Adding olive oil to your diet may boost weight loss.

Olive oil is a true superfood, and there is no doubt that it protects against the risk of heart disease.  It is a delicious part of almost any meal and does not have to be limited to just Italian or Greek foods.  Contrary to popular belief dietary fats do not make you fat or obese.  If you have ever read the dietary guidelines, they recommend reducing dietary fats and replacing them with carbohydrates.  Similar to a prior article I wrote on fish oil and weight loss, research from 2010 shows that healthy fat choices such as olive oil may boost weight loss.  

The study, published in the Journal of Women’s Health, looked at a group of women that were breast cancer survivors​[1]​.  In the study, the twenty-eight subject who completed the study were fed a plant-based diet that was high in olive oil.  The diet was a Mediterranean-style diet that was rich in rich in vegetables, fruit, legumes, and whole grains, moderate in dairy, and low in meat.  The subjects were limited to three serves of white meat or fish a week for women, and red meat only once or twice a month.  Each woman was placed on two eight-week diets: an olive oil-based diet and a low-fat food plan as recommended by the US National Cancer Institute.  Both diets were made up of 1500 calories a day.  After completion of the 16-week trial, the average weight loss was 7kg or 15.4 pounds.   The women lost twice as much on the olive oil diet as on the low-fat diet.  

This study is not unique, and the evidence for using olive oil and a Meditteranean diet for weight loss is strong.  There are many studies that show a Mediterranean diet high in olive oil and nuts will help with weight loss​[2]​,​[3]​,​[4]​,​[5]​.  

The bottom line: Olive oil has weight-loss properties, and food with a moderate amount of fat is both more appealing and satiating.  I suggest you add three tablespoons to your daily routine.  It is easy to add it to your homemade dressings or cook with it.