olive oil for weight loss

[milkmaterial]

hi guys i read about olive oil and how it will help you with weight loss, metabolism , etc

 

i am working out this week and i was wondering how much should i take?

 

i read people dip bread on olive oil, but i swear off breads (they are evil)

 

is it ok if i just take 1 tbsp of it per day?

 

i also didnt buy extra virgin, i bought olive oil only.

[tman666]

First of all, bread is not "evil". There are no "evil" foods, just foods that are less ideal in terms of their ability to satiate (make you feel full), nutrient density, and calorie density.

 

Olive oil is high in Omega 3 fatty acids, which are supposedly beneficial for heart health, joint health, etc. However, through the "weight loss" lens, it is equal to bacon grease. A gram of fat has 9 kcal, a gram of protein has 4 kcal, and a gram of carbohydrate has 4 kcal. Alcohol has around 7 kcal per gram (even though due to its relatively high TEF (Thermic Effect of Food), it's more practically around 5 kcal/gram).

 

Using olive oil is a great way to get some healthy fats in, but do not discount the caloric density of your foods just because they are billed as "health food". All calories matter. The trick is choosing foods that are nutrient dense and calorie sparse. Lean meats, vegetables, potatoes, etc. are all great for keeping a person full while providing plenty of nutrients.

 

Also, understanding the role that insulin plays is very important when deciding when to take in calories. Carbohydrates cause a spike in insulin, which then "decides" whether to transport energy to muscle stores, liver stores, or adipose tissue (fat mass). This is why carbohydrate intake is best taken either early in the morning (after liver glycogen stores are mostly depleted) or post workout (when both liver and muscle stored glycogen is mostly depleted).

[Chocolat]

Great post as usual by Tman. I just want to point out that olive oil is contains mostly oleic acid, which is an omega 9. OO does contain some omega 3 and 6, but not nearly as much as 9.

[tman666]

Great post as usual by Tman. I just want to point out that olive oil is contains mostly oleic acid, which is an omega 9. OO does contain some omega 3 and 6, but not nearly as much as 9.

 

Omega 9?? I guess I need to brush up on my understanding of unsaturated fatty acids. Thank you!

Edited February 15, 2011 by tman666

[Duckduckgoose]

When I eat too much olive oil I get the runs

[lovnlost]

hi guys i read about olive oil and how it will help you with weight loss, metabolism , etc

 

i am working out this week and i was wondering how much should i take?

 

i read people dip bread on olive oil, but i swear off breads (they are evil)

 

is it ok if i just take 1 tbsp of it per day?

 

i also didnt buy extra virgin, i bought olive oil only.

 

This wont do a thing for you. I wouldn't consider it at all. Like any oil or food, its not good for you if you consume to much of it. Nobody eats this much olive oil unless you live in Italy and take shots of it with you pasta.

[Dust]

First off Olive oil is for cooking. Extra virgin olive oil is what you would use for salads and bread. Try to eat a bread with healthy ingredients like Ezekial bread.

[shadowofman]

There are also food that have metabolic inhibitors and chemicals which breakdown tissue systems. There are foods which contribute to gut permeability for instance, and I would call them evil of a sort. Bread is included in this group of "leaky gut" culprits. Gluten is evil for nearly everyone.

 

Other than that, I love your post tman666. Spot on stuff.

 

A teaspoon of olive oil would n't be much different than fish oil pills, except that fish oil pills are maybe a better choice of fat supplement.

[shadowofman]

Speaking of, tman666, are there any particular authors or doctors that you follow? Your science sounds a lot like the work of Joe Friel and Lorain Cordain. But I did get to hear a good episode of the People's Pharmacy with a doctor discussing the empty calorie problems with sugars like fructose. Didn't catch his name.

[avastavatar]

Olive oil are contain 9 calories per gracing means they should be used sparingly if you want to lose weight,Olive oil became popular as a result of the Mediterranean Diet which some experts believe is responsible for the low levels of heart disease in Mediterranean countries,Although Olive oil is a healthy mono unsaturated oil, it does not contain any essential fatty acids But it is a stable, health-enhancing oil that has stood the test of time.

[tman666]

Speaking of, tman666, are there any particular authors or doctors that you follow? Your science sounds a lot like the work of Joe Friel and Lorain Cordain. But I did get to hear a good episode of the People's Pharmacy with a doctor discussing the empty calorie problems with sugars like fructose. Didn't catch his name.

 

I'm getting the majority of my information on nutrition from authors such as Martin Berkhan of LeanGains.com, Lyle McDonald at BodyRecomposition.com and JC Deen at JCDFitness.com. The majority of the nutritional advice I post is straight out of "Nutrition 101", so to speak. Most people don't need or care about the minutia of nutritional content; most simply need to know about the basics such as how each macronutrient is metabolized, caloric density, basic intake timing, and a very quick rehash of thermodynamics.

