Fountain of Youth

Sure, you've heard about the benefits of olive oil as a source of heart-healthy fat, but could making it a part of your regular diet be key to living disease-free longer? Or, just plain old living longer? Well, if Mariam Amash, an Israeli citizen who reportedly drinks a glass of olive oil a day, is as old as she says she is (120 years, which would make her the oldest recorded living person) it may make you think twice about your own olive oil intake.

According to an interview the Associated Press conducted with her granddaughter-in-law, a typical day for Amash includes taking walks, socializing with family and friends, and drinking, yes drinking, a glass of olive oil a day.

Several studies have linked diets that include monounsaturated fats like extra-virgin olive oil to reduced risk of heart disease. And more recently, a study conducted at the University of Granada found that olive oil has been shown to contain polyphenols, a type of antioxidant which may help prevent cell aging and osteoporosis. Polyphenols may also help to reduce risk of developing aging-related diseases, according to the authors of the study Professors Alberto Fernández and Antonio Segura, such as heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer's and diabetes.

Before you go out and stock up on a case of olive oil, take caution. "We want to encourage people to use healthy fats, like olive oil instead of unhealthy fats, but it's important to watch how much you're adding because of the caloric content," says Colleen Doyle, MS, RD Director, Nutrition and Physical Activity at the American Cancer Society. Doyle explains that olive oil contains monounsaturated fats which is linked to reduced risk of heart disease because it lowers LDL "bad" cholesterol, while maintaining HDL "good" cholesterol.

So how much is a good amount to add? "Everybody's caloric need is different," says Doyle, but cautions that a glass of oil a day is an unrealistic and unhealthy amount. It would increase daily caloric and fat intake above recommendations, which can lead to serious weight gain or obesity, putting you at risk for cancer, high blood pressure, and heart diseases -- or, what you were trying to avoid in the first place.

Pick the purest olive oil. In order to maximize the health benefits of your olive oil intake, make sure you buy extra-virgin olive oil, with an acidity level of 0.8 percent at the highest, says Andy Bellatti, Masters candidate at NYU's Department of Nutrition, Food Studies, and Public Health. The FDA does not regulate any labeling of imports, but it does regulate home grown olive oil. Check for the International Olive Oil Council seal on imports to ensure olive oil purity, says Bellatti. Though the olive oil will remain a monounsaturated fat no matter what acidity, or what exposure it has, higher acid levels mean fewer, or no antioxidant properties. Over time, exposure to heat, air and light can also diminish the antioxidant properties, says Bellatti.

Bellatti recommends buying canned olive oil that won't be exposed to UV light in the grocery store or in your home. Keep the container sealed tightly. Buy as fresh as possible in small quantities, so the olive oil isn't aged and depleted of antioxidants by the time you use it up. Also, if you want to have the most amount of antioxidants, use at room temperature or cook at low temperatures.

Do not go over board. If Miriam Amash really drinks an eight-ounce glass of olive oil a day, she'd be consuming 1900 calories and 200 grams of fat, without counting whatever food she eats, says Bellatti. Or, about her daily recommended calories, and 135 more than her daily recommended fat intake. "Use olive oil as a fat substitute," says Bellatti, not an additional source of fat.

By: Mary Kearl

-Rei