Absolutely yes on EVOO. But it has nothing to do with the fats, which really aren’t very different than those in other, much more highly processed oils. The health benefits of EVOO come from the polyphenols oleuropein and related hydroxytyrosol. They are the special (unpatentable) compounds that give EVOO its superpowers. And olives and olive oil are the only two foods on earth that have them.
Search PubMed also for the CORDIOPREV RCT. But you gotta consume a lot. In both PREDIMED and CORDIOPREV they gave the Treatment arm families 1 liter a week of EVOO. That was 2 x 55-gallon drums-worth over the few years! (But even a little EVOO is worthwhile, as the dose-response curve is steep.)
Unsalted butter doesn’t taste of much and to me is worse than bland; EVOO tastes of something - it’s a bit bitter, and I thought there was also a salty taste to it, but maybe that was only after stirring some into soup. On the other hand, salted butter tastes great even on its own, licked from a knife. EVOO is healthy and tasty in its own way, whereas salted butter makes for a creamier flavor, and perhaps aroma. Old butter can taste and smell pleasantly cheese-like.
The reason that most people don't use EVOO in place of butter is because EVOO has no salt. Next time you have a roll or baked potato, use EVOO and sprinkle liberally with salt. Salt is the key to flavor and the health benefits of switching to EVOO are undisputed.
Agree with your skepticism doctor. I believe they lumped together all unsaturated fats, i.e. mono-unsaturated like olive oil vs. PUFA dominant like corn oil as a group vs butter. Based on the last decade of nutrition research this does not make sense to me. This is another study relying on dubious personal recollection of diet habits over years of time. I would no rely on my recollections. The stats indicated significant differences in obesity (among other risk factors) between the two fat source groups. It seems they could have just as easily analyzed the data set with obesity or diabetes are the primary risk factor and diet fat source as a modifying or sort of covariate in the model. And yet this study is sure to be reported on the evening local news in a way that implies cause and effect.
Once again, thanking TSC for addressing topics that are always on the back of my mind. I am beginning to suspect there is a pattern- if the mainstream is pushing a feeding theme, consider strongly going in the opposite direction. Just as a rule of thumb I am saying.
Like you, I choose EVOO whenever available, due to Predimed.
It is bizarre to lump EVOO with “seed oil”….so I’m looking forward to your review of that JAMA article.
Basically, I’m at the point where, if I’m reading a paper about diet, I’m fully expecting terrible methodology leading to ridiculous and/ or useless conclusions.
Although I prefer the taste of butter to that of EVOO, I've pretty much eliminated butter from my diet, don't eat French fries or any other deep-fried foods, and use no oil other than EVOO, based on personal health considerations and the best available research studies.
If your source is right that the ingredients are "Vegetable Oil Blend (Liquid Soybean Oil, Canola Oil, Palm Oil, Palm Kernel Oil), ...", then the largest oil present is soybean, not canola.
I would certainly avoid a butter substitute that contained palm oil. The Lyon Diet Heart Study had the experimental group use a margarine containing rapeseed oil in addition to the use of olive oil as part of a Mediterranean diet. The control group received no special dietary advice, and presumably continued to use butter. The study was stopped early due to the marked reduction in recurrent cardiovascular events in the experimental group. The study has been criticized for some of the methodology, but it at least suggests that rapeseed (canola) oil may have an advantage over butter. I doubt a proper study to compare them will ever be done. Butter notably lacks the food matrix which is thought to modify the effects of cheese’s saturated fatty acids.
Lots of methodologies problems with the Lyon Diet Heart study which showed dramatic CV benefits of a diet supplemented with "margarine supplied by the study to replace butter and cream. The saturated fatty acid (15% kcal) and oleic acid (48% kcal but 5.4% kcal 18:1 trans) contents in the margarine were comparable to those in olive oil, with the exception that the margarine was higher in linoleic acid (16.4% versus 8.6% kcal) and more so in α-linolenic acid (4.8% versus 0.6% kcal). Exclusive use of rapeseed oil and olive oil was recommended for salads and food preparation. Use of olive oil exclusively was not recommended because it was not acceptable as the only oil source in the diet."
We don't really know what the experimental arm or the control group ended up eating. Only around 400 patients in a pre-statin era. Frankly, I don't trust anything from this study. But it is quite a stretch to maintain that this trial was a rapeseed oil substitution trial.
Absolutely yes on EVOO. But it has nothing to do with the fats, which really aren’t very different than those in other, much more highly processed oils. The health benefits of EVOO come from the polyphenols oleuropein and related hydroxytyrosol. They are the special (unpatentable) compounds that give EVOO its superpowers. And olives and olive oil are the only two foods on earth that have them.
