Cardiologist Joel Kahn Discusses: Does Olive Oil Harm Arteries?

Jan 27, 2023

A commenter below video states:

I inquired of Dr. Esselstyn regarding this information. My understanding of the answer is: 1) All oil negatively impacts the endothelial layer of the arteries. 2) Oil is calorie dense: 120 calories per tablespoon, contributing to the weight problems so prevalent. My own questions concerning this promotion of Olive is that this oil contains 14% saturated fat and saturated fats have definitely been shown to cause atherosclerosis. Olive oil, like all oil contains no fiber and is pure fat which needs to be minimized in general. Therefore it is displacing healthy foods with fewer calories, more nutrients, more satiety and no risks. High fat foods are addictive and many people overeat with high fat foods. What’s more olive oil has so many calories in such a small space that your stomach will not be full on it and you are much more likely to consume too many calories. You are telling people it is beneficial and I believe people will pour it on! Another consideration is the cost. We live in a country where 60% of the population lives paycheck to paycheck. It is absolutely not necessary to have expensive olive oil or expensive supplements to get heart healthy with diet. Simply eat a whole food plant based diet with no oil, no sugar, no refined flour, no salt and limit or eliminate high fat items like nuts and avocados. One ounce per day is enough. No coconut. It’s loaded with saturated fat. Eat these: vegetables, especially greens, fruit, whole grains, starches from whole food sources and legumes. That’s it. It is utterly cheap and accessible to all. You do not need to buy special oil or expensive supplements. Vitamin b12 is all you need, possibly D. This can be very uncomplicated. Oil is a processed food. Say no. We have clear scientific evidence in a randomized trial from Dean Ornish that a no oil diet actually reversed heart disease. Cardioprev does not do that. It reduces the rate at which heart attack patients have a second heart attack. A significant number go on in the study timeframe to have a second event. I bet even more have an event if you extend the time frames of the follow up. There are much safer ways to get polyphenols. There are much safer ways to lower inflammation. We need to look at the big picture here and the motivations behind this push for olive oil. This is a big money maker. There is little will to look at bean consumption or green leafy vegetable consumption. It doesn’t have the potential for big profits. My opinions and reasonings here. Many plant based doctors with a proven track record of helping arrest and reverse heart disease for thousands of patients do not support olive oil. This one is different and there are a few others. Their intentions may be good. You need to use reasoning and look at the details of the studies in question. And you need to ask if there is any conflict of interest either in the study authors or the doctors in question.

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