 

Since I don't have any formal training or education in the field I (as a non-authority), like most others, am often left at the mercy of what the fitness industry gurus are selling. That's where the roll of science comes in, which has led me to authors such as Martin and Lyle who take a serious look at the studies that are out there to either support or refute claims made by the so called "experts". Sometimes the results are surprising, other times, not so much. Anyone can find studies (or design studies, for that matter) to support their claims. Conversely, anyone can find or design studies to refute the claims of others.

 

Basically, the biggest thing that I've learned from my experiences with the "fitness industry" at large is that nobody, even doctors, is infallible with the information they present. It takes a critical eye to be able to pick apart what is basic fact, what is a plausible hypothesis, and what is horsefeathers.

 

I've stopped looking at any particular diet, training program, author, etc. as "right" a while ago. What it boils down to for me is training hard using time tested and solid training principles and eating (using the basics of nutrition) to support those training goals. Not every training method or dietary approach will work for everyone, no matter how well designed they are, which is why experience and "time under the bar" play a big roll for the individual.

 

 

 

Speaking of "Leaky Gut Syndrome", it seems to be sort of on the border between myth and plausibility. Can you point me in the direction of some research-based reviews of the condition? The problem for me is that I've heard the condition described so many different ways that it'd be nice to see whether or not the claims are based in any sort of widespread applicability for the majority of the population (i.e. barring people with Celiac or other gastrointestinal diseases). Sorry for busting your balls, but I think it's important that you back this up. From your posts, you seem like you're pretty well versed in nutrition as a subject (and for some reason, I seem to remember you a while back saying that you have a degree in it or something), so I'm looking forward to talking shop with you.

[Chocolat]

Speaking of "Leaky Gut Syndrome", it seems to be sort of on the border between myth and plausibility. Can you point me in the direction of some research-based reviews of the condition? The problem for me is that I've heard the condition described so many different ways that it'd be nice to see whether or not the claims are based in any sort of widespread applicability for the majority of the population (i.e. barring people with Celiac or other gastrointestinal diseases). Sorry for busting your balls, but I think it's important that you back this up. From your posts, you seem like you're pretty well versed in nutrition as a subject (and for some reason, I seem to remember you a while back saying that you have a degree in it or something), so I'm looking forward to talking shop with you.

 

I'm interested, too. Leaky gut and wheat "sensitivity" (absent Celiac disease) seems to be the issue du jour, with gluten-free products popping up all over the place. Clearly, if someone eliminates all sources of gluten from his/her diet, s/he will lose weight, if for no other reason than that a large source of calories has been displaced. Likewise, if the gluten-containing foods were simple carbs, then most people will feel better without them, but this is not necessarily a function of gluten. I'd like to see some science to support the concept that so many people are gluten intolerant (other than those with celiac disease, that is).

[shadowofman]

Dr. Alessio Fasano is the leading publisher of "leaky gut" reports. And this is from the Division of Paediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, and Gastrointestinal Pathophysiology, U of Maryland, Baltimore.

 

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6T1B-407R3CT-J&_user=10&_coverDate=04%2F29%2F2000&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig=gateway&_origin=gateway&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_searchStrId=1716203885&_rerunOrigin=scholar.google&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=47f5ce2795e734997b346fd52aaaae3c&searchtype=a

 

Basically, gluten is composed of two proteins, glutinin and gliadin. Gliadin has been shown to stimulate the epithelial cells of the small intestine (to various genetically predisposed degrees), to secrete zonulin. Zonulin is a signal to the cells to open the tight junctions between the cells, allowing macromolecules to pass into the blood stream. This could the pathogenesis of several "molecular mimicry" problems including auto-immune and food allergy.

 

It is not a stretch to imagine that our biology is not accustomed to handling the amounts of gliadin we tend to introduce to our systems. Archeological evidence tells us that we began using grain as a staple only 10K years ago. That is a very short period to adapt to. And leaky gut is not a very strong selective pressure to force dietary evolution. It's a slow pathology, often resulting in disease far after the individual has produced offspring.

Likewise, it's not hard to imagine that a majority of humans are lactose intolerant.

 

I find that the dietary concept most troublesome to people is that no food is perfect. In any given ingredient, there maybe pros and cons. The phytochemical variety in nature is near infinite, and nothing has evolved with your digestion in mind. Tomatoes for example are hailed as great sources of lycopene, but there is great concern about tomato-lectin as another possible culprit of "leaky-gut".

[TheLoneSock]

Ah olive oil, good stuff. And ah, fatty acids, even better stuff! But also confusing sometimes.

 

Milkmaterial, not sure if it's been mentioned yet but if your goal is to gain omegas from it there are far better sources. Olive oil contains roughly %10 omega 6 fatty acids and only %1 omega 3 fatty acids (the most beneficial kind). To clarify, you should never, ever add omega 9s intentionally to your diet as a supplement. The food you eat on a regular basis is already filled with omega 9 fatty acids (which are basically monosaturated fats), and it does not convert very easily to HDL cholesterol (the good kind). Omega 6 converts a little bit easier, but again is easily obtained through your normal diet. Omega 3 is the only dietary supplement you should be consuming, and the simplest form is found in fish oil. Omega 3 is the fatty acid most easily converted into HDL cholesterol, and it is also the most difficult to obtain through a normal diet. This is why any fatty acid supplementation should be focused on Omega 3 alone, and not 6 or 9 - and the best source for it is fish oil. In fact, the average person consumes 20-30 times as much omega 6 through their daily diet as they do omega 3. That number is even higher for omega 9s.

