Health Benefits

Why extra virgin olive oil like Morocco Gold is the perfect accompaniment for a heart healthy salad.

^{Updated 21st June 2023}

Summertime is the perfect time to get creative in the kitchen and whip up a healthy salad that’s filled with delicious flavors and Extra Virgin Olive Oil should be top of your list.

Contents:

• Why Choose Extra Virgin Olive Oil For Your Salad Dressing
• Health Benefits of Extra Virgin Olive Oil On Your Salad Dressing
• How To Use Extra Virgin Olive Oil In Your Salad Dressing
• How To Create The Perfect Extra Virgin Olive Oil Salad
• Ingredients for The Healthiest Olive Oil Dressings

Why Choose Extra Virgin Olive Oil For Your Salad Dressing

Not only is olive oil a great source of healthy fats, but it also makes a wonderful dressing for salads—so you can indulge in creamy, flavorful toppings without sacrificing your diet. In this blog post, we’ll be exploring why extra virgin olive oil should be at the top of your list when it comes to choosing dressings for salads this summer—and providing tips on how best to incorporate it into your creations. So dig out those pots and pans and let’s make some mouthwatering magic!

Health Benefits of Extra Virgin Olive Oil On Your Salad Dressing

With summer upon us, many of us are looking for light and refreshing meal options, and what better choice than a summer salad? But did you know that your choice of salad dressing can make all the difference in terms of the health benefits you reap?

Extra virgin olive oil is a great choice for a salad dressing as it is rich in healthy fats that can lower cholesterol levels and protect against heart disease. It also contains antioxidants that can reduce inflammation and protect against oxidative damage. So next time you’re putting together your summer salad, reach for that bottle of extra virgin olive oil and enjoy all its health benefits along with your delicious greens!

How To Use Extra Virgin Olive Oil In Your Salad Dressing

Want to know a simple, delicious way to get your four servings of vegetables per day? Put together a nice, big salad. One sizable salad every day is the perfect way to get your daily servings in all at once, giving you flexibility with other meals and making sure you’re always on track with your daily nutrition requirements as part of a heart healthy diet.

A salad can be one of the healthiest dishes in your diet and extra virgin olive oil is the perfect accompaniment. Extra virgin olive oil is highly nutritious. It is also an unsaturated fat rather than a saturated fat. It contains modest amounts of vitamins E and K and plenty of beneficial fatty acids. One tablespoon (13.5 grams) of olive oil contains:

• Saturated fat: 14%
• Monounsaturated fat: 73% (mostly oleic acid)
• Vitamin E:  13% of the Daily Value (DV)
• Vitamin K:  7% of the DV

Notably, extra virgin olive oil shines in its antioxidant content. Antioxidants are biologically active, and some of them can help fight serious diseases. The oil’s main antioxidants include the anti-inflammatory oleocanthal, as well as oleuropein, a substance that protects LDL (bad) cholesterol from oxidation.

How To Create The Perfect Extra Virgin Olive Oil Salad

Start with local, seasonal produce from your farmer’s market or grocery store, then add protein and a healthy dressing and you’re good to go.

1/ Get your greens on

The veggie part of the salad is pretty easy to get right. Try to select darker greens for the base of the salad because they pack a bigger nutritional punch than lettuces like iceberg or romaine. Choosing spinach, Swiss chard or kale will supercharge your salad with nutrients.

• Lettuce — The darker or redder, the better — so think romaine and leaf lettuces (vitamin C, folic acid, potassium).
• Leafy greens — Jazz things up with spring mix, baby spinach and kale or arugula (beta-carotene, antioxidants). 

Steer clear of iceberg and other pale lettuces. Their high water content means fewer nutrients.

2/ Add some crunch

• Celery (vitamin A).
• Cucumber (vitamin C).
• Purple cabbage (vitamins A and C, iron).
• Pea pods (vitamins A and C, iron).
• Broccoli florets (vitamin C).
• Alfalfa sprouts (antioxidants).
• Sunflower seeds or chia seeds (fiber, protein).
• Walnuts or almonds (fiber, protein, niacin).
• Edamame (vitamin C, iron). 

Be sure to avoid processed carb additions like crunchy noodles and croutons.

3/ Create some colour

When building a great salad, let colour lead the way! The more natural colours there are in your salad, the more types of health-promoting phytonutrients – flavonoids and carotenoids – your salad contains.

• Red, orange, yellow or green peppers (vitamins C, B1, B2 and B6, folate).
• Red onion (fiber, phytochemicals).
• Pomegranate seeds (vitamins A, C and E, fiber, potassium, calcium, antioxidants).
• Tomatoes (fiber, vitamins A, C and K, potassium, manganese).
• Avocado slices (over 20 vitamins and minerals, heart-healthy fat).
• Red, purple or yellow beets (folate).

Add no more than 2 tablespoons of corn or peas per serving of salad. They’re high in starch just like bread. 

4/ Punch up the protein

•  
• Black beans, garbanzo beans or lentils (fiber).
• Chicken or lean beef.
• Salmon or water-packed tuna (omega-3 fatty acids).
• Hard-boiled eggs.
• Low-fat feta cheese, blue cheese, goat cheese, parmesan or mozzarella (calcium, vitamin D). 
• Tofu (heart-healthy fat, potassium).

Full-fat cheeses are high in saturated fat. Trying pairing small amounts of your favorite cheese with other proteins. Avoid processed bacon-bits, which are full of sodium and preservatives. Also, when possible, avoid deli meats, as these tend to contain nitrites.

