Is olive oil a superfood? – Zoë Harcombe
Executive summary
* This week’s note was inspired by a podcast I did where I described olive oil as “not all that.”
* It opens with the basic facts about fat.
* It then looks at olive oil, which is 100% fat (mostly monounsaturated fat), expensive and provides few nutrients for many calories.
* This note summarises the nutritional value of olive oil (which is not all that) and suggests better foods for the couple of nutrients it provides.
* It addresses the issue of how natural olive oil is, taking us into Mafia territory!
* It counters the claims made for olive oil (antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, cholesterol-lowering etc).
* It explains how the major study which made claims for olive oil (PREDIMED) found against low fat rather than in favour of olive oil.
* It closes with the circumstances in which it is OK to use extra virgin olive oil.
