The elixir of eternal life that you must take every day (but if it is of quality)
"I decided to change my usual breakfast for the golden drink to test the story." A professor of Genetic Epidemiology explores the real benefits of olive oil
Sometimes they come in jars although it is more common bottling. And yes, the container weighs considerably less. (iStock)
Tim Spector, professor of Genetic Epidemiology at Kings College in London, posed a challenge: to change his daily breakfast of fruit and yogurt for a cup of the commonly known liquid gold. After reading and analyzing different scientific investigations, the expert was convinced that the consumption of olive oil could help him to extend his life, and began his new diet.
"At first I felt nauseous and dizzy. My attempt to follow a week intensive olive oil diet did not start well, "says the teacher in 'The Conversation':" It was eight in the morning and had a stomach full with just a small glass of golden liquid specially chosen by some Spanish friends like the Arbequina variety, a soft extra virgin olive oil. Dipping a toast of hot bread on it before dinner is one thing, but drinking it in the morning was just something completely different. "
A light and oily breakfast
Spector decided to start this new food habit with the aim of emulating the diets followed by fishermen from Crete in the 1960s, who had a glass of olive oil before going through a hard day of physical labor. According to different scientific studies, it seems that fasting oil consumption lengthens the longevity of people notably, and the teacher did not think to miss the opportunity to get such an incredible benefit.
It is believed that taking a spoonful or a small cup of olive oil fasting helps improve the functioning of the digestive system, reduces the formation of gallstones and helps dissolve and expel stones, lose weight and may even be useful for quitting smoking or as a natural means to fight the hangover.
Consuming extra virgin olive oil as part of a Mediterranean diet is clearly beneficial in Spanish adults
"I decided to change my usual breakfast of yogurt and fruit for the golden drink to test the story." After half an hour of swallowing the first glass, he woke up lying on the floor. He had fainted. His attempt to feed himself as a Cretan seemed to fade within a few minutes of starting, but his true belief in the health benefits of olive oil remained strong.
Of course it does not work with any oil. The expert insists that we can not skimp on our budget and consume low quality oil. If what we want is to extend our life we can not opt for the low ranges, we must drink a glass of extra virgin olive oil or the effort will not help.
Mediterranean diet, low in fat?
Although in Spain and in neighboring countries such as Italy or Greece its consumption is daily and in relatively high amounts (about 13 liters per year are calculated per person), in others such as Great Britain or the USA barely an annual liter of oil per citizen is achieved.
Although many studies have called it unhealthy because it is high in calories and fats, the fact is that the populations in which the greatest quantities of olive oil are consumed -concentrated especially in southern Europe- live longer and suffer less heart disease. And that supposedly ingest more fats. The researchers point to olive oil as the main fuel for a healthier and longer life.
Dramatization of Spector's breakfast. (iStock)
A proven medicine in Spanish
About ten years ago, an ambitious and unique research was carried out in our country to demonstrate the benefits of olive oil. For this, there were 7,500 men and women who were overweight and at risk of heart disease and diabetes. Randomly divided into two groups, for five years followed strictly two different diets, respectively: a low fat recommended by most doctors in Western countries and another Mediterranean, rich in fat, extra virgin olive oil and nuts.
The study published in the 'New England Journal of Medicine' in 2013 showed that the group that had followed the Mediterranean diet were a third less likely to develop heart disease, diabetes and stroke than those who followed a diet low in fat. Not only that, they also lost more weight than the others and showed a more developed memory.
After analyzing the state of health of a large group of people over a long period of time, not just for a couple of weeks like so many other scientific studies, the researchers came to the conclusion that olive oil -always as a leading ingredient in a Mediterranean diet full of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes and dairy products like yogurt and cheese - it was really beneficial for the health of those who consumed it.
Look carefully at the one you choose because it is not worth using any oil. (iStock)
Expensive savings that come out
The people in charge of the study emphasized the importance of consuming a quality olive oil, of the extra virgin range, since they did not find any benefit in those of cheap brands. As the professor explains, "the difference between the degrees of oil is not only found in a greater or lesser acidity, freshness and more or less intense flavor, but in the amount of chemical substances released by the so-called polyphenols", responsible for the characteristics beneficial for the heart, the prevention of cardiovascular diseases and even some types of cancer such as breast cancer, according to different studies.
Extra virgin olive oil has about 30 polyphenols that act as natural antioxidants reducing inflammation and also helping to reduce the effects of aging of the skin, but also of the heart and brain. "Until recently it was thought that they acted directly on genes and blood vessels, but it seems that they also work through the intestinal microbes that make up our microbiota: the set of microorganisms and bacteria that live in the large intestine and feed on polyphenols producing other small chemical elements (short chain fatty acids) that cushion inflammation and help our immune system, "sums up the expert.
Dipping a toast of hot bread in olive oil before dinner is one thing, but drinking it in the morning just another totally different
Although the critics of olive oil assure that consuming it at high temperatures may be responsible for the development of potential carcinogens for the organism, the fact is that the Spanish participants in the study cooked regularly with oil at low and high temperatures without negative consequences for health. It is true that an investigation carried out in the Faculty of Pharmacy of the UPV / EHU indicated that in reheated oils there may be the presence of "alpha-beta unsaturated oxygenated aldehydes", substances considered as potential causal agents of diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer's or Parkinson's.
"Consuming extra virgin olive oil as part of a Mediterranean diet is clearly beneficial in Spanish adults. And, although the genes partially control the longevity, there is no reason to think that it would not work in other cultures and populations, "says Spector, who is convinced that if you start to educate people on the consumption of oil from small They could keep your digestive system in better condition.