5/ Freshen it up with fruit

• Apple or pear slices (vitamin C, flavonoids).
• Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries or blackberries (vitamin C, fiber, flavonoids).

Dried cranberries, blueberries, cherries, dates and raisins are higher in sugar than fresh fruit. A little goes a long way!

6/ Use some leftovers

• Brussels sprouts (vitamins C, A and B6, folate).
• Asparagus (vitamins A, E and K, folate).
• Sweet potatoes (vitamins A and C, manganese).

White potatoes are high in starch, so add sliced sweet potatoes instead since they’re delicious raw and are super-crunchy like carrots.

7/ See what’s in the cupboard

• Black or greek olives (vitamin E, healthy fat).
• Artichoke hearts (fiber, vitamin C, folic acid).
• Banana peppers (vitamin C).
• Hearts of palm (potassium).
• Mushrooms (B vitamins, vitamin D).

Remember to factor the salt, often high in canned goods, into your daily sodium intake.

8/ Dress it up wisely

• Lemon juice (vitamin C, folate). 
• Lime juice (vitamin C, potassium).
• Red wine or balsamic vinegar.
• Olive oil (heart-healthy fat).

Use more vinegar citrus and olive oil. Avoid high-calorie, high-fat dressings.

Keep that salad pristine by using a dressing with beneficial fats and tasty seasonings. You can turn an otherwise healthy salad into an inflammatory nightmare by drenching it a dressing made of cheap oils, preservatives, artificial flavours and colours. The best way to avoid ruining a great salad with a terrible dressing is to break your dependence on store-bought versions and instead take a few extra minutes to make your own dressing. Homemade olive oil dressing recipes are a cinch to make.

Ingredients for The Healthiest Olive Oil Dressings

There are countless flavour-packed dressings that you can make using just olive oil, vinegar, and spices. Just make sure you’ve got some of these items on hand:

• A high quality cold-pressed, extra virgin olive oil – avoid canola, corn and other inflammatory oils.
• A flavor-packed vinegar – balsamic and apple cider vinegars best for adding some bite.
• Lemons or lemon juice – made with extra virgin olive oil, lemon juice, and salt. (Alternately, use Crushed Lemon Olive Oil instead.)
• Chopped fresh garlic – keeps vampires away too!
• Fresh or dried herbs and spices – you can toss chopped fresh garden herbs like parsley, thyme, oregano, dill, basil or tarragon with the salad, or add dried herbs to your olive oil dressing. Both will add savory, palate-enhancing flavor to your salad!
• Salt and pepper –  try a blend of pink Himalayan, sel gris and sea salts, and a peppercorn blend with juniper berries.

Here’s a simple vinaigrette recipe:

• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1/8 to 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
• salt and pepper, to taste

Heart Foundation Backs Olive Oil As Heart-Healthy Food

^{Updated September 7th 2022}

Healthy oils such as olive oil, canola oil, sunflower oil, peanut and soybean oil have been listed by the Heart Foundation in its latest rundown of heart healthy foods that can help lower your cholesterol. 

The report, entitled Healthy Eating To Protect Your Heart, breaks down five key principles of what a heart healthy pattern looks like and, you guessed it, cooking with healthy fats such as extra virgin olive oil is a key factor.

It states:

Fats and oils can play an important role in your risk of developing heart disease. Different types of fats can impact your health differently—healthy fats can help protect your heart, and unhealthy fats can increase your risk of developing heart disease.  

Also high on the list of preferred foods for heart health are plenty of vegetables, fruit and wholegrains – a key principle of the Mediterranean Diet which lends itself well to lovers of the best olive oil.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil And Risk of Heart Disease

Morocco Gold Extra Virgin Olive Oil

The cardiovascular benefits of olive oil have been well documented for many years. In fact, the first recorded use of olive oil as a preventive and therapeutic agent for heart disease dates back to Hippocrates. Numerous studies have shown that when used in place of saturated fats, monounsaturated oils like olive oil can help improve lipid profiles by reducing total cholesterol levels and bad cholesterol (LDL) while increasing good cholesterol (HDL).

As time and science progresses, there is an ever-increasing volume of research into the health benefits of extra virgin olive oil like Morocco Gold. Who better to extol the virtues of this superfood than the British Heart Foundation. The BHF carried out a study that showed increasing your extra virgin olive oil consumption by 10g a day could cut your risk of cardiovascular death and heart disease by 10 per cent.

The Mediterranean Diet And Heart Disease

Researchers analysed the effect of a Mediterranean diet on the prevention of cardiovascular disease in more than 7,200 men and women between 55 and 80 years old over an average of five years.

Participants were split randomly into three groups – a Mediterranean Diet supplemented with extra virgin olive oil, a Mediterranean Diet supplemented with nuts, and a control group following a low fat diet.

Extra virgin olive oil is a better quality than ordinary olive oil as it contains high levels of antioxidants also found in grape skins, olives and sesame seeds which are thought to benefit the heart. A second study reanalysed the results of the research and found the antioxidants also helped reduce mortality rates.

Victoria Taylor, Senior Dietitian, said: “These findings reinforce the health benefits of adopting a Mediterranean style diet. However, this study didn’t look at why a higher intake of extra virgin olive oil was associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. Substances in the oil, other than the fats themselves, could be of benefit to our hearts.

“It’s important to remember that the type of fat you eat isn’t the only factor in relation to a heart-healthy diet. While extra virgin olive oil may have particular benefits, consuming this on top of a generally unhealthy diet is unlikely to make much difference to your health. To reap the full benefits you’ll need to make other changes too, like eating more fruit and vegetables and fish and less red meat and sugary, fatty snacks.”

