The Benefits Of Using Olive Oil To Cook Meals
Most of us have resigned ourselves to the general principle that if it tastes good, it's probably not good for you. When it comes to cooking with olive oil, however, such a principle is shattered. Olive oil is not only one of the world's most delectable ingredients; it's also one of its healthiest. Ready to get on some gourmet cooking, and get healthy in the process? Here's the healthy scoop on olive oil.
Olive oil improves your health.
• Olive oil can lower your risk of heart disease. The healthy fat goodies in olive oil are known by their sophisticated-sounding names monounsaturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fats. The unsophisticated acronyms are MUFA and PUFA, respectively. Unlike saturated fats and its trans fat counterparts, these fats are good. Since MUFAs and PUFAs can lower LDL cholesterol levels, they reduce a major risk factor for heart disease.
• Olive oil also improves glucose levels. It seems counterintuitive that oil intake can improve the body's sugar and insulin levels. Olive oil's MUFAs, however, do improve the operation of insulin throughout the body, which stabilizes blood sugar. For those of us at risk for diabetes or who have Type 2 diabetes, this is a bit of good news.
• Olive oil can reduce one's risk for certain types of cancers. Polyphenols, another source of the healthiness in olive oil, function as an antioxidant within the body. Antioxidants help repair cells, minimize cell proliferation, and keep degenerative diseases at bay. The overall risk of cancer is decreased when there are powerful antioxidants flowing through the body. Not all olive oil provides the same health benefits.
• Fresh olive oil is most healthy. Research has demonstrated that olive oil is healthy, but not all olive oil. Over time, the polyphenols of the oil diminish, leaving you with oil that may taste good, but doesn't provide the same healthy punch. One olive researcher at the University of California recommends a two-year maximum shelf life for olive oil. Other researchers lower this threshold to six months.
• Choose the highest quality olive oil. Most of the heavily marketed commercial olive oils contain lower polyphenol content than the olive oil chosen by the connoisseurs. The best olive oil is harvested from the oldest trees, which contain higher polyphenol content. Plus, the more discriminating olive oil harvesters use gentler processing methods, thereby preserving polyphenol content.
In order to preserve the health benefits, taste and polyphenol levels in your olive oil, keep it stored in areas with low heat, light and air. Temperature change, lots of light, and too much leaving the lid off can turn olive oil into a simple slippery ingredient, devoid of its healthy upsides. The bottom corner of a dark pantry is a good place, or even the refrigerator. Wrap your olive oil bottle in tin foil if it comes packaged in a clear glass or plastic container. By all means, however, enjoy cooking with olive oil for its taste and incredible health
About the Author
Cooking meals with infused olive oil not only improves the taste, it makes those meals healthier. Collecting olive oil recipes is something Sheila Schwartz loves to do. Visit http://www.theolivetap.com/ to learn more.
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