Some Good News for Olive Oil Fans. It Will Help You Get the Most Nutrition From Your Vegetables. But Keep It Green and Add Red Wine for Blood Vessel Protection.

"Red wine and green olive oil--rich in antioxidants--led to an improvement in the postprandial (after the meal) endothelial function in healthy subjects.  These findings provide an additional favorable effect of components of the Mediterranean diet and of their antioxidant substances on endothelial function, at the postprandial (after meal) state."

-Karatzi, K. et al.  "Postprandial Improvement of Endothelial Function by Red Wine and Olive Oil Antioxidants:  A Synergistic Effect of Components of the Mediterranean Diet."  Journal of the American College of Nutrition   2008 Aug;27(4):448-453.

"The salads all tasted the same to me," says Brown. But when researchers went back and analyzed the blood samples they realized that people who had eaten fat-free dressings didn't absorb the beneficial carotenoids from the salad. Only when they had eaten the oil-based dressing did they get the nutrients.

-Brown, MJ et al.  "Carotenoid bioavailability is higher from salads ingested with full-fat than with fat-reduced salad dressings as measured with electrochemical detection."  American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 2004 Aug;80(2):396-403.

If you're receiving this post via email click here to go the web version and get all the links.

I seems so long since last I posted--and I've got so much to share--and far too little time in which to do it. 

I just got back from New York City,  getting my "gorgeous grandson fix".  And my son and daughter-in-law and my Bob/Babs fix, as well!  65 degrees, blue skies, and plenty of stroller time.  And plenty of delicious home-cooked vegan meals!

So, here's number one on my list of must-share health news! 

A little bit of green olive oil can be good for you.  A little bit of red wine can be good for you.  Just be sure to mix them together.

"Oh yeah," you say, "We already knew that."  Well, it's not so simple.  Let me explain.

• The Vitamins and Salad Dressing Story.  Back in 2004 researchers at Iowa State University hooked up grad students with IV lines and had them eat bowls of salad made with greens and tomatoes, and topped them with either fat-free, reduced-fat, or full-fat salad dressings.  Then they analyzed the blood of the salad eaters to determine the absorption of nutrients, vitamins, and anti-oxidants.  Bottom Line:  The salads with the full-fat dressing provided the best absorption of beta-carotene.  The reduced-fat dressing eaters had substantially less absorption of beta-carotene.  And the fat-free dressing salad eaters had no absorption of the beta-carotenes.

• Don't Miss Out on Your Carotenoids! "We already knew that carotenoids were fat soluble," explains Wendy White, a professor of Human Nutrition at Iowa State University. The results helped reinforce the idea that a little fat is healthy. Carotenoids are the pigments responsible for red-, yellow- and orange-colored fruits and vegetables. And carotenoids are also found in dark green vegetables such as spinach. The compounds convert to Vitamin A in the body, and studies have found that carotenoids have antioxidant activity which may help protect cells from damage caused by free radicals. Human studies have linked high consumption of fruits and vegetables to reduced risk of cancer."

• Red Red Wine Makes Me Feel So Fine.  Using high-resolution imaging of blood vessels, University of Athens researchers found that after eating a light meal (vegetable soup & white bread) that included 1/4 cup of green olive oil (the first press of premature green olives), and 8.4 ounces of red wine, the dilation of blood vessels of their volunteers actually improved--and remained dilated for 2 hours after the meal.  This is big news.  It didn't just "do no harm"--it improved dilation. The researchers compared post-meal blood vessel dilation with every combination of olive oil & wine--refined olive oil, green olive oil, white wine, and red wine.  No other combination of wine & oil, except the green olive oil & red wine was able to actually increase the flow-mediated-dilation of the blood vessels, although all the combos prevented any expected blood vessel constriction.  Note: Red wine did not increase blood vessel dilation when refined olive oil was eaten.  In effect, all the benefits of red wine can't work their magic when you consume refined oils, most likely because the antioxidants in the green olive oil really do make a difference!

