What is the Right Amount of Extra Virgin Olive Oil for Daily Consumption?

Referring to Susana's post on Greek Island.

http://www.iowaavenue.com/profiles/blogs/the-island-where-people-live"

"They also have a diet that's very interesting," Buettner continues. "It's very high in olive oil; it's very high in fruits and vegetables." It's also very high in greens; about 150 kinds of veggies grow wild on the island. "These greens have somewhere around 10 times the level of antioxidants in red wine."

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From what I've read (I don't remember the source), it is only recommended to consume one full spoon of Olive Oil - twice or thrice in a week as too much of anything is not good.

But majority of people living in Greek, Italy to name a few consume a high amount of Olive Oil. However they are still healthy and thin (Majority).

So what is the right amount of Olive Oil that I can consume in a day?

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Permalink Reply by Susana on June 9, 2009 at 8:31am

I just found this:

Olive Oil Cardio-Protective - But Don't Overdo It

It's the Mediterranean version of the French paradox: in the REGICOR Study, conducted in Spain, researchers found a lower incidence of heart attacks despite a high prevalence of risk factors for cardiovascular disease. Olive oil-which accounts for nearly 35% of calories and is the main source of fat in Mediterranean countries-was a likely explanation.

To investigate this, Maria-Isabel Covas, PhD, Head of The Research Group in Oxidative Stress and Nutrition at the Lipids and Cardiovascular Epidemiology Unit, Institute Municipal d́Investigació Mèdica, Barcelona, Spain, brought together an international team with partners from Denmark, Finland, Germany and Greece to collaborate in the EUROLIVE Project.

In addition to studies on the bioavailability of polyphenols from olive oil in humans, the EUROLIVE Project has conducted 6 clinical trials in which 3 olive oils, similar except for differences in their polyphenol content (low, 2.7 mg/kg; medium, 164 mg/kg; and high, 366 mg/kg), were given to healthy male volunteers in intervention periods of 3 weeks at doses of 25 mL/day.

Results of the EUROLIVE studies have shown that:

The higher the polyphenolic content of the olive oil, the higher the increase in levels of HDL "good" cholesterol. Average increase in HDL was 0.025 mmol/L for low, 0.032 mmol/L for medium, and 0.045 mmol/L for high phenolic olive oil, respectively. (Extra virgin olive oil contains the most polyphenols, followed by virgin olive oil, olive oil and a highly refined olive oil called "pomace.")

Subjects' atherogenic index (their ratio of total cholesterol to HDL cholesterol) and the oxidative (free radical) damage of cholesterol and other lipids decreased as the polyphenolic content of the olive oil increased. (Lipid oxidation--free radical damage to cholesterol and other fats-is considered a high risk factor for coronary heart disease development.

In men from Northern and Central Europe who do not typically eat a Mediterranean diet, daily consumption of 25 mL of olive oil resulted in a 3% decrease in systolic blood pressure.

Consuming 25 mL/day of olive oil, in replacement of other fats, did not cause weight gain.

A moderate amount of olive oil-a 25 mL dose (1.7 tablespoons)-did not promote postprandial (after meals) oxidative stress (free radical damage to cholesterol) whereas a single olive oil dose of 40 mL (2.7 tablespoons) did. Practical Tip: Olive oil, particularly extra virgin olive oil, provides a number of heart-healthy benefits-increasing HDL "good" cholesterol, improving the ratio of LDL:HDL, and, if you aren't already following a Mediterranean diet, may lower your systolic blood pressure as well. But don't overdo it. Consuming more than a couple of tablespoons at a meal can increase free radical damage of cholesterol.

Source: The World's Healthiest Foods

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Permalink Reply by JJ on June 15, 2009 at 5:25am

"Consuming more than a couple of tablespoons at a meal can increase free radical damage of cholesterol."

Scratches head.

Olive oil is such a mystery to me.

So two tablespoons for one meal would do for me I guess.

Thanks for the info Susana. Very much appreciated.

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Permalink Reply by Christopher on July 25, 2009 at 10:49am

10- 15 gallons, chilled is best

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Permalink Reply by Joan Mercantini on December 15, 2010 at 10:56am

Mary Enig, one of the foremost authorities on oils, states olive oil is the safest vegetable oil you can use, but don’t overdo. The longer chain fatty acids found in olive oil are more likely to contribute to the buildup of body fat than the short- and medium-chain fatty acids found in butter, coconut oil or palm kernel oil.