Doctors, like everyone else, need to maintain a healthy diet to stay in shape and avoid diseases. A vital part of any balanced diet for doctors is incorporating healthy fats.

Two tablespoons of a specific type of healthy fat, extra-virgin olive oil, can work wonders for keeping inflammation and cholesterol in check.

What is inflammation?

Inflammation refers to the body’s immune response to an injury or infection. Inflammation can be acute or chronic. Acute inflammation is the body’s immediate response to an injury or infection.

Chronic inflammation, on the other hand, is long-lasting and can destroy healthy tissue and organs over time.

Inflammation occurs when the body’s immune system tries to remove damaged or diseased tissue or fight off an infection. The process starts with the release of substances called cytokines.

Cytokines are immune system proteins that regulate inflammation and the healing process. Inflammation becomes problematic when cytokines are out of balance, leading to chronic inflammation.

The link between inflammation and chronic diseases

Chronic inflammation has been linked to many chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, and autoimmune diseases. Excessive inflammation can damage tissues and organs over time and promote the development of these conditions.

What is cholesterol?

Cholesterol is a waxy, fat-like substance that’s found in all cells of the body. It’s essential for the body to function correctly, but too much cholesterol can be harmful.

Cholesterol is transported in the blood by lipoproteins, which can be high-density lipoproteins (HDL) or low-density lipoproteins (LDL).

HDL is considered the “good” cholesterol because it helps remove excess cholesterol from the bloodstream and away from the arteries.

LDL, on the other hand, is considered the “bad” cholesterol because it can build up in the walls of arteries, leading to atherosclerosis.

The link between cholesterol and heart disease

High levels of LDL cholesterol increase the risk of heart disease. Over time, LDL cholesterol can accumulate in the walls of arteries, forming plaque and narrowing the arteries.

This can increase blood pressure and cause the heart to work harder, leading to heart disease and potentially heart attack or stroke.

The health benefits of extra-virgin olive oil

Extra-virgin olive oil is an excellent source of healthy fats with anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties.

The oil contains monounsaturated fatty acids, which help reduce LDL (“bad”) cholesterol levels in the blood and raise HDL (“good”) cholesterol levels. The oil also contains anti-inflammatory compounds, such as oleocanthal, that can prevent inflammation in the body.

How much extra-virgin olive oil to consume each day?

Medical experts recommend consuming two tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil each day to maintain optimal health and keep inflammation and cholesterol in check. The two tablespoons can be consumed directly, added to salads, or used for cooking.

Other ways doctors can keep inflammation and cholesterol levels in check

In addition to incorporating extra-virgin olive oil into their diets, there are plenty of other things that doctors can do to keep inflammation and cholesterol levels in check. These include:.

Eating a balanced diet
Maintaining a healthy weight
Exercising regularly
Not smoking
Limiting alcohol intake

The bottom line

Extra-virgin olive oil is an excellent source of healthy fats that can help keep inflammation and cholesterol in check.

Consuming two tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil each day can have many health benefits, including reducing the risk of chronic diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and cancer.

Medical experts also recommend other lifestyle habits such as eating a balanced diet, maintaining a healthy weight, exercising regularly, not smoking, and limiting alcohol intake, to keep inflammation and cholesterol levels in check.