Virtues of Olive Oil
The virgin olive oil reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease, as the study "Eurolive Project" of the Municipal Institute of Medical Research (IMIM) Barcelona made public yesterday at the World Congress of Cardiology, held today in Barcelona.
The study, published in the scientific journal "Annals of Internal Medicine ", notes the benefits of virgin olive oil over other types of oil and shown that polyphenols are responsible for reducing cardiovascular risk, not only monounsaturated fats as previously thought.
Analysis also led and coordinated by Dr. Maria Isabel Covas, a step in the comparison of different olive oils and concluded that, between them, virgin olive oil enhances the protection thanks to its rich content of polyphenols, which are substances of plant origin that have important antioxidant properties by blocking free radicals.
This work is part of a series of publications resulting from the results of the study "Eurolive" which began in 2000 and ended in 2004. In total, 200 healthy volunteers participated in five European countries: Spain, Denmark, Finland, Italy and Germany.
Also experts say that olive oil should not be taken alone or as a medicine, but as part of a meal, or oil to dress a toast, by example. In itself does not increase the weight of consumer if takes two or three tablespoons a day.