Source: BHF

How To Measure Changes In Heart Health

One of the big problems in trying to pin down particular factors that influence diseases like heart disease is that they take years, or decades, to develop and so it is difficult to do an experiment in which you give one group of people a food and deprive another group and measure the effects. Studies instead tend to be either looking for associations between health outcomes and certain habitual diets (in which case it’s difficult to separate out the effects of individual components of the diet), or looking at things that change more quickly – such as cholesterol levels – which are themselves thought to be associated with disease.

However, a team at the University of Glasgow have developed a new way of measuring subtle changes in heart health that can happen over only a few weeks, by looking at changes in the patterns of proteins excreted in peoples’ urine: a technique known as proteomics. The changes they are measuring are of the disease itself, which they can pick up before there are any physical symptoms — so it is far more accurate a method than measuring something that is just supposed to be associated with the disease, such as cholesterol levels.

The Study

Drs Bill Mullen and Emilie Combet Aspray recruited 70 volunteers, who all donated a sample of urine. They were then split into two groups – one group were given a supply of extra virgin olive oil, and one group ‘normal’ olive oil. Neither they, nor the research team, knew which oil they were being given. Each person had to take 20ml of olive oil a day (about 2 dessert spoons full) raw.

After both 3 and 6 weeks of taking the oil, all the volunteers gave more urine samples. Each urine sample was analysed for its protein ‘fingerprint’, getting a ‘score’ for the degree of heart disease that it indicated. That allowed the team to get an average ‘heart disease score’ for each group (those taking the extra virgin olive oil and those taking the normal olive oil) at baseline, 3 weeks and 6 weeks.

The Results

The average measure of coronary artery disease for both groups fell significantly at both 3 weeks, and again at 6 weeks after taking the olive oil.

The fall in heart disease markers seen in volunteers taking extra virgin olive oil (red) and ‘normal’ olive oil (green) over 6 weeks. (The CAD score is a score of coronary artery disease where -1 is completely healthy and 1 is symptomatic disease)

How To Build Extra Virgin Olive Oil Into A Healthy Diet

Extra Virgin olive oil is the go-to cooking oil for health-conscious food lovers and those wanting to cook healthily and lose weight. Mostly everyone who has ever read about a diet or has looked up for healthy food recipes is familiar with olive oil and its heart-healthy properties. But the wonders of extra virgin olive oil like Morocco Gold are much more than just protecting the heart from risks of attacks. The demand for high quality extra virgin olive has increased in the last few years, thanks to growth in the health-conscious populace of the world.

But did you know that having a shot of extra virgin olive oil, the first thing in the morning, has a lot of health benefits too?

Polyphenols : The Magic Ingredient In Morocco Gold Extra Virgin Olive Oil

The level of polyphenols present in Morocco Gold varies slightly from year to year, depending on a range of factors, weather, time of harvesting and processing etc.

This year we are pleased to say the level of polyphenols is the highest we have yet seen. The breakdown is:

So How Much Should I Take?

Morocco Gold Extra Virgin Olive Oil bottle size is 500ml (16.9 fl.Oz.USA). There are around 35 tablespoons in each bottle (1 tbs. = 14.3ml).

Our latest harvest polyphenol content is 644 mg / kg.

2-3 tablespoon will therefore deliver between 36.8 and 55.2 mg/kg per day

European Food Safety Agency Recommendation

The European Food Safety Agency regulation states that extra virgin olive oil with a polyphenol level of 250mg / kg and above can make health claims. However it is also very specific about which polyphenols this applies to. It specifically states that this must include hydroxytyrosol and its derivites, (oleuropein and tyrosol). So long as these polyphenols are present, the beneficial effects can be obtained with a daily intake of around 20ml of olive oil.

At this level of polyphenol, 1 tablespoon will have around 7.1 mg/kg (250 / 35) So to get the health benefits you would need to take around 3 tablespoons per day.

Because our concentration of polyphenol is much higher than the standard, you will get the associated health benefits with around 2 tablespoons per day.

The Health Benefits Of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Due to the numerous health benefits of olive oil, it is typically used in cooking, but eating it raw is even healthier. A lot of health experts recommend eating olive oil in the morning, here’s why:

The idea of consuming olive oil this way comes from the Mediterranean diet, which, despite its share of naysayers, has been found to be effective. Olive oil has an acid called oleic acid, which gives the feeling of fullness and promotes the feeling of satiety.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil Aids Detoxification

The idea of a digestive cleanse has been denounced by some health experts. But as per few experts, an olive oil and lemon detox cleanse has benefits for the digestive system in the short term.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil Helps Prevent Colon Cancer

According to various studies, drinking extra virgin olive oil may prevent the formation of free radicals in the body, and reduce the incidence of colon cancer. This is because olive oil is full of antioxidants.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil Help Promote Healthy Skin

Anything full of antioxidants is always great for the skin. Just like Vitamin E, antioxidants also slow the ageing of skin. Olive oil has an abundance of both of these.

Source: ndtv.com

Olive Oil Versus Vegetable Oil : Which Is Best For Your Heart?

^{Updated November 29th 2022}

• Comparing Olive Oil versus vegetable oil reveals some important differences in their health benefits
• Extra virgin olive oil and vegetable oil are both common cooking oils
• Olive oil is more closely linked to benefits for heart health
• Extra virgin olive oil is high in antioxidants
• Extra virgin olive contains mostly unsaturated fat which can reduce harmful cholesterol

Extra virgin olive oil and vegetable oil are two of the most common types of cooking oil. They both have their pros and cons, but which one is better for your heart?

