Olive Oil benefits Heart Health
Mediterranean people have grown and used Olives – the fruit of the olive tree, for thousands of years. It is believed to be responsible for the good health and longevity of the people who consume it, and it plays a major role in the modern Mediterranean diet too. Medical studies around the world have shown that olive oil offers a unique natural heart health protection, and increased chance of living a very long life.
Cretans have best health – consume most olive oil
The people of the island of Crete have been proven to enjoy the best health of any population group on earth, and it is no coincidence that they also annually consume the most olive oil per person, of any country in the world. A memorable quote from a 1948 article stated that ‘… a foreign visitor gets the impression that Cretan food literally floats in olive oil’.
Here are some examples of the traditional ways in which healthy fresh food is combined with generous amounts of olive oil :-
- Boiled Artichokes drenched in olive oil
- Leafy green vegetables drizzled with large amounts of olive oil
- Barley Bread dipped in olive oil
- Pork cooked in olive oil
It is interesting to note that any other types of fat are rarely used in Crete. The average adult consumption of olive oil is over 30 litres per person per year. This compares to virtually nil consumption in some Northern countries such as Germany.
Cretan diet produces lowest heart disease rates
The Cretan diet is now recognised as being responsible for the lowest rates of heart disease and cancer in the world, and this is believed to be largely due to their high consumption of olive oil. Evidence for this dates back to the 1950′s when scientific studies concluded that the Cretan population rarely suffered any instances of any cancers or cancer-related illnesses.
This discovery was initially, and is still greeted with surprise by foreign travelers from the United States and Northern Europe, whose dietary habits are quite different from those in Southern Europe, where fat consumption has traditionally been from animal derived fats. More recently, excessive quantities of any type of fat has been discouraged as it has been linked to coronary heart disease, heart attack and stroke.
Here are some interesting heart disease statistics from the 1950′s before the modern western diet had had an opportunity to infiltrate the historical dietary habits of various widespread worlwide populations :-
Deaths per 100,000 inhabitants from coronary heart disease
Finland – 466
United States – 424
Holland – 347
Italy – 200
Corfu – 149
Yugoslavia – 145
Japan – 64
Crete – 9
These statistics are truly staggering, as even the mighty, healthy fish eating Japanese, still managed over seven times the heart disease rate of the humble Cretans. By comparison, deaths in the technologically advanced United States peaked at over FORTY times that of Crete!
Carotenoids protect your heart health
Carotenoids are the pigments found naturally in many fruits and vegetables that give them the distinctive yellow, orange and scarlet red colouring. Chefs have long utilised this colourful combination to spice up the appearance of their culinary creations. All richly coloured red orange and yellow vegetables contain generous quantities of these natural healing compounds. They are also found in some green vegetables such as spinach, lettuce and Kale.
Significantly lower risk of heart disease and cancer
However the chemicals that cause this rich colour to form in carotenoid-rich natural foods such as tomatoes, capsicums, and carrots could save your life, as research has shown that people who eat the most of these types of food have been shown to have significantly lower risk of dying from heart disease and cancer.
Best dietary sources of Carotenoids
Here is a list of the best natural food sources of Carotenoids. These are the foods with the highest quantities and concentrations of the compounds :-
- Tomatoes
- Cantaloupe melons
- Spinach
- Carrots
- Sweet Potatoes
- Kale
- Leafy Green Vegetables
- Oranges
- Peaches
- Pumpkin
Body under attack from free radicals
Our bodies are constantly under attack from alien invaders known as free radicals, which are depleted oxygen molecules (missing one electron from the molecule). These can damage the body’s internal cells and DNA structure because they attempt to replace the missing electron from the oxygen molecule by stealing it from a neighbouring healthy body cell. This continual process can damage the cells and contribute to the underlying causes of heart disease and other dread diseases such as cancer, and eye disease such as macular degeneration.
So how can a humble vegetable help to counteract this threat ? Scientific research has proven that the high Carotenoid content of certain vegetables can counteract the damaging effect of the free radicals by assisting with halting the cell damage, and therefore increasing the body’s protection. A significant study conducted at John Hopkins Universaity in Baltimore, MD discovered that smokers who were heart attack victims were found to be less likely to suffer a second heart attack if they had high levels of four particular high carotenoid compounds – beta-carotene, lutein, lycopene and zeaxanthin.
Carotenoids reduce bad LDL Cholesterol
There are more than 500 different types of Carotenoids, although the majority of common foods contain only about 60 of these. The most critical of these precious compounds are alpha-carotene, beta-carotene, gamma-carotene, beta-cryptoxanthin, lutein, lycopene and Zexanthin. The way in which these carotenoid rich compounds can help to prevent heart disease and stroke is by preventing the ‘bad’ (LDL) cholesterol in the blood from attaching itself to the walls of the arteries. This is a major cause of atherosclerosis and hardening of the arteries due to the build up of this arterial plaque. If the LDL cholesterol molecule cannot oxidise, then it cannot stick to the wall of the artery.
Artificial supplements cannot replace natural food based Carotenoids
Artificial food supplements that attempt to reproduce the beneficial effects of naturally occurring Carotenoids are less successful. In fact they may possibly be harmful to health, according to Doctor Walter Willett, professor of epidemiology and nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health. His advice is that the most effective way to get Carotenoids is from natural foods rather than supplements.
Eggs cleared of causing high cholesterol
Historical Suspicion of Eggs
Poultry eggs have long been regarded with suspicion and labelled as high cholesterol foods due to their association with raising levels of blood cholesterol, leading to heart disease and heart attacks. This dates back many years, due in part to decades old advice from the British Heart Foundation (revised in 2005) that egg consumption should be limited to two or three eggs per person per week because they increase cholesterol. Now experts have proven that very little of the cholesterol in eggs actually finds it way into the bloodstream.
