Culinary Experts Encourage Use Of Extra Virgin Olive Oils Like Morocco Gold In US Dietary Habits
A key collaboration between The International Olive Council and the Culinary Institute of America will aim to highlight the importance of extra virgin olive oil as a key component of the Mediterranean diet.
As reported in The Olive Oil Times, the two influential organizations will work together to raise awareness of the benefits of extra virgin olive oil as part of a plant based diet.
The initiative, which also involves the Menus of Change University Research Collaborative will include the launch of a digital media campaign entitled ‘Olive Oil and the Plant-Forward Kitchen’.
Abundant scientific evidence indicates that shifting to a more plant-forward diet will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions from food production, mitigate climate change and cut water usage.
The Culinary Institute of America
It is understood that the campaign will be partly based on the 2019 white paper published by the IOC and CIA which set out a number of strategies to promote the consumption of extra virgin olive oil and a plant-based diet.
The messaging around the campaign will focus on raising awareness among both consumers and the hospitality industry of how to intertwine olive oil into culinary habits across the USA, including plant-forward cooking and influencing menu trends in American cooking.
This may, for example, include encouraging chefs to make sauces derived from plants instead of meat and some of the best spices and aromatics to add flavour to olive-oil based sauces.
The CIA told The Olive Oil Times; “Abundant scientific evidence indicates that shifting to a more plant-forward diet will help reduce greenhouse gas emissions from food production, mitigate climate change and cut water usage.”
Extra Virgin Olive Oil Is Crucial Component Of Plant Based Diets
Quality extra virgin olive oils such as Morocco Gold are known to play a vital role in plant-based diet choices – which are growing in popularity globally.
A new study as added weight to the belief that opting for a plant-based diet – with low-saturated fat – can reduce your risk of coronary heart disease and stroke.
The research, conducted by The University of Minnesota, followed more than 4,700 people over 30 years, found that a plant-centred diet was associated with a lower long-term risk for cardiovascular disease than simply relying on a traditional ‘low-fat’ diet.
To remain healthy, we need moderate amounts of the right type of fats eaten as part of a good, balanced diet. However, a high fat intake and in particular, a high intake of saturated fats is associated with raised blood cholesterol and coronary heart disease.
“Since 1980, dietary guidelines in the United States and in Europe have recommended eating low amounts of saturated fat because of the high rates of heart disease in these regions,” said research team leader David Jacobs, PhD, from the University of Minnesota. “This is not necessarily wrong, but our study shows that plant-centered diets can also lower bad cholesterol and may be even better at addressing heart disease risk.”
As reported in Webmd.com, researchers conducted three detailed diet history interviews over the follow-up period and then calculated scores for each using the A Priori Diet Quality Score (APDQS). Higher APDQS scores were associated with higher intake of nutritionally rich plant foods and less high-fat meats. While those who consumed less saturated fats and plant-centered diets had lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL) levels, or lower levels of “bad” cholesterol, only the latter diet was also associated with a lower risk of heart disease and stroke over the long term.
Morocco Gold Extra Virgin Olive Oil And Sustainability
We at Morocco Gold extra virgin olive oil are passionately committed to strengthening a sustainable UK-Morocco Business partnership. We recently became members of the Scottish African Business Association (SABA) to learn more about the tremendous business opportunities opening up between Scotland and Africa.
Morocco Gold exemplifies natural, sustainable agricultural methods. With new olive trees planted annually, this remarkable valley will be producing high quality extra virgin olive oil for centuries to come. This extensive tree planting is also good for the environment and sustainable in the long term.
A recent study by researchers from the University of Oxford and the University of Minnesota demonstrated that foods which are considered to be healthy, such as whole-grain cereals, fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, and olive oil, also have the lowest environmental impact. The researchers found that “while there is substantial variation in the health outcomes of different foods, foods associated with a larger reduction in disease risk for one health outcome are often associated with larger reductions in disease risk for other health outcomes. Likewise, foods with lower impacts on one metric of environmental harm tend to have lower impacts on others”.
Additionally, of the foods associated with improved health (whole grain cereals, fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts, olive oil, and fish), all except fish have among the lowest environmental impacts.
This extensive research by Michael A Clark, Marco Springmann, Jason Hill, and David Tilman, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) shows that eating healthier also means eating more sustainably and reveals a clear link between healthy food and environmental sustainability.
