Olive Oil

Olive oil has been associated with all sorts of magic health properties most of them have been found to be true. But what does this liquid fat to your weight? A new study seems to suggest it does good things for your weight as well. Lipids, 2006 Mar; 41(3):249-56

This prospective follow-up study assessed the association between olive oil consumption and the likelihood of weight gain or the incidence of overweight or obesity in a large Mediterranean cohort of 7,368 male and female Spanish university graduates. They were followed for a median period of 28.5 months. A validated Food Frequency Questionnaire was administered at baseline, and respondents also completed a follow-up questionnaire after 28.5 months. Changes in participants' consumption of olive oil and their weight were assessed during follow-up.

A higher baseline consumption of olive oil was associated with a lower likelihood of weight gain, although the differences were not statistically significant. The more olive oil consumed the lower obesity. This study shows that a high amount of olive oil consumption is not associated with higher weight gain or a significantly higher risk of developing overweight or obesity in the context of the Mediterranean food pattern.