Heart Healthy Oils

You have probably been hearing about the dangers of consuming too much of the wrong types of fat. Saturated fat and trans fats are known to increase the risk of heart disease and raise overall cholesterol levels. What you may not know, however, is that there are actually several sources of healthy fats. These fats can actually make your heart healthier, and you should consume them regularly. Three oils, flax oil, fish oil, and olive oil, are three sources of these heart healthy fats.

Flax Oil

Flax oil contains a lot of alpha linolenic acids, which are a type of omega-3 fatty acid derived from plant sources. The benefits of flax oil for heart health include lowering triglycerides, lowering total and bad (LDL) cholesterol, lowering blood pressure, and reducing the stickiness of blood platelets, which reduces the risk of heart attack. To reap the benefits of this healthy oil, simply add flax seeds to meals you regularly eat, such as cereal or salad, or substitute your regular cooking oil for flax oil. You might want to grind them first in a coffee grinder so they don't just pass through.

Fish Oil

Fish oil is another heart-healthy addition to your daily diet because of its high concentrations of omega-3 fatty acids. When consumed regularly, fish oil can help reduce the risk of heart disease. You can add fish oil to your diet by either taking a fish oil supplement or eating fresh fish such as salmon, herring, tuna, mackerel, and lake trout on a regular basis. Fish is a great source of protein and healthy fat because it is much lower in saturated fat than red meat.

Olive Oil

Olive oil is a good source of monounsaturated fat, a healthy type of fat that can lower your body's bad (LDL) cholesterol and may reduce your risk of cardiovascular disease when consumed regularly. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends consuming about 2 Tbsp.of olive oil per day. This is pretty easy to do considering olive oil is actually quite tasty and can be added to many of the foods you already eat. Try making a dressing out of olive oil and red wine vinegar for use in salads, sandwiches, and antipasto. You can also substitute your regular cooking oil with olive oil.

Extra virgin olive oil, so called because it is unprocessed, may have even more benefits for heart health. The phenolic compounds contained in extra virgin olive oil can help lower overall cholesterol levels, lower blood pressure, reduce stickiness of blood platelets, and even reduce inflammation in the body.