Olive Oil Not Heart Healthy

Olives are Wholesome, Olive Oil is Harmful

The below eleven-minute excerpt from the 2012 Healthy Lifestyle Expo features Dr. Michael Klaper's presentation on "Salt, Sugar and Oil: What's The Problem?" Dr. Klaper starts out by emphasizing that we should eat "food as grown," - as it is found in nature. He then jokes about how unhealthy restaurant food is, and that we should be aware of the salt, sugar and fat content in the items we are selecting.

Dr. Klaper finishes strong, by speaking passionately about the concerns of using olive oil. He explains in detail how olive oil is not "heart healthy" like the food manufacturers have led us to believe. Olive oil is the most calorie dense food. At 120 calories and 13.5 grams of fat per tablespoon, 4,000 calories per pound, olive oil does an excellent job of promoting fat storage. Our bodies are so efficient, that the fat from olive oil can be absorbed within 10 minutes after consuming it. Dr. Klaper calls refined oils "liquid fat," since 100% of its calories come from fat, 14% of which are saturated. He cites a study that biopsied fat cells from overweight women, finding 55% of their fat storage came from olive oil. Olive oil has been touted as being heart healthy due to its essential fatty acid content, yet it has a poor ratio of omega 6 to omega 3. The goal is to have a 4:1 ratio, yet olive oil is 14:1.

The most compelling evidence concerning the harmful effects of refined oils was discovered by Dr. Robert Vogel in 1999 at the University of Maryland School of Medicine and published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. Dr. Vogel demonstrated the devastating effects saturated fats and olive oil had on blood vessel function by developing the Brachial Artery Tourniquet Test. This test measured the reduction in blood flow, called flow-mediated vasodilation, following the consumption of a high-fat meal, including oil. Their research found that even one high-fat meal causes artery damage by injuring the endothelial cells lining our entire vascular system. Our endothelial cells produce a gas called nitric oxide which keeps our vessels dilated, maintaining flexibility of the blood vessel walls. A high-fat meal injures these cells which stops them from producing nitric oxide. As a result, the vessels are paralyzed and unable to dilate, which creates stiffened arteries. This condition lasts for several hours. The study concluded that high-fat meals including olive oil decreases blood flow to tissues which lasts for hours.

We're hoping that Dr. Klaper's short video excerpt will inspire you to remove the refined vegetable oils from your diet. Your heart and waistline will be glad that you did!

For tips on how to make more healthful selections when eating out, click here.

For more information regarding the use of olive oil, see:

(1) Mediterranean Diet- Healthy IN SPITE OF Olive Oil

(2) The Wine and Olive Oil Diet