The health benefits of olive oil and balsamic vinegar are extensive with new positive attributes discovered all the time. Did you know that scientists at Harvard recently found that salad dressings, especially oil and vinegar varieties, contain alpha-linolenic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid, that has protective effects against heart disease? Women who consumed one to two tablespoons of vinaigrette almost every day had about a 50% reduction in heart disease.
Both olive oil and vinegar help lower cholesterol and are high in antioxidants which can help fight cancer. Researchers have found that olive oil can lower blood pressure and has anti-inflammatory properties. Dr. Oz named balsamic vinegar as a top “metabolism-boosting food” because it contains acetic acid, which helps activate genes that burn fat and increases satiety. Studies have shown that consuming balsamic vinegar may lead to a reduction in blood sugar levels.
Olive oil is high in monounsaturated fats and low in the polyunsaturated fats associated with inflammation that Americans and other westernized nations are already getting too much of in processed foods.
Extra virgin olive oil has several substances, mainly polyphenols, that are responsible for the multitude of benefits. These polyphenols are not present in other vegetable and seed oils, and that means that they do not have any of the health benefits associated with olive oil.
Recently Italian researchers found that extra virgin olive oil polyphenols may prevent or delay the appearance of Alzheimer’s disease. They concluded that dietary supplementation with extra virgin olive oil may also reduce the severity of the disease’s symptoms.
These are just a few of the many health benefits that are being touted by consuming just 2-3 tablespoons per day of olive oil and vinegar.
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