 Extra virgin olive oil is made from pure, cold-pressed olives. It’s packed with antioxidants and has been shown to boost levels of “good” HDL cholesterol and protect against heart disease. vegetable oil, on the other hand, is usually a blend of different oils like soybean, corn, or sunflower oil. It’s relatively low in saturated fat and has a high smoke point, making it ideal for frying. So, which one should you choose? If you’re looking for a heart-healthy option, extra virgin olive oil is the way to go.

Olive Oil vs Vegetable Oil: Which Is Healthier Overall?

As explained in a great article from Healthline, not all olive oils are the same. In fact;

The degree of processing that an oil undergoes not only affects its flavor but also its nutritional composition.

While both olive and vegetable oils contain unsaturated fatty acids, olive oil contains higher amounts of monounsaturated fats like oleic acid, linoleic acid, and palmitic acid. Vegetable oil contains mostly omega-6 polyunsaturated fats.

The exceptionally high quality of Morocco Gold extra virgin olive oil is the result of care and attention to detail throughout the entire production process.

This results in a truly premium quality extra virgin olive oil with a very high polyphenol count and low acidity – a benefit to both the taste and health benefits of the olive oil.

In fact, this year’s 2022 Harvest of Morocco Gold has a truly exceptional polyphenol count of 644mg/kg and an acidity level of 0.28% – enviable by any standards!

Olive Oil Versus Vegetable Oil: The Case For Health Boosting Antioxidants

As Healthline explains, Extra virgin olive oil — the least processed type of olive oil — is rich in antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds like tocopherols, carotenoids, and polyphenols. Minimally refined olive oil also maintains some micronutrients, such as vitamins E and K

On the other hand, the refining process used to make vegetable oil destroys micronutrients, antioxidants, and beneficial plant compounds, including tocopherols, phytosterols, polyphenols, and coenzyme Q. In contrast to the heart health benefits of olive oil, vegetable oils are typically high in unhealthy saturated fats and can actually increase the risk of heart disease. So if you’re looking for a healthy cooking oil, extra virgin olive oil is the way to go.

No matter what style of food you cook you’re bound to have a bottle of cooking oil lurking in the cupboard. Whether it’s used to roast a tray of vegetables or make a tasty salad dressing, vegetable oil is a kitchen staple.

The reason there are so many different types of oils is because they can be extracted from a wide range of seeds, nuts, legumes, plant fruits and grains. E.g. sunflower seeds, walnuts, soybeans, olives and grains like rice can all be used to produce vegetable oils.

Unsaturated Fat vs. Saturated Fat : What Are The Healthiest Oils?

Not all oils are created equal. Importantly, each oil can vary in the type and ratio of different fats that they contain. 

The healthiest oils are those which mostly contain heart-healthy unsaturated fats.  Foods which are rich in these heart-healthy fats like nuts, seeds, avocado, olives and vegetable oils help to reduce levels of harmful cholesterol (low density lipoprotein – LDL) in the blood.  

In comparison, palm oil and coconut oil are high in saturated fat which increases LDL cholesterol and risk of heart disease. In recent years, coconut oil has become more popular and although using small amounts to add flavour is ok, it’s a good idea to choose another oil like olive oil as a main cooking oil.

How Are Oils Produced?

‘Cold-pressing’  is when the oil is extracted without any heat and is used to produce oils like extra virgin olive oil and avocado oil. ‘Hot-pressing’ is similar but the oil is extracted with heat and pressure. These processing techniques result in a less-processed oil which is higher in antioxidants with most of the flavour and colour retained. Although these oils are nutritionally better, they are also more expensive because they are costly to produce.

‘Refined oils’ are extracted using a solvent which is then followed by a refining, bleaching and deodorising process₁. These steps reduce the flavour, odour and colour of the original oil and also partially remove some of the antioxidants. These oils are usually cheaper and are often more stable at higher temperatures. Many of the oils on supermarket shelves are refined oils like soya bean, canola, rice bran and grapeseed oils.

Olive Oil Vs Vegetable Oil: Which is the best oil to cook with?

High temperature cooking methods (like frying and deep-frying) can cause the oil to break down and produce chemicals like peroxides and aldehydes which are potentially harmful to our health.

Olive Oil Has a Low Smoke Point

The ‘smoke point’ of an oil is the temperature at which it starts to smoke and break down and produce potentially harmful free radicals. Contrary to some beliefs, however, high quality extra virgin olive oil such as Morocco Gold is a great choice for many cooking methods as its smoke point is somewhere around 374 – 405 °F (190–207°C).  As explained by the Olive Wellness Institute, Extra Virgin Olive Oil contains high levels of natural antioxidants.  These antioxidants protect the naturally stable oil when heated, making Extra Virgin Olive Oil a very health option to cook with (including deep frying, pan frying, sauteing and oven baking).

You can be a lot more flexible with the type of oil you use for salad dressings, sauces or for drizzling over pasta because the oil isn’t being heated.

New Study Claims Med Diet Reduces Heart Disease Risk By 25%

^{Updated March 21st 2023}

Women who follow the principles of The Mediterranean Diet can reduce their risk of Cardiovascular Disease and death by nearly 25%, according to new research.

Contents:

• Study links reduced risk of heart disease in women with Mediterranean Diet
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil And The Mediterranean Diet
• Mediterranean Diet Prevents Repeat Heart Attacks And Strokes
• Benefits of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Fatty Fish, and Nuts For Your Heart
• Morocco Gold Extra Virgin Olive Oil For Cardiovascular Health
• Improve Your Health Using A Premium Extra Vigin Olive Oil

The study, which was carried out by the University of Sydney in Australia and reported in the BMJ, explored links between diet and cardiovascular disease, which accounts for more than a third of all deaths in women worldwide.

