Food of the Week: Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Enjoy Extra Virgin Olive Oil This Week

Anyone coming from the Mediterranean region of the world would tell you about the health benefits, as well as the wonderful flavor, of a good dose of organic extra virgin olive oil on salads, pasta, fish and almost anything else. Fortunately, it is available throughout the year to satisfy taste buds and promote good health. It's unusual to think about a culinary oil as an anti-inflammatory food. Plant oils are nearly 100% fat, and in a general dietary sense, they are typically classified as "added fats." Intake of too much added dietary fat can be a problem for many reasons — including reasons involving unwanted inflammation. So it's pretty remarkable to find a culinary oil that's repeatedly been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties and provide health benefits in the area of unwanted inflammation. Yet that's exactly the research track record that describes extra virgin olive oil.