Nutrition used to be something like: “eat fresh food and stay away from potato chips”… now we are told beware of ‘free radicals’ in the body. Antioxidants are supposed to be good for you, but how do we encourage one and fight the other?

“If I’d known I was going to live so long, I’d have taken better care of myself.” — Leon Eldred

We live in an age where we are beginning to see an awareness developing between eating habits and good health. Several buzz phrases like low carb, high protein, and Hoodia are mentioned as a means to gaining a better life while honing a better physique.

Another phrase that is repeated often is ‘’antioxidants”.

What exactly is an antioxidant and why is it important?

Everyone has what is called ‘free radicals’ that roam throughout the body. These free radicals have the potential to attack the body, primarily in the form of cancer. Antioxidants fight back. A nutrition plan that includes antioxidants can assist in staving off the potential for acute illness due to free radicals.

Drinks such as coffee and tea often have a certain amount of antioxidants, but it is fresh fruit that is especially rich in antioxidants. Fruit, of course, remains high on the list of recommended foods by the U.S.D.A., but it may surprise you to know that extra virgin olive oil as part of a balanced diet can provide as much antioxidant as a piece of fruit.

The health benefits of olive oil remain a delightful discovery for many. It’s not often something that adds significant good taste to a gourmet meal and can also be an extremely healthy choice.

A diet that is lean in saturated fats (red meat) balanced with a healthy dose of fatty acids has pointed to a number of health benefits. Most of the fatty acids that your body may need can be found in extra virgin olive oil.

The health benefits of olive oil extend to the reduction of LDL (bad cholesterol) while increasing the amount of HDL (good cholesterol).

Case Study

The University of Barcelona conducted a controlled study that followed 16 individuals that were advised to refrain from certain foods that contained phenols (an antioxidant designed to attack free radicals). After abstaining for four days the test group was given extra virgin olive oil to determine if this alone could increase the levels of phenol in the body.

50ml of olive oil was provided to test subjects while they refrained from things like butter, nuts, eggs and margarine. After the first day the total intake of olive oil was cut in half. One week later, blood samples indicated elevated amounts of the antioxidants vitamin E and phenols. Oleic acid and monounsaturated fatty acids were also seen at higher levels – both acids are indicative of lower LDL (bad cholesterol) oxidation.

Some researchers believe that the health benefits of olive oil may still be untapped, and many have indicated regular ingestion of olive oil may be one of the best kept health secrets available.

Beyond its antioxidant properties, extra virgin olive oil has provided significant data to indicate it may also lower blood pressure, reduce the risk of heart disease and aid in the fight against colon cancer specifically.

Isn’t it time to discover the virtues of olive oil for yourself?

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Instead of Butter: Use top quality, cold pressed, extra virgin olive oil, from the first pressing, or flaxseed oil. The taste of virgin olive oil is appealing to millions of people around the world, so why not adopt it to your taste?

Flaxseed oil is prized for health reasons and not for its taste. You can always compensate for that by adding spices to the appropriate dish. Let’s say you want to add a little flaxseed oil to mashed potatoes, instead of butter. You could add basil, oregano, rosemary, curry, garlic, or any other spice that agrees with your palate.

You can use a little virgin olive oil on mashed potatoes with basil and roasted garlic, but it’s up to the individual’s own taste. At home, we use a little olive oil on toast, instead of butter. Again, you could spice it, but try to avoid salting.

Depending on whose study you read, flaxseed oil contains Omega-3, Omega-6, and Omega-9 Oils.

Olive oil has some Omega-6 value, but it tastes great.

If you want to learn a lot more about beneficial oils, visit:

http://www.math.ucsd.edu/~ebender/Health%20&%
20Nutrition/Nutrition/oil_good.html

To name a few of the many conditions improved by Omega-3 Oils: High Cholesterol Levels, Prevention of Strokes and Heart Attacks, Cancer Prevention and Treatment, Multiple Sclerosis, Allergies, Angina, High Blood Pressure, Arthritis, and Asthma.

To read a little more about the link between cancer prevention and Omega-3 fatty acids, please visit:

http://www.seapet.com/EFA_cancer.htm#AICR

It goes without saying any further, that omega-3 fatty acids should be boosted in most of our diets.

You will notice, I did not mention, margarine as a dietary recommendation.
Trans-fats are formed as a result of chemical hydrogenation. Depending upon the brand you buy, margarine may contain up to 45 percent trans-fats.

“The problem with trans fatty acids is that your body doesn’t know what to do with them,” said Brian Olshansky, M.D., University of Iowa Health Care professor of internal medicine.

Trans fatty acids (trans-fats) are linked to diabetes, high cholesterol, sudden cardiac death, obesity, and heart disease.

Expect to see a warning on the labels of food containing trans-fats in the near future. New labeling for foods is expected soon, and total trans-fats contained within a product serving, will be listed. Believe it or not, at least one trans-fat, CLA (conjugated linolenic acid), is considered beneficial, but that is another story.

Suffice to say, it would be wise to avoid margarine until all the research is in. At that point, the composition of margarine will probably change for the better.

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