Researchers analysed previous research and clinical trials that looked at the impact of eating a Mediterranean diet – known for including extra virgin olive oil as a healthy fat – on women’s health. The studies involved more than 700,000 women whose cardiovascular health was monitored for an average of 12.5 years, according to a news release.

The study found that strict adherence to a Mediterranean diet was associated with a 24% lower risk of cardiovascular disease among women, and a 23% lower risk of mortality from any cause.

“This study supports a beneficial effect of the Mediterranean diet on primary prevention of CVD and death in women, and is an important step in enabling sex specific guidelines,” the authors wrote.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil And The Mediterranean Diet

The Mediterranean Diet has been proven to significantly reduce the risk of heart disease. The Mediterranean Diet is high in fiber, fruits, vegetables, legumes, and extra virgin olive oil.

Mediterranean-style cooking consists of ingredients that are naturally rich in monounsaturated fats, which are beneficial for long-term health. Extra Virgin Olive Oil is also packed full of antioxidants to prevent cellular damage in the body.

Mediterranean Diet Prevents Repeat Heart Attacks And Strokes

The Mediterranean Diet could be the best choice for patients with established coronary heart disease, according to a new study published in The Lancet.

According to the research, monitoring over 1,000 cardiovascular patients for seven years, the rate of recurrence in those on the Mediterranean diet was between 25% and 30% lower than normal.

Dr López Miranda, who led the research, said the study showed that in patients with coronary disease, the Mediterranean diet has a greater effect on preventing recurrence than the low-fat diet, and Dr Delgado Lista, of the University of Cordoba, agreed that the results were of major significance for everyday clinical practice.

The Mediterranean Diet is known for its reliance on healthy monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fats, primarily sourced from extra virgin olive oil.

As reported by SurinEnglish, lifestyle is a major factor in preventing the occurrence and recurrence of cardiovascular events, combined with medication and other procedures.

In a further report on the survey by tctmd.com, the latest CORDIOPREV is the only trial in the past 23 years which compares the Mediterranean diet against another eating pattern for secondary prevention.

“To our knowledge, this study is the most extensive to date evaluating the effects of a Mediterranean diet and a low-fat diet in the prevention of recurrent cardiovascular events in the context of two high-intensity dietary interventions,” write Javier Delgado-Lista, MD (Hospital Universitario Reina Sofia, Córdoba, Spain), and colleagues May 4, 2022, in the Lancet.

It follows the landmark PREDIMED study, which was first published in 2013, established the Mediterranean diet for the primary prevention of major cardiovascular events.

Benefits of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Fatty Fish, and Nuts For Your Heart

For the Mediterranean diet, participants consumed 35% of their calories from fat, mostly monounsaturated (22%) and polyunsaturated fat (6%). Protein made up 15% of the diet and the remaining calories were comprised of carbohydrates (< 50%). The diet included 40 to 60 g of extra-virgin olive oil, three or more servings of especially fatty fish per week, and three or more servings of nuts per week, among other foods. Wine was optional, but if participants were habitual wine drinkers, it was capped at one to two glasses per day for women and men, respectively.

For the low-fat diet, less than 30% of calories were derived from fat, 15% from protein, and 55% or more from complex carbohydrates. Participants ate low-fat dairy two or three times per day and chose lean fish instead of fatty kinds. Nuts were limited, as was EVOO. Instead, the intervention recommended only 20 to 30 g of sunflower or regular olive oil. Wine was not allowed.

No physical activity was prescribed, nor was any type of caloric restriction. To make sure patients adhered to the diet, they had face-to-face visits with dieticians, internists, or cardiologists every 6 months, group sessions every 3 months, and telephone calls every 2 months. In total, participants had at least 12 interactions with the study team each year.

After 7 years of follow-up, there were 198 primary outcome events: 17.3% in the Mediterranean arm and 22.2% in the low-fat group. In the unadjusted and adjusted models, the Mediterranean diet was associated with a significantly lower risk of the primary endpoint. Adjusted for age and sex alone, eating the diet rich in EVOO, fatty fish, and nuts was associated with a 26.2% lower risk of the primary outcome (P = 0.034). In the fully adjusted model, the Mediterranean diet lowered the risk of the primary outcome by 28.1% compared with the low-fat diet (P = 0.024). The was no significant difference in the risk of any of the primary endpoint’s individual components.

In 2021, the American Heart Association (AHA) issued new lifestyle and dietary recommendations that focus on dietary patterns as opposed to individual foods or nutrients. They recommend people eat mostly plants for protein but also fish and seafood. While the AHA doesn’t explicitly push the Mediterranean diet, they do say that this diet can help people achieve healthy dietary patterns.

Morocco Gold Extra Virgin Olive Oil For Cardiovascular Health

Olive oil may help lower the risk of heart disease, according to preliminary research that also showed it was beneficial as a substitute for butter or mayonnaise.

“Previous studies have linked high consumption of olive oil with better cardiovascular health, particularly in Mediterranean countries where olive oil intake is much higher than in the United States,” lead study author Marta Guasch-Ferre said in a news release.

“Our aim was to investigate whether higher olive oil consumption was beneficial to heart health in the U.S. population,” said Guasch-Ferre, a research scientist in the department of nutrition at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston.

