Oil and vinegar
Understanding why oil and vinegar is a healthier choice is an important part of learning about nutrition and being able to make healthier choices that can help you accomplish your health goals. Choosing an oil and vinegar-based dressing offers some health advantages and can be a great first step in making positive changes to your health.
More Good Fats
Good fats, also known as polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, are normally found in the "oil" part of oil and vinegar dressings. Oils such as olive, canola and other plant-based oils are loaded with polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats, which can improve blood cholesterol levels, increase circulation and help decrease your risk of heart disease, according to the Harvard School of Public Health (Reference 1). These types of fats are high in unsaturated fats and low in saturated fats, making them very important to people looking to eat healthier. Most people do not consume enough of these good fats, according to researchers at Harvard, and diets high in good fats can lower blood pressure and improve lipid levels. Choose oil and vinegars made from canola and olive oil to get heart healthy monounsaturated fats and oil and vinegar dressings made from corn, safflower and sunflower oils to get healthy polyunsaturated fats.
Less Bad Fats
Many dressings, such as ranch, thousand island and blue cheese dressings, are very high in unhealthy saturated fats and low in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Saturated fats have been shown to raise blood cholesterol levels and increase your risk of heart disease and stroke, according to the American Heart Association. Saturated fats should make up no more than 7 percent of your daily calorie intake, and many dressings that are not oil and vinegar-based may have upwards up 5 grams per servings, which is around a quarter of the daily recommended intake for most people. Saturated fats are found in cream-based dairy products, which are the base in many different types of salad dressings. Oils such as palm and coconut oil are also high in saturated fat.
Less Calories
In a February, 2009 study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, diets in 811 overweight adults consuming different levels of protein, fats and carbohydrates were analyzed to see which diets produced the greatest weight loss effects. The conclusion from the researchers was that regardless of the macronutrient make-up of the diet, the number of calories consumed was the most important factor when it comes to weight loss, not the amount of fat, carbohydrates and protein consumed. Since oil & vinegar dressings are generally lower in calories, consuming these types of dressings rather than cream-based dressings can lead to weight loss. Two-thirds of the U.S. population are either overweight or obese, so eating oil and vinegar dressings is a great way to cut calories and lose weight.
Tags: vinegar dressings, monounsaturated fats, weight loss, your risk heart, blood cholesterol