'New but old' cooking oil can help you lose weight and shrink your waistline

Abdominal obesity and excess weight are a global health burden, increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer. Finding simple yet effective ways to lose weight has always been a priority in nutrition research.

Recently, a large-scale study published in the journal Frontiers in Nutrition discovered that a familiar cooking oil can bring significant benefits to waistline and weight, opening up a new approach in obesity prevention.

Scientists from the University of Bari Aldo Moro and the National Institute of Structural and Systems Biology (Italy) analyzed data from 16,273 adult participants.

Research shows that the average waist circumference of the group that regularly uses olive oil is up to 10 cm smaller than that of the group that rarely uses it.

Photo: AI

Depending on the frequency of olive oil consumption, participants were divided into three groups:

• Rarely use olive oil: Less than 3 days a week.
• Regular use of olive oil: 3 - 5 days a week.
• Use olive oil regularly: 6 days a week or more.

With an average consumption per person of about 25g per day (about 2 tablespoons).

While many people are not aware of the use of olive oil in their diet, it is a key component of the Mediterranean diet, which is known to be the healthiest in the world . Therefore, the authors wanted to find out the effects of this olive oil-based diet.

The results revealed something very surprising:

People who rarely use olive oil are five times more likely to have belly fat than those who use it regularly.

In terms of weight, the group that regularly consumed olive oil maintained a normal weight, with an average BMI of 24.7 kg/m². In contrast, the group that consumed less olive oil became overweight, with a significantly higher BMI of 26.6 kg/m².

Notably, the average waist circumference of the group that regularly consumed olive oil was up to 10 cm smaller than that of the group that rarely consumed it, enough to have a significant impact on the risk of metabolic disease.

In-depth analysis found that olive oil contributes nearly 62% of the Mediterranean diet's waist-shrinking effects.

Why does olive oil help lose weight?

The authors explain that this is because extra virgin olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fatty acids and antioxidant polyphenol compounds such as hydroxytyrosol and oleocanthal. These substances help reduce inflammation, support metabolism and improve cardiovascular health. It is the combination of healthy fats and bioactives that produces the positive effects on weight control.

The researchers concluded that a small change in the oil you choose can have a big impact on your waistline and overall health. For people who are overweight or obese, switching to extra virgin olive oil could be a simple but effective way to improve their long-term health.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/loai-dau-an-moi-ma-cu-co-the-giup-giam-can-va-thu-nho-vong-eo-185251002230613511.htm