Olive Oil Consumption May Help Prevent Diabetes

Olive oil has long been touted as one of the best cooking oils for health. It is apt for cooking and is also widely used in salad dressings and lip-smacking dips and condiments. Experts suggest replacing regular cooking oil with olive oil to reap health benefits, a recently conducted study establishes a link between olive oil consumption and lowered risk of diabetes. Researchers from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (Virginia Tech), US have found that a compound in olive oil may help the body secrete more insulin. "We believe it will not only contribute to the biochemistry of the functions of the olive component oleuropein, but also have an impact on the general public to pay more attention to olive products in light of the current diabetes epidemic," Bin Xu, assistant professor at Virginia Tech was quoted by PTI.

The discovery could help improve understanding of the scientific basis of health benefits of olive products and develop new, low-cost nutraceutical strategies to fight type-2 diabetes and related obesity, researchers said.

Olive oil is one of the best sources of omega 3 fatty acids. Another recently conducted study noted that omega 3 consumption may help boost intelligence in people. Olive oil is a good source of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs), "this category of fats is related to a very specific brain network, the dorsal attention network, and how optimal this network is functionally organised," said lead author Aron Barbey, professor at the University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign. MUFAs are healthy fatty acids that help stave off risks of cardiovascular diseases, high blood sugar and even cholesterol; however these are calorific in nature and must therefore be consumed in moderation. Get in touch with your healthcare expert to learn more about MUFAs, how to source them in your daily diet and additional health benefits of olive oil consumption.

Inputs from IANS and PTI