The study, presented Thursday at the American Heart Association’s Epidemiology and Prevention/Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health Scientific Sessions, examined 63,867 women and 35,512 men from 1990 to 2014. All participants were free of cancer, heart disease and other chronic diseases at the start of the study. Every four years, they answered questionnaires about their diet and lifestyle.

Researchers found those who ate more than half a tablespoon of olive oil each day had a 15% lower risk of having any kind of cardiovascular disease and a 21% lower risk of coronary heart disease. Replacing one teaspoon of butter, margarine, mayonnaise or dairy fat with the same amount of olive oil lowered the risk of cardiovascular disease by 5% and coronary heart disease by 7%. However, consuming more olive oil didn’t impact stroke risk.

Although olive oil proved to be healthier than butter and margarine, it did not present more benefits than other plant oils like corn, canola, safflower and soybean.

“One interesting thing our study shows is that although olive oil was better than most animal fats and margarine, it was not superior to vegetable oils in this study population,” Guasch-Ferre said. “This means that replacing any type of animal fat with vegetable oils, including olive oil but also others, could be a good strategy to improve cardiovascular health.”

Researchers noted many margarines contained substantial amounts of trans fatty acids when the study began in 1990, so the results may not apply to vegetable margarines now available.

The findings were observational, which means they don’t prove cause-and-effect. However, small intervention studies have found replacing animal fats with olive oil has a beneficial effect on fat levels in the blood.

“Future research is needed to investigate the mechanisms behind this association as well as the effects of other vegetable oils on heart health”

Marta Guasch-Ferre

The results, also published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, provide further reason to incorporate more plant-based foods into our daily diets, said nutrition expert Penny Kris-Etherton.

“Using vegetable oils in cooking and in salads makes good sense,” Kris-Etherton said in a news release. She is a distinguished professor of nutrition at Pennsylvania State University and chair of the AHA’s Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health Council. “Research has overwhelmingly found that diets that are rich in plant-based foods, including healthier vegetable oils such as olive, safflower, corn and many others, can significantly benefit heart health,” she said.

Olive Oil Consumption and Cardiovascular Risk in U.S. Adults

Background: 

Olive oil intake has been associated with lower risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) in Mediterranean populations, but little is known about these associations in the U.S population.

Objectives: 

This study sought to examine whether olive oil intake is associated with total CVD, coronary heart disease (CHD), and stroke risk.

Methods: 

This study included 61,181 women from the Nurses’ Health Study (1990 to 2014) and 31,797 men from the Health Professionals Follow-up Study (1990 to 2014) who were free of cancer, heart disease, and stroke at baseline. Diet was assessed using food frequency questionnaires at baseline and then every 4 years. Cox proportional hazards regressions were used to estimate hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs).

Results: 

During 24 years of follow-up, this study documented 9,797 incident cases of CVD, including 6,034 CHD cases and 3,802 stroke cases. After adjusting for major diet and lifestyle factors, compared with nonconsumers, those with higher olive oil intake (>0.5 tablespoon/day or >7 g/day) had 14% lower risk of CVD (pooled HR: 0.86; 95% CI: 0.79 to 0.94) and 18% lower risk of CHD (pooled HR: 0.82; 95% CI: 0.73 to 0.91). No significant associations were observed for total or ischemic stroke. Replacing 5 g/day of margarine, butter, mayonnaise, or dairy fat with the equivalent amount of olive oil was associated with 5% to 7% lower risk of total CVD and CHD. No significant associations were observed when olive oil was compared with other plant oils combined. In a subset of participants, higher olive oil intake was associated with lower levels of circulating inflammatory biomarkers and a better lipid profile.

Conclusions: 

Higher olive oil intake was associated with lower risk of CHD and total CVD in 2 large prospective cohorts of U.S. men and women. The substitution of margarine, butter, mayonnaise, and dairy fat with olive oil could lead to lower risk of CHD and CVD.

Keywords: 

Cardiovascular disease; coronary heart disease; olive oil; plant oils; stroke.

Source: Heart.org

Why Can Extra Virgin Olive Oil Reduce Your Risk Of Stroke?

^{Updated 13th March 2023}

SUMMARY:

• As Stroke Awareness Month takes place, a great way to help reduce your risk of stroke is to increase extra virgin olive oil in your diet.
• Extra virgin olive oil has been shown to contain beneficial polyphenols, providing various health benefits. Studies have linked extra virgin olive oil consumption with lower risks of stroke and cardiovascular disease.
• Alongside these benefits, extra virgin olive oil also helps substitute unhealthy fats your body would otherwise absorb from other oils when cooking.
• With countless options of extra virgin olive oil on the market today, it is important to make sure you are getting the best quality for maximum nutritional value.
• Morocco Gold extra virgin olive oil provides optimal benefits such as full flavor and unbeatable health properties making this extra virgin olive oil an incredibly powerful dietary addition.

CONTENTS:

• Extra Virgin Olive Oil Linked To Reduced Risk Of Stroke
• Stroke Prevention: Dietary Choices Matter
• Monounsaturated Fats
• What Is It in Extra Virgin Olive Oil That Reduces Our Risk Of Stroke?
• Health Benefits of Polyphenol Oleuropein

Extra Virgin Olive Oil Linked To Reduced Risk Of Stroke

Stroke Awareness Month takes place throughout May, with an aim to raise awareness of the causes and signs of Stroke and offer support to anyone affected by this all-too-common condition.

At Morocco Gold, we wanted to do our part to mark Stroke Awareness Month by sharing research linking adherence to a Mediterranean Diet with reduced risk of stroke.

A Mediterranean Diet is known for its emphasis on  fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, beans, nuts, and of course extra virgin olive oil.

