The benefits of olive oil have not been in doubt for centuries, and therefore it has been used not only in food, but also in cosmetics, and even medicine. However, there is an opinion that olive oil is still over-praised: its use has no advantages over sunflower or linseed oil..

Our expert - Associate Professor of the Department of Therapy, Clinical Pharmacology and Emergency Medicine of the Moscow State Medical University, Candidate of Medical Sciences Elena Vovk.

Where you were born, where you ate. After all, the ability to absorb certain substances is inherited, like the color of eyes or hair.. The olive tree does not grow in Russia. But both sunflower and flax grow. The oil obtained from these crops contains a lot of omega-3 fats that are good for the cardiovascular system and metabolism, but there are almost none in olive oil..

For us, the inhabitants of the northern latitudes, to replenish the body with unsaturated fatty acids, it is also useful to drink natural milk and eat cheeses, chicken eggs, seaweed, pine and walnuts, almonds, sunflower seeds. And also such a sweet Russian heart herring, sardines, mackerel and, of course, salmon.

With maximum benefits Olive oil is easier to digest than, for example, sunflower. Doctors explain this by the fact that it contains more oleic acid, which is very useful for the body, has a positive effect on metabolism, it accounts for about 70–75% of all fatty acids.. But there is also a lot of this acid in sunflower oil - up to 45%.

It should be remembered that olive oil has a pronounced choleretic effect, therefore, for example, with stones in the gallbladder, it should be eaten with great care..

To benefit from olive oil in cold Russia, you need to choose extra vergine (first cold pressed) and combine it with our traditional oils (unrefined sunflower, mustard or linseed).

Myth: Olive oil fights cholesterol..

In fact: This oil does contain monounsaturated oleic acid, which is important for cell membranes, but in a significantly larger amount than necessary.. Thus, olive oil is the main source of high-calorie fats that are “useless” for a modern city dweller.. An excess of olive oil in the diet can lead to obesity, fatty liver and the onset of diabetes.. It is believed that a person should eat no more than 2 tablespoons of olive oil per day..

Myth: Olive oil has more vitamin E than other foods..

Fact:

Absolutely all vegetable oils contain this fat-soluble vitamin, which, by the way, is a powerful antioxidant.. There is even more vitamin E in native sunflower than in olive. Any vegetable oil also contains vitamins A, D, K.. But their number is small and directly depends on the place of origin of the oil, the time and technology of extraction, on whether it is mixed with low-quality oil, whether it is enriched with artificial additives.. Therefore, cheap olive oil contains fewer vitamins than sunflower oil..

Oksana Gerasimenko nedug. en.