • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/mgreger/ Michael Greger M.D.

      What struck you in particular?

  • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/toxins/ Toxins

    T. Colin Campbell, Caldwell Essylsten and the doctors of their kind appearing in Forks Over Knives claim that olive oil is not healthy. What are your thoughts on this?

  • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/MelanieAnderson/ Melanie Anderson

    I’ve heard a lot of wishy washy info about olive oil too. It’s good for you…it’s bad for you, back and forth. I still choose it over all other oils but would love to learn more. How much is too much of this oil? Is there anything to be concerned about in using it? I can’t believe the bunny batter idea. That is horrifying!

    • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/toxins/ Toxins

      The idea is to eat whole foods plant based and oil does not fit this criteria. Oil apparently damages your epithelial cell wall in your veins which keeps things running smooth and allows your blood vessels to expand and contract properly. T. Colin Campbell explains this on his lecture on “how to be heart attack proof”.

  • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/yurple/ yurple

    If one is going to eat oil to some degree, what are the best and worst oils to eat? This video seems to indicate that olive oil is not harmful, but is it helpful? If not, where did that widespread idea come from? How about other oils? Please advise.

    • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/toxins/ Toxins

      Excellent Questions yurple and maybush1!
      Although this video says olive oil had no effect on health, one must consider other studies as well and how one defines health. All oils are basically liquid fat. They are empty of phytonutrients, vitamins, minerals and fiber. They contain only fat and calories. Oil is the definition of empty calories, food without nutrition. Check out this excellent short video with Jeff Novick discussing this topic, specifically on olive oil. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lbALgjmZUek
      If you don’t care about fat, and are more interested in oil’s damage, Dr. Caldwell Essylsten provides this answer. According to Caldwell Essylsten, all oils, including olive oil, cause damage to your endothelial cells within your blood vessels. These cells are very important, as they are responsible for contracting and expanding your blood vessels as well as keeping your blood running smoothly. A damaged endothelial cell wall means low performance during physical activity as well as an increased risk in heart attack since a healthy endothelial cell wall does not allow arterial blockages to form. You can see that video here http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-5215695644951404318 Nuts, on the other hand, are extremely nourishing and health promoting. They provide you with the necessary fat intake you need for proper nutrient absorption and health. Check out Dr. Greger’s video about it here: http://nutritionfacts.org/videos/forego-fat-free-dressings
      Olive oil can be considered the healthiest of the oils, but it is not health promoting. The idea came from studying the Mediterranean diet. But not just any Mediterranean diet, specifically in the island of Croatia. They ate a primarily plant based diet with some meats and used olive oil in their foods. They were much healthier than Americans at the time and people were wandering why this was so. To mimic them, people began to use olive oil (the whole “plant” idea didn’t transfer over I guess). This was done in the earlier years of the 1900′s. Now, Croatia is much more Americanized and they are getting just as sick as the average American.

      • GD

        Correction: The island of “CRETE”.
        Croatia is not an Island.

  • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/yurple/ yurple

    Please advise about consuming oil, in general. If one is going to consume any, which are the best? Worst? I see this video says olive oil isn’t harmful, but is it helpful? If not, where did that widespread idea arise? How about other oils? Safflower? Sunflower? Canola (also touted as good)? Corn? Soy? What about if organic? Please advise and thanks.

  • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/maybush1/ maybush1

    Good questions Yurple. I would like to know more as well. Thanks.

    • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/toxins/ Toxins

      Hello Maybush! Please see my comment above that answers your question

  • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/maybush1/ maybush1

    Hi Toxins, but Dr. Greger mentions in this video, as Yurple observed, that eating high fat plant-based oils “such as olive oil” is not harmful on the epithelial lining and that high fat nuts, such as walnuts, are actually beneficial for them.

    So, Dr. Greger says that there is NO harm in consuming olive oil, while Dr. Campbell says that it damages the epithelial lining of arteries (based on animal studies?). So, again which is correct…for *humans*?

    • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/toxins/ Toxins

      Interesting observation Maybush1!
      To answer that, have you heard of the brachial artery tourniquet test? It measures the blood vessel expansion in your arm after a meal. They cut off the circulation for 5 min. and then release to see what happens. If it was an unhealthy meal, then your blood vessels do not expand. Normally they should inflate allowing a surge of blood flow. You can read about who fails this test here http://www.vegsource.com/articles2/esselstyn_collapse_print.htm and sure enough, people who consume olive oil experience endothelial cell damage. Their vessels do not expand normally. This happened with all oils. Dr. McDougal acknowledges this same fact as well http://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2007nl/aug/oils.htm So it seems olive oil is not health promoting based on the brachial artery tourniquet test. Check out this video by Dr. Greger that show some foods that will help out with some of that excess fat! http://nutritionfacts.org/videos/waistline-slimming-food/

  • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/maybush1/ maybush1

    Hi Toxins and thanks for the reply! The BART test seems like a promising test to perform, although the oil tests seem to be short snapshots in time (that shows BART tests soon after consumption of olive oil-enriched foods). So, I’m not sure how accurate a BART test is in forecasting the deleterious effects of olive oil on the arteries over a long time.

    It’s fascinating information nonetheless!

    • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/toxins/ Toxins

      Glad you enjoyed it! I actually stumbled upon this 4 minute video of Dr. Caldwell Essylsten detailing on olive oil if your interested!
      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_o4YBQPKtQ

  • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/vallis/ Vallis

    Is there any opinion//science on Avocado oil (like for salad dressing? Is it a processed fat junk food to be avoided as well?

    • http://nutritionfacts.org/members/toxins/ Toxins

      Vallis, remember that oil is purely fat without nutrients. If we had Kale oil, its the fat from the kale without any nutrients. I believe it qualifies as junk food since it is empty calories.

  • Chris Steele

    I think the more important message Dr.Greger is trying to point out is how nuts and avocados are NOT detrimental to our health and many of the extreme fat-phobic vegan health gurus like Jeff Novick may actually have it wrong telling people not to eat nuts or avocados.

  • Charles

    I’ve just read McDougall’s book “The starch solution”, where he recommends to avoid completely all kinds of oils, including olive oil. According to this video olive oil would have no positive or negative effects in your health. So, what is the conclusion in this point, given that olive oil is a great flavor in my meals, I would like to know if I sould give up the consumption of this food.

  • http://www.facebook.com/lefteye Spe Matt Spewak

    What is your take on the recent NEJM article about the Mediterranean Diet? http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/26/health/mediterranean-diet-can-cut-heart-disease-study-finds.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0
    It seems to be stirring up some controversy.

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