• Robert Vogel's Olive Oil Research.  The Greek researchers' goal was to see if the addition of red wine to olive oil would produce a different effect on blood vessels than Robert Vogel found when he fed volunteers bread and olive oil.  Robert Vogel's 2000 study found that a meal of 1/4 cup of olive oil & bread caused endothelial dysfunction after it was eaten. The olive oil constricted blood flow by a whopping 31% after the meal.  Since endothelial dysfunction is an early indication of atherosclerosis and blood vessel damage--this was important news.

• Why Red Wine and Green Olive Oil Work. Why did red wine & green olive oil improve the post-meal vasodilation?  The Greek researchers say that their antioxidants increase nitric oxide (that magic gas) production in the linings of the blood vessels--and at the same time they protect the nitric oxide production from free radical damage.  A good thing!  Resveratrol baby!  Nitric oxide production increases 3-fold in endothelial cells that are "incubated" in red wine.  They also speculate that the ethanol in the wine acts as a vasodilator and increases nitric oxide production.

So, it turns out that a little bit of that delicious olive oil isn't going to kill us after all--as long as we mix it up with a little red wine, a salad, or some fruits and veggies rich in antioxidants.  It's all about mixing in the good to counteract the bad. But, don't take Karatzi's study as license to chug that olive oil. It's still 100% fat, and remember this study was done on healthy subjects. These folks were 30 years old, didn't smoke, had normal blood pressure & cholesterol levels, weren't overweight, no diabetes, and no family history of heart disease.  Big point! And that just make all the difference.

Why Did I Get Gun-Shy About Olive Oil?

Back in July 2008 I did some serious rethinking about my olive oil habit.  Since everyone was singing its praises--how it's so rich in polyphenols and antioxidants--I thought nothing of pouring a couple glugs of oil onto a plate and sopping it up with some crusty whole wheat bread.

That was before I learned about the "dark-side" of olive oil, from the research of Dr. Robert Vogel and Dr. Lawrence Rudel, and the experiences of Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn and Dr. Dean Ornish.   You'll find the results of my little olive oil investigation reprinted at the bottom of this page, "I'm Going to Miss My Olive Oil - Who Knew It Wasn't So Healthy After All?  Drs. Essestyn, Ornish, Vogel, and Rudel Did."

So Let's Take a Look at the Numbers!  What's the ORAC Index on Olive Oil and Wine?

The ORAC Index was developed by the U. S. Department of Agriculture with the help of the top nutrition scientists in the country.  It ranks 277 foods by antioxidant content--their ability to either destroy or neutralize disease-causing free radicals.  Definitely a number to pay attention to when you choose your foods.  I'll be writing a lot more about this soon.

Olive Oil, 2 tsp serving  = 100 ORAC points

Red wine (Cabernet), 5 oz. serving = 7400 ORAC points

Romaine lettuce, 1 cup serving = 500 ORAC points

Kale, raw, 1 cup serving =  1770 ORAC points

So, you get the picture.  Sure olive oil has some polyphenolic, antioxidant benefit, but it pales in comparison to wine, fruit, and vegetables.  It's at the level of 1 cup of raw zucchini--no one's idea of nutrient-packed vegetable.

Take Away Message: I'm still keeping my olive oil consumption low--a least cutting the amount in half for most recipes, but I'm not going feel apologetic or guilty about using it.  I'm keeping my oil green--on the look-out for some high-antioxidant first press premature green olive oil.  Anyone know of a brand that fits this bill?  I'm also going to make sure to put a teaspoon or so of olive oil on my salads to absorb those beta-carotenes--or a sprinkle of some nuts or pumpkin seeds. 

I still think there is validity to the research I posted about in 2008.  Oil is highly caloric and 100% fat, and it's a pretty weak source of antioxidants compared to veggies.  Moderation is key. 

But, I'm also wondering about the results of Vogel's bread & olive oil study.  Canola oil definitely did less damage than olive oil did.  Something to think about.

As for red wine--it's here to stay--in moderation of course!  Why would anyone bother with white?

The "Dark Side" of Olive Oil

July 04, 2008

I'm Going to Miss My Olive Oil - Who Knew It Wasn't So Healthy After All? Drs. Esselstyn, Ornish, Vogel & Rudel Did

Is Olive Oil the healthiest fat?  In a word, no! It's a better fat, but not the best one.