According to advice from Stroke.org.uk, you can reduce your risk of stroke by getting a good variety of fruit, vegetables, starchy food and protein in your diet.

Included in their guidance on how to eat a healthier diet is the following:

“We all need small amounts of fat and sugar in our diets, but too much can lead to weight problems. Food that has been fried in butter, oil or ghee will contain high amounts of fat. Use vegetable, nut and olive-based oils instead.”

The British Journal Of Nutrition

According to The British Journal of Nutrition, consuming Extra Virgin Olive Oil – which can account for up to 20% of calories in Mediterranean diets – is linked to a significantly reduced risk of stroke.

Stroke Prevention: Dietary Choices Matter

Stroke prevention is a massive challenge on a global scale.  Every year, more than 795,000 people in the United States have a stroke.  But, there are some simple changes you can make to your diet that have the potential to make a significant difference.  Eat This, Not That reports that turning to olive oil as a monounsaturated fat source may be a wise step in reducing stroke.  One study – which looked at 841,000 people – showed that olive oil was the only source of monounsaturated fat associated with a reduced risk of stroke.

 Monounsaturated Fats

 If a pair of carbon atoms in the fatty acid chain is linked by a double bond instead of a single bond, the fatty acid is described as monounsaturated. Fats rich in monounsaturates tend to be liquid at room temperature. Olive Oil is one of the richest sources of monounsaturated fatty acids.

Monounsaturated fats—omega-6s in the case of olive oil—are important because they help boost heart health. This is important for helping prevent health issues such as cardiovascular disease or stroke.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil, like Morocco Gold, can reduce your risk of stroke by protecting against high blood pressure and cholesterol.  Another study from the University of Bordeaux in France asked 7,625 people over the age of 65 how often they used olive oil in their cooking.  After following up data from the participants medical records for the next five years, they discovered that stroke risk was 41% lower in those who regularly used olive oil compared to those who did not use it at all.

What Is It in Extra Virgin Olive Oil That Reduces Our Risk Of Stroke?

It is widely believed that the presence of polyphenols in extra virgin olive oil account for its ability to lower oxidized low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or ‘bad cholesterol’.  It is high cholesterol levels which are a known risk factor for stroke.

Beneficial roles of natural plant polyphenols in the human body have been well known for millenia. Their sources are fresh fruits, vegetables and certain processed plant foods.

Polyphenols have been reported to reduce morbidity and slow down the progression of cardiovascular, neurodegenerative and cancer diseases. 

Oleuropein, hydroxytyrosol, and their derivatives are polyphenolic compounds that are abundant in extra virgin olive oil. They are powerful antioxidants displaying anticancer, anti-angiogenic and anti-inflammatory properties.

Healthy blood pressure levels are an indicator of how clear the body’s arteries are. When blood pressure levels get out of balance, they can signal a potential heart attack or stroke. High bp levels are often caused by atherosclerosis, also called hardening of the arteries, which occurs when oxidized particles of LDL cholesterol stick to the walls of the arteries. Eventually these particles build up and form plaque, narrowing the blood vessels and putting a heavier workload on the heart as it pumps oxygenated blood to the entire body.

One of the specific compounds in extra virgin olive oil that directly combats this build-up is the polyphenol oleuropein. Oleuropein has been found by scientists to prevent the LDL cholesterol from oxidizing and sticking to the arterial walls.

 Oleuropein

Oleuropein is a natural phenolic compound found in olive leaves and green olives, including the olive’s skin and flesh, from which olive oil is transferred. It causes the bitter taste in Extra Virgin olive oil.

Health Benefits of Polyphenol Oleuropein

Oleuropein health benefits include anti-oxidant and natural anti-inflammatory activity, low blood glucose values and free radicals removal. In addition, oleuropein has been linked to cardioprotective and neuroprotective activity.

Oleuropein belongs to a group of coumarin derivative called secoiridoids. It was found to be effective against various strains of bacteria, viruses, fungi and also moulds or even parasites. Oral treatment with oleuropein results in a decreased number of blood vessels proving strong anti-angiogenic properties. Phenolic compounds (oleuropein, protocatechuic acid) in extra virgin olive oil have also been shown to inhibit macrophage-mediated LDL oxidation. Leaf and olive fruit extracts containing oleuropein protect insulin-producing β-cell line (INS-1) against the deleterious effect of cytokines.

Can The Best Extra Virgin Olive Oil Really Make Our Heart, Muscles and Bones Stronger?

_{Updated 13th March 2023}

SUMMARY:

• Extra virgin olive oil is arguably the best olive oil on the market, and it is well-known for its health benefits. And for those looking to get the most out of an active lifestyle, extra virgin olive oil is a vital addition to their diet as it has many health benefits.
• Extra virgin olive oil is made with fewer processes than other oils, preserving the valuable antioxidant polyphenols that are essential for improved muscle, bone, and heart health.
• Not only does extra virgin olive oil help reduce cholesterol and lower risk of heart disease, but its properties are also a great complement to muscle and bone development. Rich in antioxidant polyphenols, extra virgin olive oil helps fight inflammation, chronic diseases and other ailments. Its natural anti-inflammatory effects make extra virgin olive oil the best choice for active individuals.
• So, if you’re focusing on an active lifestyle – from athletes to outdoor professionals – extra virgin olive oil should certainly be included in your daily routine for optimal performance and health gains!
• With extra virgin olive oil as part of an active lifestyle, you can optimise your overall fitness and reach more ambitious workout results. From salads to sandwiches, extra virgin olive oil is a quick fix for meal times – adding much more than just taste!

