Olive Oil

[msmart]

Someone said 3 T. of Olive Oil twice daily guards against mestastis - Has anyone heard of this?
Thanks

[*_Christine MH_*]

So far, oleic acid (the main ingredient in olive oil) has only been proven to have benefits at the cell level, where it affects her2 cancer cells by itself and also makes them more sensitive to herceptin. However, it has not been shown to have this effect in mice yet, let alone human beings.

Personally, I think that it is wisest to shift from other fats and oils to oils that are high in oleic acid (olive oil, canola) rather than simply increase consumption. I tried to increase consumption by just a tablespoon for a while, but stopped because I was putting on weight and so many studies have found a connection between weight gain or being overweight and recurrence in breast cancer patients, particularly in ER- women.

[StephN]

As Christine MH says, it makes sense to substitute oilve oil for other cooking oils or shortening or butter. Also, making your own salad dressing is another way to get more olive oil.

As for putting on weight just from a little more intake of olive oil does not make much sense to me. Once we start using a more healthy oil in our diet we should also be cutting out some other processed foods and baked goods that have other high fat content. There should be a trade off and a shift to more healthy eating altogether if you want to use the olive oil effectively.

There was some extensive discussion on this subject 4 or so months back. You can search this site for "olive oil."