Previous egg cholesterol research was mis-interpreted
A new report from the British Nutrition Foundation seems to indicate that conclusions drawn from this earlier research on eggs and diet may have been incorrect, due to it’s inability to differentiate between dietary cholesterol and dietary saturated fat. So, in other words poultry eggs may have been the fall guy for the real bad guy – saturated fat, which is found in great quantities in so many of the foods that we often eat every day without necessarily checking what we are eating contains.
It is still correct that high levels of blood cholesterol can increase the risk of coronary heart disease, but it has now been discovered due to improved testing science that most of the blood cholesterol in our blood actually comes from non-dietary sources – typically obesity, lack of exercise and smoking cigarettes, and dietary staurated fat. The new research concludes that this is the primary cause, not eggs, of more than two thirds of the cholesterol in our blood.
Saturated fat mainly to blame, not poultry eggs
Almost half of the people polled in a recent United Kingdom survey still thought they should eat a maximum of three eggs a week, due to the information which has been propagated by health organisations over the years. But the evidence now indicates that there is no reason to limit the weekly consumption of eggs for most people, as there is no evidence to suggest that they cause an increased risk of coronary heart disease.
A respected UK Doctor – Dr Hilary Jones, MD, has highlighted the confusion surrounding dietary cholesterol and blood cholesterol. He said that many people think by reducing dietary cholesterol – for example avoiding food like eggs will reduce their risk of heart disease. But he points out that the most important dietary risk factor comes from consumption of saturated fat.
New advice about egg consumption from health organisations
The British Heart Foundation as well as other health organisations have responded to this new research by issuing their own statements. A BHF spokesperson, Victoria Taylor, Senior Dietician, responded by stating :-
“We recommend that eggs can be eaten as part of a balanced diet. There is cholesterol present in eggs but this does not usually make a great contribution to your level of blood cholesterol. She continues ”If you need to reduce your cholesterol level it is more important that you cut down on the amount of saturated fat in your diet from foods like fatty meat, full fat dairy products and cakes, biscuits [cookies] and pastries.”
The American Heart Association has also removed their previous recommendations regarding eggs and heart health.
special advice for people who suffer from familial hypercholesterolaemia
The exception to the above advice is that people suffering from the genetic disorder that causes high cholesterol levels – familial hypercholesterolaemia. If you are one of the one in five hundred of the population who suffer from this condition, then the advice to restrict your dietary intake of cholesterol still applies.
Two eggs a day can reduce cholesterol and help you lose weight!
The most amazing aspect of this latest research is that a study published by in 2008 in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition has shown that eating two eggs per day, as part of a calorie controlled diet, can actually reduce your blood cholesterol level, and help you to lose weight. So if youe have a favourite recipe with eggs, you may be able to enjoy it once again without worrying about your heart health. It just goes to show you that the old expression that you probably heard from your parents is probably good advice – ‘everything in moderation’.
Tea may protect against heart disease
New research indicates that Tea is a healthier drink than water
This is based on research carried out by Scientists from Kings College London, which has been published by the prestigious European Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Tea is a rehydrator not a dehydrator!
There is a popular myth that drinking tea dehydrates your body. This has now been proven wrong by the research. In fact the opposite is true, and drinking tea can have a beneficial effect of rehydrating the water content of the body’s tissues.
How much tea should I drink?
The study concluded that the optimum amount of tea should be three to four cups per day. Apparently, drinking this quantity of tea is just as good for you as drinking the same amount of water. In fact there may be additional benefits which are not available to avid water drinkers.
The secret ingredient of tea
Drinking plenty of tea may provide protection against heart disease and some forms of cancer. This is due to high content of ‘flavonoids’ in tea which have been shown to promote good health. Flavenoids are an anti-oxidant compound which have been found in certain foods, including tea, which neutralise the action of free radicals which are other compounds that circulate within the body causing damage to the cell structure.
Additional Health Benefits of drinking Tea
According to the lead author and Public health nutritionist, Doctor Carrie Ruxton plus her team of colleagues at Kings College London, drinking tea is actually better for you than drinking water. Water is essentially replacing fluid. Tea replaces fluids AND contains antioxidants so it’s got two things going for it.” It can actually reduce the chances of having a heart attack. Other studies have suggested that drinking tea can protect against cancer, although this effect is less proven.
Other health benefits seen included protection against tooth plaque and potentially tooth decay, due to the fluoride content in tea, plus bone strengthening.
Confusion over Caffeine
Studies carried out on the effects of caffeine on the body have found that very high doses of Caffeine can cause dehydration. Therefore many people assume that drinks containing caffeine must dehydrate the body. But even if you had a really, really strong cup of tea or coffee, which is quite hard to make, you would still have a net gain of fluid.
Are there any potential problems associated with tea drinking?
There is no evidence that drinking tea is in any way harmful to health. However, research indicates that tea can impair the body’s ability to absorb iron from food. This means that people who may be susceptible to anaemia should avoid drinking tea close to meal times.
Average tea consumption
So, just how much tea is drunk by the average person? Dr Ruxton’s team found that average tea consumption was just under three cups per day. She said the increasing popularity of soft drinks meant many younger people were not drinking as much tea as before. “Tea drinking is most common in older people, the 40 plus age range. In older people, tea sometimes made up about 70% of fluid intake so it is a really important contributor,” she said.
Drinking plenty of tea may provide protection against heart disease and some forms of cancer.