The benefits of eating olive oil have been lauded by health professionals for years, but a recent study could provide a new incentive for us to add it into our diet.

A study at the Houston Methodist hospital in Texas is to focus on a major component of olive oil, hydroxytyrosol, and its potential to prevent breast cancer.

The study, which is the first of its kind in the US, will monitor the breast density of 50 pre-menopausal and 50 post-menopausal women who have been identified as having a higher than average risk of developing breast cancer. Each patient will be given 25 mg hydroxytyrosol capsule for 12 months and their breast density levels will then be assessed at three monthly intervals.
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A big salad is a healthy meal, right? WRONG if you use the wrong kind of salad dressing! And surprise: a fat-free dressing is NOT the way to go.

In a human trial, researchers fed subjects salads topped off with saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat-based dressings. They found that monounsaturated fat-rich dressings required the least amount of fat to get the best vitamin absorption, while saturated fat and polyunsaturated fat dressings required higher amounts of fat to get the same benefit.

Olive oil is about 75% monounsaturated fat, while Canola oil and nut oil are both about 58% monounsaturated. Nuts and avocados are high in monosaturated fat.
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Why do Italians get so old and stay so CHEERFUL? They put olive oil on almost everything they eat!
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