Search PubMed also for the CORDIOPREV RCT. But you gotta consume a lot. In both PREDIMED and CORDIOPREV they gave the Treatment arm families 1 liter a week of EVOO. That was 2 x 55-gallon drums-worth over the few years! (But even a little EVOO is worthwhile, as the dose-response curve is steep.)
You have to look pictures of the beach from the 60's (butter) and pictures from now (canola oil) and you have your answer
Unsalted butter doesn’t taste of much and to me is worse than bland; EVOO tastes of something - it’s a bit bitter, and I thought there was also a salty taste to it, but maybe that was only after stirring some into soup. On the other hand, salted butter tastes great even on its own, licked from a knife. EVOO is healthy and tasty in its own way, whereas salted butter makes for a creamier flavor, and perhaps aroma. Old butter can taste and smell pleasantly cheese-like.
The reason that most people don't use EVOO in place of butter is because EVOO has no salt. Next time you have a roll or baked potato, use EVOO and sprinkle liberally with salt. Salt is the key to flavor and the health benefits of switching to EVOO are undisputed.
Agree with your skepticism doctor. I believe they lumped together all unsaturated fats, i.e. mono-unsaturated like olive oil vs. PUFA dominant like corn oil as a group vs butter. Based on the last decade of nutrition research this does not make sense to me. This is another study relying on dubious personal recollection of diet habits over years of time. I would no rely on my recollections. The stats indicated significant differences in obesity (among other risk factors) between the two fat source groups. It seems they could have just as easily analyzed the data set with obesity or diabetes are the primary risk factor and diet fat source as a modifying or sort of covariate in the model. And yet this study is sure to be reported on the evening local news in a way that implies cause and effect.
What about Ghee?
Once again, thanking TSC for addressing topics that are always on the back of my mind. I am beginning to suspect there is a pattern- if the mainstream is pushing a feeding theme, consider strongly going in the opposite direction. Just as a rule of thumb I am saying.
Husband is a chef.
Butter or EVOO or nothing. :)
Me too except for popcorn which i "cook" in safflower oil for reasons that are unclear to me
Different oils have different "smoke points" so it probably has to do with that.
Husband says clarified butter is best for popcorn.
Like you, I choose EVOO whenever available, due to Predimed.
It is bizarre to lump EVOO with “seed oil”….so I’m looking forward to your review of that JAMA article.
Basically, I’m at the point where, if I’m reading a paper about diet, I’m fully expecting terrible methodology leading to ridiculous and/ or useless conclusions.
Excellent review. Thanks. My Italian wife only cooks with Olive Oil and butter,but does use Crisco oil for her pie crusts.
In the 2006 Wayne Wang film "Last Holiday", Gerard Depardieu fills Queen Latifah in on the secret to life: "Butter!".
So there's that.
"Polyunctuously Yours," ... Priceless!
Although I prefer the taste of butter to that of EVOO, I've pretty much eliminated butter from my diet, don't eat French fries or any other deep-fried foods, and use no oil other than EVOO, based on personal health considerations and the best available research studies.
If your source is right that the ingredients are "Vegetable Oil Blend (Liquid Soybean Oil, Canola Oil, Palm Oil, Palm Kernel Oil), ...", then the largest oil present is soybean, not canola.
I would certainly avoid a butter substitute that contained palm oil. The Lyon Diet Heart Study had the experimental group use a margarine containing rapeseed oil in addition to the use of olive oil as part of a Mediterranean diet. The control group received no special dietary advice, and presumably continued to use butter. The study was stopped early due to the marked reduction in recurrent cardiovascular events in the experimental group. The study has been criticized for some of the methodology, but it at least suggests that rapeseed (canola) oil may have an advantage over butter. I doubt a proper study to compare them will ever be done. Butter notably lacks the food matrix which is thought to modify the effects of cheese’s saturated fatty acids.
Lots of methodologies problems with the Lyon Diet Heart study which showed dramatic CV benefits of a diet supplemented with "margarine supplied by the study to replace butter and cream. The saturated fatty acid (15% kcal) and oleic acid (48% kcal but 5.4% kcal 18:1 trans) contents in the margarine were comparable to those in olive oil, with the exception that the margarine was higher in linoleic acid (16.4% versus 8.6% kcal) and more so in α-linolenic acid (4.8% versus 0.6% kcal). Exclusive use of rapeseed oil and olive oil was recommended for salads and food preparation. Use of olive oil exclusively was not recommended because it was not acceptable as the only oil source in the diet."
We don't really know what the experimental arm or the control group ended up eating. Only around 400 patients in a pre-statin era. Frankly, I don't trust anything from this study. But it is quite a stretch to maintain that this trial was a rapeseed oil substitution trial.