-Dr. Dean Ornish-

Contrary to our hypothesis, our study found that omega-9 (oleic acid)--rich Olive Oil, impairs endothelial function after eating.  If you've been using olive oil because you think it's healthy, it's time to think again. 

 -Dr. Robert Vogel-

This is so disappointing.  I've been dipping my whole grain bread in extra virgin olive oil & balsamic vinegar and feeling "oh so virtuous"--as I soaked up every last drop of oil on my plate.  Olive oil is essentially the only fat I eat & cook with.  I love the stuff! 

Finding out that olive oil is bad makes me feels the same as when I found out that the tooth fairy & Santa Claus were made up stories.

Truth be told--this isn't the first time I've heard this.  It's just that now it's finally soaking in--just like olive oil on bread.  About 4 or 5 years ago at a Grand Rounds on the benefits of a plant-based diet  held at my medical center, I asked one of Dr. Esselstyn's proteges if olive oil is finally on the OK list--now that we know how healthy the Mediterranean Diet is for us.

"Absolutely not!", he said.  "Olive oil, like any fat causes inflammation and harms blood vessels. The research is out there.  No one is listening.  No oil--no olive oil!"  Needless to say, I ignored what he had to say. 

"Rigid, inflexible vegetarians.  How come Dr. Walter Willett of Harvard says it's good for us?  What about the Lyon Diet Heart Study?  And besides, it makes food taste so good," I thought to myself. 

Last March when Dr. T. Colin Campbell spoke at my hospital's Wellness Grand Rounds, I decided to ask Dr. Campbell what he thought about olive oil and nuts. I just knew they had to be good for us.

"I'll let Dr. Esselstyn, who is here answer that question.  He's the expert on oil & nuts."  replied Dr. Campbell.

"Olive oil has been shown to injure the blood vessel's endothelium (lining).  Walnuts are OK-but not if you already have heart disease.  You know, here's what I've discovered.  If you tell someone with heart disease that walnuts are OK, before you know it they have a bowl of nuts on their coffee table, a bag of nuts in their car and on and on.  Nuts are full of calories--which is the last thing you need to eat when you're trying to lose weight.  I advise my patients against eating nuts for this very reason.",  Dr. Esselstyn said. 

I heard what he said--but somehow it didn't apply to me.  Until June 25th, when I heard Esselstyn speak on NPR's affiliate station, WCNP's Sound of Ideas about  "Eradicating Heart Disease".

Here's Why You May Want to Think Twice About Olive Oil

• From Dr. Dean Ornish:  It's 100% fat and 14% of it is saturated. At 120 calories a tablespoon it's very easy to eat too much of "a bad thing". It won't raise your LDL as much as butter or other saturated fats will,  so it might look like it's reducing your cholesterol, but it's still raising it.  It's just not raising it as much other fats would!  It's the omega-3's that reduce inflammation and are "heart healthy", and olive oil has very little omega-3, maybe 1%. It's mostly omega-9, which has been shown to impair blood vessel function.  Canola and flax seed oil are much higher in omega-3's--and are much healthier oils to use.  Just go easy on them!.
• From Dr. Robert Vogel of the University of Maryland: This is the study that convinced me!  Back in 2000 Vogel based his study on the Lyon Heart Study, which is the big-time study that got us all to eat the Mediterranean Diet.  He wanted to see how olive oil, salmon (fish oil) and canola oil actually affect the  blood vessels.  Using the brachial artery tourniquet test he had 10 healthy volunteers with normal cholesterol ingest 50 grams of fat, in the form of olive oil & bread, canola oil & bread, and salmon.  Measuring their arterial blood flow before & after each meal Vogel could tell whether or not a meal was causing damage to the endothelial lining of the brachial artery, based on how the blood was flowing through the artery after the meal was eaten.  The results really surprised him.  The olive oil constricted blood flow by a whopping 31% after the meal; the canola oil constricted it by 10%; and the salmon reduced it by only 2%.  Why should we care?  Because when the arteries constrict, the endothelium (the vessel's lining) is injured,  triggering plaque build-up, or atherosclerosis. Vogel RA. Corretti MC. Plotnick GD. The postprandial effect of components of the Mediterranean diet on endothelial function. Journal of the American College of Cardiology. 36(5):1455-60, 2000 Nov 1.  Similar results have been found it later studies.  This isn't just a one-hit wonder. Interestingly, walnuts, which have Omega-3's have also been shown to improve blood flow by 24% using the brachial artery tourniquet test.  Go omega 3's!
• How does olive oil constrict blood vessels?: Dr. Vogel discovered back in 1999 that a high fat meal blocks the endothelium's ability to produce that all important NITRIC OXIDE, which is a vasodilator and critical to  preserving the tone  & health of our blood vessels.  When olive oil constricts the blood vessels it's because it's blocking the production of nitric oxide.  Not a good thing!
  
