Human beings have been producing and consuming olive oil for thousands of years. And for over seventy years researchers have been studying the product to better understand its health benefits. This makes the cooking fat one of the most well understood and researched staples in your pantry.
But what has all that research proven? How much olive oil should a person consume in a day? And when do the health benefits really kick in? We answer that and more in this post.
How much olive oil per day should a person consume?
Research shows that consuming 2 tbsp of olive oil per day is optimal to receive all of the health benefits. This can be done by using olive oil in your cooking and drizzling over food.
Some folks like to drink EVOO because they believe it provides optimal health benefits. However, there is no research that supports this. Consuming the product raw over salads or as a finishing oil will work just as well. And using it to cook your food will also support your health as well.
If your heart is set on drinking the product then maybe try it in this olive oil coffee.
How to use olive oil?
You can use olive oil for all of your daily cooking needs some of the most common uses are:
- sauteing vegetables
- cooking eggs
- baking chicken
- making pasta sauces
- drizzling over soups, salads, and pizza
- drizzling over snacks such as popcorn
- dipping with bread
How to incorporate more olive oil into your diet
Adding more olive oil to your daily diet is surprisingly easy, simply replace it for other cooking fats. EVOO can be used as a replacement for the following oils:
It can also work as a replacement for butter. However, this comes with a caveat. EVOO is not always the best replacement for butter when baking things like cakes or pies. However, for cooking savory foods that don't require rising it's an incredible option.
Related: EVOO vs Butter: When to use which
Understanding the different grades
There are three different types of olive oil:
- regular
- virgin
- extra virgin
Extra virgin is the highest quality available to consumers. And even within the extra virgin category there is ordinary vs specialty
Interested in learning more about EVOO? Check out our book, The Olive Oil Enthusiast
Health benefits
Fortunately for us, the health benefits of olive oil are extensive! The health benefits of regularly consuming olive oil include but are not limited to:
- Anti-inflammatory
- Help prevent cancer
- Antioxidant rich
- Helps immune system
- Helps prevent diabetes
- Helps to prevent neurodegenerative diseases
The product has been researched by universities around the world for over 70 years. Universities such as Yale, UC Davis, University of Madrid, and Sapienza University have regularly conducted fascinating research about the product.
Alzheimerâs disease
An exciting development, researchers at the Yale School of Public Healthâs Department of Environmental Health Sciences and Imperial College London are discovering how EVOO can prevent and even treat Alzheimerâs disease.
Studying EVOO and the ways it can prevent Alzheimerâs disease is not a new area of study. For example, this article shares how groups of people that live in different parts of the world yet all follow the Mediterranean Diet had a lower risk of death, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and Alzheimerâs disease.
For a more comprehensive list of health benefits take a look at this post.
