Medical Advices Blog

Which one is better, olive oil or seed oils (sunflower, soybean, corn …)?

Olive oil, for its richness in monounsaturated fatty acids and other healthful substances with antioxidant (phytosterols and vitamin E) has the ability to increase the so-called good cholesterol (HDL) and likewise, prevents oxidation of the so-called bad cholesterol ( LDL-C) primarily responsible for the formation of plaque in artery walls promoting the development of arteriosclerosis.

Unlike previous seed oils are rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids, with equally healthy properties. Have the property of decreasing levels of total cholesterol and triglycerides, and also decreases blood viscosity, thereby reducing the risk of thrombus formation. However, do not protect as effectively against oxidation of the so-called bad cholesterol (LDL-C).Is it good to lower cholesterol by taking a handful of nuts every day?

Nuts like the other nuts are fatty foods especially rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids with health claims. However, this type of fat is also present in seed oils and oily fish fat. So are not the only food nut source of this type of fat. Thus, a person to include in your diet seed oil and oily fish, in the right proportions and at the recommended frequency according to a balanced diet is already providing this type of fatty acids and is benefiting from the positive effects of these food.

If that same person, plus food provided in their diet, adequate to maintain a stable weight, including a daily handful of walnuts or other nut as extra input, that is, without reducing other foods over time, you may see reduced their cholesterol level, but its weight will be increased, as has been enriched in fat and calories so in their usual diet. Therefore always has to evaluate all of what you eat in a day or over time, and it’s useless to take nuts or other similar products on the other properties if consumed in excess saturated fatty foods .

Which one is better, butter or margarine 100% vegetable?

The butter is obtained by centrifuging or whisk the milk fat itself as such rich in saturated fat and cholesterol. Too much saturated fat promotes increased plasma cholesterol levels. Margarine, on the other hand, is derived from vegetable oils rich in polyunsaturated fat (seed oils) or monounsaturated (olive oil), both with health benefits. Vegetable oils are liquid at room temperature.

To get the creamy texture characteristic of margarine, oils are subjected to various physical and chemical processes that involve heating the oil to temperatures near 200 ºC and injecting molecules of hydrogen (hence the name that appears on the label of “.. . hydrogenated fat). This is a change in the structure of vegetable fat and functionality. Thus, the trans fat present in margarine acts like saturated fat. Therefore, when buying butter or margarine, the next step is to choose one that fits the taste of everyone.