• From Dr. Lawrence Rudel of Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center:  Rudel ran a five year study feeding  olive oil and saturated fat to African Green monkeys.  The monkeys metabolize fat in the same way as humans, so they're good stand-ins.. At the end of five years, their autopsies showed that the monkeys who were fed olive oil had higher HDLs (the good cholesterol) and lower LDLs (the bad cholesterol) than the ones fed the saturated fat diet.  The big surprise here:  Both groups had exactly the same amount of coronary artery disease.  The higher HDLs & lower LDLs of the olive oil group were meaningless.  Rudel later repeated the study on rodents, and got the same results. 
• From Dr. Caldwell Esseltsyn: Dr. E tells a story in his book about Rev. William Valentine of North Carolina who had a quintuple bypass in 1990.  Since his surgery he followed a strict plant-based diet, dropping from 210 pounds to 156 pounds.  For 14 years he maintained his weight & his diet.  But by 2004 he started to experience a recurrence of angina, especially when he exercised.  He promptly contacted Dr. Esselstyn after reading about his success in reversing heart disease in a health newsletter.  Valentine wanted no part of a repeat bypass or other intervention.  He assured Dr. E that he only ate whole grains, legumes, vegetable & fruit.  A baffled Dr. E  prompted him to repeat once again everything he was eating, leaving nothing out.  

"He had forgotten to mention that he was consuming "heart healthy" olive oil at every lunch and dinner and in salads.  It was what they call a Eureka moment.  Immediately, I advised him to give up the olive oil.  He did--and within seven weeks, his angina had completely disappeared."    Dr. Esselstyn

Little known fact:  Olive oil, which got its big "heart healthy" start with the Lyon Study, wasn't even used in the study.  The study volunteers didn't like the taste of it, so canola oil was substituted for olive oil.  All the benefit that we attributed to olive oil, was actually from Omega-3 enriched canola oil.

What does Dr. Dean Ornish advise?: The best oils are canola, fish oil (omega-3s), flaxseed oil & nonstick cooking sprays. Always in small amounts.  Second best, and in very small amounts, is olive oil.

What does Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn advise?: When it comes to olive oil, canola or any oil--FORGET ABOUT IT.  He does advise taking a tablespoon of flaxseed every day for omega 3's.

What Am I Going to Do?  Olive oil--forget about it, except in tiny amounts. (at least I say that right now)  I admit it, I was using way too much of the stuff, and consuming far too many unhealthy calories than I needed.  I thought that because my HDLs were so high I was in good shape.  Just like the African Green monkeys, the olive oil could have been raising my HDLs, while all the while plaque was forming in my arteries.  Still mulling over a bigger move in the direction of a vegan goody-goody.  Except, of course, when I'm invited out!

Comments

[Chris G.]

The million dollar question: Would canola oil be better / have the same additive effects that green olive oil did with red wine? One the one hand, since canola oil is healthier than olive oil, one may intuitively think so. On the other hand, since refined olive oil did not have the benefits that green olive oil did, one may intuitively think not.

Would we better off making salad dressings from canola oil or green olive oil?

I think I need a drink (of red wine :)

[MG]

@Chris G: Canola oil is absolutely not healthier than olive oil! At best, it contains small amounts of essential fatty acids better obtained through other foods. Otherwise, its nutrient value is limited and the usual extraction process alone makes it a poorer choice than cold-pressed olive oil.

