But there\u2019s one ingredient in particular cardiologists like to add to their main meal.<\/p>\n
Cardiologist Tip of the Day: Use Extra Virgin Olive Oil As Your Main Fat<\/p>\n
\u201cThe food we make is pretty liberally oiled with olive oil. It\u2019s very Mediterranean,\u201d Dr. Sharonne Hayes, a cardiologist at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, previously told TODAY.com.<\/p>\n
Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, a cardiologist and director of the Food is Medicine Institute at Tufts University in Boston, said his family goes through a liter of olive oil a week, which he described as about average in Mediterranean countries like Greece and Italy.<\/p>\n
\u201cUsing healthy oils liberally and often\u201d is “important for dinner,\u201d he previously told TODAY.com.<\/p>\n
The Start TODAY app<\/a> features many recipes with olive oil, like this Sheet-Pan Maple Dijon Chicken with Fall Veggies.<\/p>\n What people eat is the single top determinant of heart health, Mozaffarian said.<\/p>\n Olive oil is a central food in the Mediterranean diet<\/a>, which has major benefits for heart health.<\/p>\n Olive oil benefits<\/a> include a high monounsaturated fat content, which helps to lower the “bad” LDL cholesterol, and antioxidants that protect cells from damage, registered dietitian Samantha Cassetty notes.<\/p>\n Extra virgin olive oil is the most flavorful and nutrient-rich type of the healthy fat because it\u2019s the least processed, she adds.<\/p>\n How to Get Started<\/p>\n The current Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend about 2 tablespoons of any oil per day.<\/p>\n But some doctors use more when it comes to extra virgin olive oil.<\/p>\n \u201cAt our household, I can tell you we do not even think about limiting the amount of olive oil, we just use it as much as we want,\u201d Dr. James O’Keefe, a cardiologist at Saint Luke’s Mid America Heart Institute in Kansas City, Missouri, previously told TODAY.com.<\/p>\n He follows the Pesco-Mediterranean diet<\/a>, which emphasizes fish and seafood as the main sources of animal protein rather than lean red meat or poultry.<\/p>\n The Start TODAY app<\/a> features a variety of heart-healthy seafood recipes with olive oil and a new Mediterranean meal plan every single week. <\/p>\n The recommended amount of extra virgin olive oil on this diet is 4 tablespoons or more per day, according to a review of its benefits<\/a>.<\/p>\n Polyphenols, the plant compounds that are believed to give olive oil so many health benefits, have a bitter taste. So an extra virgin olive oil high in polyphenols will produce a tingling or burning in the back of the throat a few seconds after swallowing it, the authors advise.<\/p>\n![\"Sheet-Pan](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/10\/Maple-Dijon-Chicken--Fall-Veggies-bc5c40.jpg\")
Sheet-Pan Maple Dijon Chicken & Fall Veggies from Start TODAY appNatalie RizzoWhy It Matters<\/p>\n