They say an apple a day keeps the doctor away. Well, actually when it comes to diabetes, it\u2019s extra-virgin olive oil that can make the difference. And it\u2019s no laughing matter: according to the latest reports from the Word Health Organisation, approximately 50% of people with diabetes are unaware they have it. So, how can we prevent it? For a start, by swapping unhealthy habits (sedentary lifestyle, poor eating habits, eating too much, etc.) for healthier ones and including a good dose of extra-virgin olive oil in your diet. Here\u2019s why:<\/p>\n
1.-Because the fats in extra-virgin olive oil are good for you.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Monounsaturated fats help improve your cardiovascular health, cut cholesterol and reduce blood pressure, as shown by the Predimed (Prevention with a Mediterranean Diet) study, which concluded that people who regularly consume olive oil have a lower risk of diabetes than those on a low-fat diet. In addition, olive oil also helps reduce triglycerides, which can damage blood vessels and accentuate the onset of arteriosclerosis in diabetics.<\/p>\n 2.-Because it reduces the risk of obesity.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n A balanced Mediterranean diet, with plenty of vegetables, fruit, cereals, pulses and extra-virgin olive oil, is the best way to maintain an ideal weight throughout your life. Don\u2019t forget that obesity increase the risk of diabetes.<\/p>\n 3.-Because it keeps blood pressure under control.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Another risk factor for diabetes is high blood pressure, often caused by genetic factors and by eating too much saturated fat. There\u2019s nothing like the monounsaturated fats in extra-virgin olive oil to keep blood pressure at bay.<\/p>\n 4.-Because it reduces the risk of gestational diabetes.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n As published in the science journal Plos One<\/em>, picking up on the results of the San Carlos Study on the Prevention of Gestational Diabetes, which concludes that extra-virgin olive oil not only reduces gestational diabetes by 30%, but also improves the health of newborn babies.<\/p>\n 5.-Because it cuts blood sugar levels.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Both after fasting and after eating a good amount of glucose, glucose levels fall by up to 12% if accompanied by extra-virgin olive oil, as revealed by several studies carried out by the American Diabetes Association.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" They say an apple a day keeps the doctor away. Well, actually when it comes to diabetes, it\u2019s extra-virgin olive…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15009","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n