"I decided to change my usual breakfast for the golden drink to test the story." A professor of Genetic Epidemiology explores the real benefits of olive oil
Sometimes they come in jars although it is more common bottling. And yes, the container weighs considerably less. (iStock)
Tim Spector, professor of Genetic Epidemiology at Kings College in London, posed a challenge: to change his daily breakfast of fruit and yogurt for a cup of the commonly known liquid gold. After reading and analyzing different scientific investigations, the expert was convinced that the consumption of olive oil could help him to extend his life, and began his new diet.
"At first I felt nauseous and dizzy. My attempt to follow a week intensive olive oil diet did not start well, "says the teacher in 'The Conversation':" It was eight in the morning and had a stomach full with just a small glass of golden liquid specially chosen by some Spanish friends like the Arbequina variety, a soft extra virgin olive oil. Dipping a toast of hot bread on it before dinner is one thing, but drinking it in the morning was just something completely different. "
A light and oily breakfast
Spector decided to start this new food habit with the aim of emulating the diets followed by fishermen from Crete in the 1960s, who had a glass of olive oil before going through a hard day of physical labor. According to different scientific studies, it seems that fasting oil consumption lengthens the longevity of people notably, and the teacher did not think to miss the opportunity to get such an incredible benefit.
It is believed that taking a spoonful or a small cup of olive oil fasting helps improve the functioning of the digestive system, reduces the formation of gallstones and helps dissolve and expel stones, lose weight and may even be useful for quitting smoking or as a natural means to fight the hangover.
Consuming extra virgin olive oil as part of a Mediterranean diet is clearly beneficial in Spanish adults
"I decided to change my usual breakfast of yogurt and fruit for the golden drink to test the story." After half an hour of swallowing the first glass, he woke up lying on the floor. He had fainted. His attempt to feed himself as a Cretan seemed to fade within a few minutes of starting, but his true belief in the health benefits of olive oil remained strong.
Of course it does not work with any oil. The expert insists that we can not skimp on our budget and consume low quality oil. If what we want is to extend our life we can not opt for the low ranges, we must drink a glass of extra virgin olive oil or the effort will not help.
Mediterranean diet, low in fat?
Although in Spain and in neighboring countries such as Italy or Greece its consumption is daily and in relatively high amounts (about 13 liters per year are calculated per person), in others such as Great Britain or the USA barely an annual liter of oil per citizen is achieved.
Although many studies have called it unhealthy because it is high in calories and fats, the fact is that the populations in which the greatest quantities of olive oil are consumed -concentrated especially in southern Europe- live longer and suffer less heart disease. And that supposedly ingest more fats. The researchers point to olive oil as the main fuel for a healthier and longer life.
Dramatization of Spector's breakfast. (iStock)
A proven medicine in Spanish
About ten years ago, an ambitious and unique research was carried out in our country to demonstrate the benefits of olive oil. For this, there were 7,500 men and women who were overweight and at risk of heart disease and diabetes. Randomly divided into two groups, for five years followed strictly two different diets, respectively: a low fat recommended by most doctors in Western countries and another Mediterranean, rich in fat, extra virgin olive oil and nuts.
The study published in the 'New England Journal of Medicine' in 2013 showed that the group that had followed the Mediterranean diet were a third less likely to develop heart disease, diabetes and stroke than those who followed a diet low in fat. Not only that, they also lost more weight than the others and showed a more developed memory.
After analyzing the state of health of a large group of people over a long period of time, not just for a couple of weeks like so many other scientific studies, the researchers came to the conclusion that olive oil -always as a leading ingredient in a Mediterranean diet full of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes and dairy products like yogurt and cheese - it was really beneficial for the health of those who consumed it.
Look carefully at the one you choose because it is not worth using any oil. (iStock)
Expensive savings that come out
The people in charge of the study emphasized the importance of consuming a quality olive oil, of the extra virgin range, since they did not find any benefit in those of cheap brands. As the professor explains, "the difference between the degrees of oil is not only found in a greater or lesser acidity, freshness and more or less intense flavor, but in the amount of chemical substances released by the so-called polyphenols", responsible for the characteristics beneficial for the heart, the prevention of cardiovascular diseases and even some types of cancer such as breast cancer, according to different studies.
Extra virgin olive oil has about 30 polyphenols that act as natural antioxidants reducing inflammation and also helping to reduce the effects of aging of the skin, but also of the heart and brain. "Until recently it was thought that they acted directly on genes and blood vessels, but it seems that they also work through the intestinal microbes that make up our microbiota: the set of microorganisms and bacteria that live in the large intestine and feed on polyphenols producing other small chemical elements (short chain fatty acids) that cushion inflammation and help our immune system, "sums up the expert.
Dipping a toast of hot bread in olive oil before dinner is one thing, but drinking it in the morning just another totally different
Although the critics of olive oil assure that consuming it at high temperatures may be responsible for the development of potential carcinogens for the organism, the fact is that the Spanish participants in the study cooked regularly with oil at low and high temperatures without negative consequences for health. It is true that an investigation carried out in the Faculty of Pharmacy of the UPV / EHU indicated that in reheated oils there may be the presence of "alpha-beta unsaturated oxygenated aldehydes", substances considered as potential causal agents of diseases such as cancer, Alzheimer's or Parkinson's.
"Consuming extra virgin olive oil as part of a Mediterranean diet is clearly beneficial in Spanish adults. And, although the genes partially control the longevity, there is no reason to think that it would not work in other cultures and populations, "says Spector, who is convinced that if you start to educate people on the consumption of oil from small They could keep your digestive system in better condition.