[MG]

@HL: Bariani Olive Oil (http://www.barianioliveoil.com/) makes a delightful cold-pressed (stone-pressed, actually) unfiltered Early Green Harvest version. It is available seasonally. I buy it at Bay Area farmer's markets or online via their web site. Their oil is essentially organically produced (though not certified as such) and well established among Bay Area food lovers.

Trader Joe's carries a Extra-Virgin California Estate Olive Oil that is incredibly green and flavorful.

However, I'm not quite ready to draw a conclusion here. What about this classic study? Abstract here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16286173. Descriptive article suitable for laypeople here: http://www.news-medical.net/news/2005/11/13/14432.aspx . It still appears that moderate amounts of cold-pressed, unrefined, *uncooked* olive oil substituted for other dietary fats is a healthy choice.

I also would hesitate to conclude that premature olives are the safest. In general, fruits offer the greatest nutrition to humans when they are at their peak. I think it is premature to conclude from this study that ripe olive oil is unhealthy, or even just less healthy overall than oil from underripe olives.

On a related note, I recently heard from a cardiology talk that research suggests red wine improves cardiovascular health in countries where people have the "worst" diets, while it appears to have a negative effect in those who consume a healthy diet. I plan to explore related research soon, but for now it is an intriguing possibility!

[MG]

Oops, the abstract above should not contain a period. Here is a link that works: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16286173

[The Healthy Librarian]

MG,

Thanks for the tip on Bariani olive oil. Good point about the ripe fruit benefit--the authors of the study I cited said they chose the green premature fruit oil because it has the "higher concentration of antioxidant substances than any other olive oil."

Just quoting them--I personally have no idea.

Please let me know if you make any headway with your research into red wine having a negative effect on people who are already eating a healthy diet. I'm going have to look into that one. The research is all over the place in regard to pros/cons of wine--especially for women.

Thanks for the link to that classic olive oil study--Dr. Robert Wilson's point (in the lay article) is often overlooked by many of us. Not all olive oils are created equal! Probably most of those on the grocery shelf aren't brimming with the phenolic compounds found in the studies that show positive cardiac benefits from olive oil.

I'm ordering that Bariani!!

[MG]

I hope you enjoy the Bariani oil! I completely agree that not all olive oils are created equal! Extra-virgin oil in a dark container is the way to go. The light-colored olive oils we see on the shelf are not as antioxidant-rich. Heating the oil and exposing it to light also destroy beneficial nutrients in olive oil.

It is pretty clear that olive oil should replace less healthy fats in the diet, rather than be added on top of them. I am with George Mateljan over at the World's Healthiest Foods (www.whfoods.org) that it is best too cook without any oil then add a bit of brightly colored raw olive oil to food after it cools a bit. It's reasonable to aim to spread total consumption over multiple meals and aim for up to 2 tablespoons per person per day (a lot less than many people would think to use). For very low-fat eaters, I would encourage at least a teaspoon (or some other fat like nuts or avocado) with meals for nutrient absorption. As you have noted, antioxidant & anti-inflammatory compounds like flavonoids from vegetables & spices need a bit of fat for optimum absorption. Vitamins A, D, E, & K also require some fat for absorption. The fat also increases satiety by slowing gastric emptying. I wish every fat-free dieter (i.e., me 10 years ago!) could know these two details!

I will let you know what I learn about red wine. It makes sense that it is likely neither all good nor all bad, especially since alcohol is directly toxic to tissues and seems to promote some types of cancer. I would also like to know if other antioxidant rich foods can similarly upregulate endothelial nitric oxide synthase activity. Do you know if grape or other fruit juice offers similar benefits?

I apologize for these very long comments!

[The Healthy Librarian]

MG,

Thanks so much for your input--esp. the fat/gastric-emptying note.

So excited to find that the Bariani oil is at a nearby indoor farmer's market, so I plan to stop over after yoga tomorrow. Hope they have that first-press green variety there.