 

So why is Omega 3 the most easily converted to HDL? Because the fish has gone through most of the process of conversion for you using the fatty acids they consumed in their own diet.

 

Milkmaterial, taking olive oil as a direct supplement is a bad idea. Eat it on your salad or with bread sure, but don't go consuming table spoon fulls of it. It would be much smarter and healthier to just pick up some fish oil tablets or walnuts.

 

Here are a couple of links you can use for more information:

 

http://www.oliveoilsource.com/definition/omega-3-and-omega-6-fatty-acids

 

http://www.omega-9oils.com/omega369.htm

 

The short and sweet answer: drop the olive oil, take fish oil capsules instead.

Edited April 13, 2011 by TheLoneSock

[tman666]

Dr. Alessio Fasano is the leading publisher of "leaky gut" reports. And this is from the Division of Paediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, and Gastrointestinal Pathophysiology, U of Maryland, Baltimore.

 

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6T1B-407R3CT-J&_user=10&_coverDate=04%2F29%2F2000&_rdoc=1&_fmt=high&_orig=gateway&_origin=gateway&_sort=d&_docanchor=&view=c&_searchStrId=1716203885&_rerunOrigin=scholar.google&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=47f5ce2795e734997b346fd52aaaae3c&searchtype=a

 

Basically, gluten is composed of two proteins, glutinin and gliadin. Gliadin has been shown to stimulate the epithelial cells of the small intestine (to various genetically predisposed degrees), to secrete zonulin. Zonulin is a signal to the cells to open the tight junctions between the cells, allowing macromolecules to pass into the blood stream. This could the pathogenesis of several "molecular mimicry" problems including auto-immune and food allergy.

 

It is not a stretch to imagine that our biology is not accustomed to handling the amounts of gliadin we tend to introduce to our systems. Archeological evidence tells us that we began using grain as a staple only 10K years ago. That is a very short period to adapt to. And leaky gut is not a very strong selective pressure to force dietary evolution. It's a slow pathology, often resulting in disease far after the individual has produced offspring.

Likewise, it's not hard to imagine that a majority of humans are lactose intolerant.

 

I find that the dietary concept most troublesome to people is that no food is perfect. In any given ingredient, there maybe pros and cons. The phytochemical variety in nature is near infinite, and nothing has evolved with your digestion in mind. Tomatoes for example are hailed as great sources of lycopene, but there is great concern about tomato-lectin as another possible culprit of "leaky-gut".

 

Thanks for getting back to us on this. While I didn't read the entire paper (because, ya know, it costs $32 bucks to download), in the abstract, it specifically states that they identified that (in non-human, primate intestinal lining) "zonulin expression was raised in intestinal tissues during the acute phase coeliac (sic) disease". While you may be correct about gliadin causing zonulin secretion, that correlation doesn't necessarily equal causation that a non-celiac person is harmed by gluten, as far as I can tell. The scale between zonulin secretion in normal subjects versus celiac subjects, and each populations' respective cellular reactions to it (based on genetic predispositions), may render the correlation irrelevant or flimsy when applied to the greater population.

 

*Takes off labcoat*

 

Ok, now that I'm done playing scientist/skeptic, I do think that your argument is an interesting one. For me, it highlights the importance of your statement that "no food is perfect". What might be a great food for one person may not work very well for another. I think a person would be wise to pay attention to how they feel eating certain things, such as glutenous foods, to determine whether or not they should reduce or eliminate that source. The problem with eliminating an entire food source is that, in addition to making life slightly more complicated, a person could have a hard time getting other essential or beneficial nutrients present in such foods.

 

From a fitness nutrition standpoint, decreasing gluten intake could potentially lead people to get more of their carbs from vegetable sources, which could possibly be beneficial from a satiety/nutrient intake/caloric density standpoint. I personally get most of my carbs from non-gluten sources, which tend to be less processed overall, barring the occasional beer, stack of pancakes, or sandwich. I guess I'm fortunate that glutenous foods don't seem to bother me.

[shadowofman]

I also am lucky to handle gluten well, but I tend to say away from high glycemic foods a majority of the time. But the "leaky gut" hypothesis isn't gluten specific. The idea is that several compounds found in a variety of staples may be contributing to permeability. Lectins in beans and tomatoes, gluten, and sadly...capsacin are just some of the possible culprits. Of course more research needs to be done, so put that labcoat back on and quit slacking!

[tman666]

so put that labcoat back on and quit slacking!

 

Haha I'll keep my eye out for any other interesting info on the subject. Thanks for the intelligent discussion man!

[tman666]

Shadowofman:

 

Check these out:

 

http://blog.cholesterol-and-health.com/2011/04/how-to-properly-interpret-ex-vivo.html

 

http://blog.cholesterol-and-health.com/2011/04/what-no-one-is-saying-about-zonulin-is.html