Olive oil has several health benefits and research keeps documenting more. The reviewed research evaluated the effect of olive oil related to biomarkers of bone growth (Fernández-Real JM, et al. 2012).
The study participants were elderly men with high cardiovascular risk and the follow up was 2 years. The participants were divided in 3 groups, one group was assigned to a Mediterranean diet enriched with nuts, another group to a Mediterranean diet enriched with virgin olive oil and the control diet was a low fat diet.
One of the markers tested for was osteocalcin which is a protein found in bone. Osteocalcin was also one of the markers that increased in the group assigned to the olive oil.
The researchers concluded that a Mediterranean style diet enriched with olive oil is associated with increased serum osteocalcin levels indicating a protective effect on bone.
If you cook with oil, olive oil seems to be the best oil you can use. You can for example stir fry vegetables and you can also use olive oil and vinegar for salad dressings
Fernández-Real JM, Bulló M, Moreno-Navarrete JM, Ricart W, Ros E, Estruch R, Salas-Salvadó J. A mediterranean diet enriched with olive oil is associated with higher serum total osteocalcin levels in elderly men at high cardiovascular risk. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2012 Oct;97(10):3792-8. doi: 10.1210/jc.2012-2221. Epub 2012 Aug 1.
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