- The Mediterranean favourite has a reputation as a panacea for all ills
- But new research suggests it may be no better than oils half the price
- Those who ate foods cooked in corn oil saw bigger drop in cholesterol
Pat Hagan for the Daily Mail
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When it comes to healthy foodstuffs, extra virgin olive oil is in a class of its own.
The super-trendy Mediterranean favourite has a reputation as a panacea for all ills, especially among those with the cash to splash on it.
But now new research suggests that, when it comes to keeping the heart healthy, it may be no better than less fashionable oils that are half the price.
Humble corn oil – also known as maize oil – costs a fraction of its more upmarket rival but is better at reducing high fat levels in the blood, a major cause of heart attacks and strokes, researchers found.
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New research suggests that, when it comes to keeping the heart healthy, the super-trendy extra virgin olive oil may be no better than less fashionable oils that are half the price
Volunteers who ate foods cooked in corn oil saw a bigger drop in cholesterol levels than those given dishes prepared with pricey extra virgin olive oil.
Scientists who carried out the study at the independent Midwest Biomedical Research centre in Kansas, US, said the findings could affect the dietary advice given to those at risk of cardiovascular disease.
British shoppers snap up around 62,000 tonnes of olive oil a year – ten times the amount consumed in 1990. The UK is now the world’s tenth biggest olive oil-consuming nation.
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As the market has grown, so has demand for premium-priced extra virgin olive oil, known for its flavour and health-boosting properties.
Last month, leading heart disease experts gathered for a conference in Rome said that a Mediterranean diet rich in olive oil could be better than statins at cutting the risk of an early death.
They called for heart disease patients to be prescribed a diet high in olive oil, vegetables and nuts before turning to pills.
The latest study, published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, suggests shoppers may be wasting their money splashing out for extra virgin oil that costs from £3 a litre and they may be better off using corn oil that costs as little as £1.50 a litre
But the latest study, published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, suggests shoppers may be wasting their money splashing out for extra virgin oil that costs from £3 a litre up to £30 a litre or more.
Instead, they may be better off using corn oil that costs as little as £1.50 a litre.
Scientists gave 54 adult volunteers foods cooked either in corn oil or olive oil every day for three weeks.
They regularly took blood samples to check their blood fat levels and found corn oil led to bigger reductions in total cholesterol levels than premium-priced extra virgin olive oil.
It also triggered a greater reduction in levels of LDL, the harmful type of cholesterol which damages blood vessels and leads to blockages that can trigger chest pain and heart attacks.
There was no difference between the two when it came to ‘healthy’ HDL cholesterol levels.
Olive oil is especially high in monounsaturated fats that can help control cholesterol.
But corn oil is one of the best sources of polyunsaturated fats – these are also good for the heart and provide crucial fatty acids that the body needs to function.
In a report on their findings researchers said: ‘Corn oil reduced cholesterol to a larger extent than extra virgin olive oil. These findings may have implications for cardiovascular disease risk.’
Last year, the authorities in Italy launched a major investigation into allegations that leading olive oil firms were ripping off consumers by passing off inferior quality oil as extra virgin.
Out of 20 brands tested, nine were found to be lower quality oil sold as premium extra virgin.
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