This article originally appeared as an op-ed in The Jerusalem Post on 11 Sept. 2024: https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-819552
Much of what people perceive as healthy, are really in the category of health halos. A health halo is when we perceive a food, brand, or ingredient as healthy, based on factors that are not related to its actual health. One thing I pride myself on in my clinic, if there isn’t good science behind it, we don’t advocate it. Good science means good studies, set up well, and preferably randomized-controlled. However, even large epidemiological studies with a large amount of data points require attention.
There is a lot of controversy with regard to the use of oils in one’s diet. Which oils, if any, are harmful and which may have health benefits? Is the much-touted olive oil good for us, or does it fall in the category of just another health halo?
100% Fat
It is important to note that ALL oils are 100% fat. This is the only category of food where this statement is true. In addition, all oils have the highest calorie density of any food at 4,000 calories per pound. Here’s another interesting tidbit – in 1920, the average consumption of oils in the United States was 4 pounds per year, per person. By 2015, the average consumption stood at 74 pounds per person, per year. Coinciding with this is an approximately 10-kilogram (22 pounds) average weight gain.
If losing weight is a goal, the less oil consumed the better. I have dealt with countless individuals who just couldn’t drop weight until we greatly reduced oils in their diet.
The role of Omega 3 and 6
We have always presumed that what discerns a good oil as opposed to a bad oil is the ratio of Omega 3’s (the good guys) and Omega 6’s (the bad guys). Omega-3 and omega-6 are types of essential fatty acids – meaning we have to get them from food. In modern diets, there are few sources of omega-3 fatty acids, mainly the fat of cold-water fish such as salmon, sardines, and herring. However, these fish also contain high amounts of fat and cholesterol. Better sources are walnuts and flaxseeds, which contain a precursor omega that the body converts to Omega 3.
Omega 3
Consumption of Omega 3’s may improve heart health, increase “good” HDL cholesterol, and reduce triglycerides, blood pressure, and the formation of arterial plaques. They can also support good mental health and reduce the risk of psychotic disorders. Omega 3’s are an important part of preventing dementia.
Omega 6
Unlike Omega 3, foods containing Omega-6 fatty acids are numerous in modern diets. They are found in seeds and nuts, and the oils extracted from them. Refined vegetable oils, such as soy, safflower, and sunflower, are present in most of the snack foods, crackers, sweets, and fast foods in the American diet. The presence of soybean oil in fast foods and processed foods is estimated to account for an astounding 20 percent of the calories in the American diet.
Omega 6 is pro inflammatory. This inflammation is what is behind most disease. In an effort to prevent inflammation, we want more Omega 3’s and less 6. The Western diet is inundated with Omega 6’s. The average ratio in the United States today is 16:1 in favor of Omega 6. If we turn the clock back to before World War ll, the ratio ranged from 1:1 to 3:1. In short, we consume way too much Omega 6 and not enough Omega 3.
Olive Oil
Even olive oil has an 11:1 ratio of Omega 6 to 3. We already know from the Talmud that olive oil may have health benefits. Horayot 13b, mentions that olive oil is great for memory. In our more modern era, during the 1990s with the Mediterranean diet, olive oil began being advertised as very beneficial to our health.
Cultures who eat a more Mediterranean style diet have less heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and other chronic conditions. It seems that using extra-virgin olive oil is healthy. The question is which aspect of the Mediterranean diet bring such great results? Is it the olive oil or the plant-predominance of Mediterranean diet that is more responsible for better health outcomes? To test this, preventive cardiologist Dr. Monica Aggarwal put together a study.
Oil or plant-power?
This study, which replicated a study done on a smaller scale by The Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, used people who were not plant-based eaters. Participants were part of two different groups. One group ate a plant-predominant diet with olive oil, and the other ate the same diet minus the olive oil. After 4 weeks, the groups switched in this crossover study. There were many conclusions to consider.
All participants saw weight loss and lower LDL cholesterol. Dr. David Katz of The True Health Initiative points out that even the group with the oil did much better than they did on an omnivore diet. This indeed shows the power of plant-predominance, but the group WITHOUT the olive oil, showed a greater drop in LDL cholesterol and weight.
In conclusion
Oil is liquid fat. In most cases, it is not as dangerous as the fats found in meats and dairy. However, oils such as palm oil and coconut oil have very high amounts of saturated fats and should be avoided at all costs. In 2019, Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn published an article in International Journal of Disease Reversal and Prevention linking evidence of oil consumption and damage to the endothelial cells in our arteries. Just another good reason to keep your oils very low in your diet.
Is olive oil a health food? It might have some health benefits in small amounts. Oil has completely permeated the food chain over the last 40 years making it hard to avoid altogether. If you can avoid those processed foods, learn how to cook without oil, and substitute different sauces and dressings instead of the oil-based ones you will “add hours to your days, days to your years and years to your lives.”
Yes its amazing how people tell me that olive oil is healthy and then soak the salad dressing with it !