CONTENTS:

• Why Include Extra Virgin Olive Oil As part Of Your Fitness Regime
• Polyphenols in Extra Virgin Olive Oil Help Muscle Recovery
• So How, Exactly, Does Extra Virgin Olive Oil Strengthen Your Body’s Athletic Performance?
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil And The Cardiovascular System

Why Include Extra Virgin Olive Oil As part Of Your Fitness Regime

Whether you are training for a competition or just building your fitness and strength for wellbeing and health, your results will be influenced by the diet you eat. 

Choosing foods which are rich in healthy fats, such as Extra Virgin Olive Oil, can help improve your body’s potential in many ways, including muscle recovery and increased energy levels.

This is particularly good news for runners who are considering following a Mediterranean diet to improve performance.   According to a recent report in Runner’s World,  the range of foods and good fats from nuts, seeds and extra virgin olive oil can benefit runners in a number of ways.

By substituting heavily processed fats in meats and refined grains with more fruit, vegetables and fish, runners can increase their carbohydrate intake, providing the quick-burning fuel that they need.

According to Lori Russell M.S., RD, CSSD, CPT :  “The boost to heart health and the cardiovascular system as a whole is the biggest benefit for athletes.”

One study found that following a Mediterranean Diet improved 5K running times when compared to eating a standard Western diet. The significant quantity of omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants obtained from eating the Mediterranean way can also potentially boost endurance energy and a person’s ability to stay mentally strong in performance, says Russell.

Polyphenols in Extra Virgin Olive Oil Help Muscle Recovery

The high antioxidant content in Extra Virgin Olive Oil, specifically the presence of polyphenols, can contribute to a quick recovery for athletes.

In the context of exercise performance, the primary role of polyphenols is to act as an antioxidant.  Exercise causes damage to muscle cells, releasing destructive free radicals into the circulatory system. Left unchecked, these highly reactive molecules can wreak havoc on cells and various bodily processes.

Antioxidant polyphenols neutralize free radicals by converting them into more stable molecules. Therefore, if you supplement with these powerful compounds, you can reduce oxidative damage from free radicals, decreasing overall damage and promoting faster recovery.

Additionally, the Mediterranean diet can even boost the health of the families of runners, according to a 2021 study in the International Journal of Obesity. Relatives of those who stuck to the diet for two years were more apt to lose weight, too.

So how, exactly, does Extra Virgin Olive Oil strengthen your body’s athletic performance?

So much has already been researched and written showing how an active lifestyle can reduce your risk of heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and Cancer – in some cases by up to 50 per cent.

But, if we take a step back and ask how we can help our bodies to be more active in the first place, simply with our nutritional choices.  By choosing the best olive oil we can afford, we are giving our body and mind an essential fuel.

Olive oil is now probably the most widely researched superfood on the planet and its many health benefits are evidence based and well understood. Thanks to the recent spotlight on the Mediterranean Diet, extensive research has been done on the phytonutrient composition of olive oil. What has been discovered is an extensive list of phytonutrients; one of the most praised is its polyphenols. The amount of polyphenols found in Extra Virgin Olive Oil is truly amazing!

Several of the polyphenols found in olive oil including hydroxytyrosol, oleuropein and luteolin have shown to be especially helpful in avoiding unhealthy blood clotting by keeping our blood platelets in check.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil And The Cardiovascular System

Lowering your risk of cardiovascular problems is an area upon which several recent studies on Extra Virgin Olive Oil have focused. Chronic inflammation is a risk factor for many types of cardiovascular disease, and – as we have noted above – Extra Virgin Olive Oil has well-documented anti-inflammatory properties.

One place we don’t want excessive ongoing inflammation is within our blood vessels. Our blood supply is just too important for maintaining the health of all our body systems, and it cannot effective support our body systems when compromised with ongoing inflammation. Given this relationship, it’s not surprising to see cardiovascular benefits of Extra Virgin Olive Oil rising to the top of the health benefits provided by this remarkable oil.

From a variety of different research perspectives we know that daily intake of Extra Virgin Olive Oil in amounts as low as one tablespoon per day reduces inflammatory processes within our blood vessels. By reducing these processes, Extra Virgin Olive Oil also reduces our risk of inflammation-related cardiovascular diseases like atherosclerosis.

Yet anti-inflammatory benefits are not the only cardiovascular benefits provided by Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Two other broad types of heart-related benefits are well documented for this oil. The first type is lessened risk of forming unwanted blood clots. While blood clotting is a natural and healthy process required for the healing of wounds and prevention of excessive bleeding, clotting in the arteries can ultimately result in a heart attack or stroke.

One risk factor for unwanted clotting in our arteries is excessive clumping together of our platelet blood cells. This clumping process is also called “aggregation.” Regular incorporation of Extra Virgin Olive Oil into a meal plan has been shown to lessen the risk of this excessive aggregation, and the reason that researchers refer to Extra Virgin Olive Oil as an “anti-aggregatory” oil.

The other broad area of cardiovascular benefits involves improved levels of circulating fats in our bloodstream, as well as protection of those fats from oxygen-related damage. Decreased levels of total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol following consumption of Extra Virgin Olive Oil are findings are the vast majority of studies that have analysed this relationship. Yet equally important, the cholesterol molecules that remain in our blood also appear to be better protected from oxygen-related damage (oxidation). Since fats and cholesterol belong to a broader technical category called “lipids,” damage to the fats and cholesterol in our blood stream is typically referred to as “lipid peroxidation.” And it is precisely this lipid peroxidation process that gets reduced through incorporation of Extra Virgin Olive Oil into a meal plan.