Olive oil is one of the very few oils I usually say is acceptable

olive oil on weight loss

But could olive oil be holding back your weight loss?

Studies have shown in animals that body fat accumulation is higher upon consuming monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats and very little with saturated fats, even in a low body-fat situation needing to gain fat.

Our bodies and their metabolism and fat management mechanisms did not develop consuming liquid fats like mono & polyunsaturated and seem to manage saturated fats better, higher burns, more direct energy, multiple breakdown components for body energy and the brain, and material for structures in and on our cells.

So what about the Mediterranean diet benefits?  

Well, just like the studies showing oatmeal and Cheerios lower cholesterol, you need to look at the starting norm of what people eat.  If the starting point was a low-quality standard diet, then any change from that would show benefit.

We know polyunsaturated fats are rancid, unstable, inflammation, and ill-health-producing when served in vegetable oils (omega 6). That should be off your list and considered a bad fat already.

Could olive oil and other monounsaturated fats hinder your weight loss progress? Yes… in SOME cases.

For the average person eating the Standard American Diet (SAD), shifting from poly to mono fats and simply upping the monos will improve their health and weight outcomes.

For the dedicated healthier out there, like many of the people we work with within our programs, if you are eating whole foods, utilizing metabolic training, healthily viewing your stress, and using resilience techniques to improve from it, use pro-active self-care like chiropractic, addressing hormone issues and have had some success and now are slowing down, then yes, I think a wise step is to cut the olive oil and up the coconut oil and organic grass-fed butter and consume mostly saturated fats in your diet.

This is an advanced concept, not to be taken lightly, and not meant to stop using olive oil. This topic in endocrinology and metabolic science is still new and will be studied more in time…..we like to be on top of our game and cutting edge and aim to think through these processes to stay ahead of the curve. 

At the end of the day, if it comes in a significantly higher concentration or in a different form compared to how it can be consumed 1,000 years ago, it isn’t meant for this body to process like that and will have a downside.

This information is helpful and, if nothing else, helps you think a bit deeper about your health efforts.

If it is time to make a change once and for all, message me directly and let’s get you started. 

We can do better!

Dr. Don