Olive oil – A doctor’s favourite
The health benefits of olive oil are plenty – from lowering cholesterol to controlling insulin levels. It has even been known to benefit hair health!
It’s thanks to the monounsaturated fat found in the oil – heavy in the Mediterranean style of cooking – which can also be found in nuts, some fish and avocados.
And now, it looks like the magical cooking accompaniment and its fantastic fats may also be a cancer preventer, according to new Spanish research.
The study looked particularly at three groups of women, one group following the Mediterranean diet, one followed the diet, but added nuts to the mix and a third reduced their fat intake. In total, around 4,300 women between the ages of 60 to 80 were followed for five years.
In the testing, researchers found that the women who were taking extra olive oil every day had their risk of breast cancer reduced by 68 percent.
Some doctors, so impressed by the oil’s cancer-battling abilities, are even recommending that patients who are already suffering from the disease take three tablespoons of the oil per day.
Beyond that, the oil also aid weight loss by helping you feel fuller for longer, so even if you can’t stomach swallowing tablespoons of the stuff on the daily, you will certainly be able to add it to your everyday cooking to add a bit of a healthy boost to your dinner.
