Spoilt For Choice:
Olive oil is touted as the gold standard among all edible oils today; a reputation that has been gained primarily from its association of a lower incidence of heart disease among the Mediterranean populations who have traditionally consumed olive oil as their main dietary fat. The component of interest is the monounsaturated oleic acid content of olive oil, which on average is about 70% of its composition. Epidemiological studies have been further validated by clinical studies under controlled laboratory conditions that show a beneficial effect of monounsaturated oleic acid and especially that from olive oil. Other monounsaturated oils such as Canola and rapeseed, although lower in their oleic acid content, have similarly piggy backed on the claim that they too are beneficial. This is despite the fact that there appears to be very little validation by direct comparison between olive and these monounsaturated oils.
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