Why Do Doctor Grandma’s Products Use Extra Virgin Olive Oil?

May 22, 2010 in Doctor Grandmas by Webmaster

Doctor Grandma's uses extra virgin olive oil for three reasons:

  1. A compound in extra virgin olive oil may help fight inflammation, thought to be the cause of cell damage leading to heart disease, stroke, breast and lung cancer, and dementia according to a recent study (.pdf) published in Nature by biologist Gary Beauchamp. It may explain why the Mediterranean diet is related to a decreased risk of cardiovascular diseases and some cancers. Besides extra virgin olive oil, the Mediterranean diet also endorses a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, whole grains, dairy, and a little meat.
  2. Numerous studies show that saturated fatty acids and trans fatty acids have detrimental effects on the fats in the plasma of the blood, resulting in an increase in the LDL-cholesterol level (the bad stuff that clogs arteries).
  3. Polyunsaturated fatty acids of the omega 6 family of fatty acids and the monounsaturated fatty acids decrease the LDL-Cholesterol concentrations in the blood that are so detrimental. Olive oil has a very high concentration of monounsaturated fatty acids. It is, therefore, a much better choice than butter, margarine, shortening, lard, palm oil, coconut oil, hydrogenated oils and other fats used in most commercial bakery items and mixes.