Is olive oil good for you ?

baieuehg · 11-29-2011, 05:09 AM

Does eating olive oil have any health benefits.

I'm a little overweight and need to lose a few pounds. I like butter with my bread in the morning and am thinking of switching to olive oil.

I'm aware that olive oil is much better than butter but is the benefit from switchng from butter.Or does olive oil have properties which improves health?

Lisssssa · 11-29-2011, 01:08 PM

Olive oil is generally better for you, versus butter and other dairy products. It's been shown to help with cholesterol balance (dec LDL and inc HDL), and decrease risk of cardiovascular disease. It contains a lot of antioxidants and contains the "good" fats (also it is considered an anti-inflammatory food, I think).

One thing to be careful of is calories. It's much easier to eat a bigger serving size with olive oil than with butter, since you're dipping it, soaking it, etc. You can easily double your calories with the switch. So I'd say measure out your olive oil and make sure you're not increasing your calories... in general, keeping your calories constant, I'd say it is a much healthier choice. (Dairy is just generally not that great for you).

Another option is a dairy-free spread like Earth Balance, which is made from oils and has shown similar cardiovascular benefits.

tandoorichicken · 11-30-2011, 08:48 PM

If you're a "little" overweight switching from butter to olive oil, calorie for calorie, isn't going to make a more than negligible difference. In the amount required for bread spread or even dipping, the difference is less than a few dozen calories difference between monounsaturated and saturated fat.

If you're switching because of a taste preference, though, then by all means go for it.

Rubystars · 12-04-2011, 03:05 AM

Weight is all about calories. Just find out what you should be eating to maintain your goal weight and eat that or a little less than that.

Meggietye · 12-16-2011, 03:56 PM

I don't eat spreads as a habit, but as a treat. A tasty way to enjoy olive oil is on toast with oregano sprinkled on top...delicious!! Make sure you buy a fresh package of oregano so the oils in it are flavorful..ok..now I want some...hahaha

VitoVino · 12-16-2011, 04:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Meggietye

I don't eat spreads as a habit, but as a treat. A tasty way to enjoy olive oil is on toast with oregano sprinkled on top...delicious!! Make sure you buy a fresh package of oregano so the oils in it are flavorful..ok..now I want some...hahaha

Great tip! I never thought about this. I've dipped regular italian bread in olive oil before, and it's awesome of course, but since I gave up white bread I never looked back on a substitute. I'm going to try some olive oil on top of some toasted Arnold multigrain, and sprinkle some Braggs Organic Sprinkle on top. My mouth is watering just thinking about this treat.