Coincidentally, I just discovered George Mateljan's excellent website 2 weeks ago, and I definitely had 2nd thoughts about cooking with olive oil after seeing his short video. Makes perfect sense to me.

Thanks for the advice about cooking wo any oil, and using small amounts of green oil after the food has cooled--I missed that point.

As for foods that upregulate nitric oxide--I'm not sure if you've read my "Lunch at the Esselstyn's" post http://www.happyhealthylonglife.com/happy_healthy_long_life/2009/02/lunch-at-the-esselstyns.html --but the greens, like kale, collards, Swiss chard, etc. definitely upregulate NO, and according to Dr. Sharon Alger-Mayer http://www.happyhealthylonglife.com/happy_healthy_long_life/2010/02/diet-and-exercise.html -- you can add cocoa, and grapes, their skins, and seeds to the group of NO upregulators.

I'm going to look into what else has the effect--perhaps it's as simple as high-antioxidant level=NO upregulation. But, you're the science-maven, not me.

I'll check it out with Dr. E., as well.

[Chris G.]

MG: "Canola oil is absolutely not healthier than olive oil!"

Dr Ornish: "The best oils are canola, fish oil (omega-3s), & flaxseed oil, always in small amounts. Second best, and in very small amounts, is olive oil."

Dr Vogel: "The olive oil constricted blood flow by a whopping 31% after the meal; the canola oil constricted it by 10%."

Dr. Esselstyn: "Olive oil has been shown to injure the blood vessel's endothelium (lining)."

While green olive oil with red wine seems to defy some this, I do still wonder what it does to / with canola oil. Seems like a fruit area for future studies.

[Suzanne]

There seems to be alot of controversy about healthy oils lately, and while I've always felt comfortable using my Extra Virgin cold-press olive oil to make vinaigrette, I have recently been hearing NOT to use it for cooking. At the least, you're wasting good quality oil by heating it, but one source advised that olive oil turns into a trans fat at over 350 degrees, and even then, if it exeeds its "smoke point" the smoke can be toxic. Oh darn, I've always enjoyed my vegetables tossed in olive oil and roasted at 400-450, or barbequed at high temps. What to do now!

Also, I've read the worst stuff about canola oil, and the rapeseed crop it comes from, that it is now almost all genetically modified or "Roundup-ready" for heavy herbicide spraying just like the soy and corn crops are.

Is anyone else hearing any of this? Could swear the canola info came from "Omnivores Dilemma"

[Cynthia Bailey MD]

Thank you for this overview of the very interesting and specific scientific studies surrounding the health impact of olive oil. It's hard to know what personal decisions to make while were waiting for the scientific 'dust' to settle on an issue like this. Sometimes I find it helpful to focus on the big picture, sometimes the small and sometimes the combination. Other times I just have to use my common sense and my intuition while I wait for science to give me more clarity. With oils I'm doing all of this.

My choices: I sparingly use canola and coconut oil for cooking due to their superior heat stability. (I'm not sure where I read that, but at the time I found the source credible, plus I really don't like the smell of heated olive oil) I drizzle olive oil sparingly on food after it's cooked, or on raw salads. We grow and harvest our own olives and pick them at about 60% black, 40% green. We take them to a community press which makes cold pressed extra virgin oil for us. We do this every year. I could substitute flax oil as my salad/drizzle oil but it's not as convenient. (You've inspired me to try harder to use a little flax oil now and then)

Common sense and intuition come in to play for me in 3 ways regarding oils and health: 1. I think the key point is always moderation. 2. I'm always struck when I see really devoted health food nuts who do some magic dietary supplement or diet trend to an extreme and who actually look like it's sapping their vitality. I think this can apply with oils. 3. People living in the Mediterranean eating an authentic Mediterranean diet that includes olive oil have wonderful health and longevity.

I love your idea to add a little red wine and I'm going to have a small 2 oz serving with my dinners. I had stopped doing this, but you've re-inspired me. It's authentically Mediterranean and I like the vasodilatory, happy endothelial cell rationalization.

Cheers! Cynthia Bailey MD
http://www.otbskincare.com/blog/landscaping-shade-tree-to-antioxidant-bonanza/544/