An expert's view

Dr Parveen Yaqoob has been working in the field of dietary fat and human health for the last sixteen years. She began her scientific career with a BA in Physiology from the University of Oxford, followed by a doctorate in Biochemistry. It was during this time that she became interested in the diverse functions of different fats in the body and how the type of fat that we eat could impact on our health. She is currently a Reader at The University of Reading, where she teaches nutrition at BSc and MSc level and runs a research group (www.food.reading.ac.uk). She is also a Registered Nutritionist with the UK Nutrition Society (www.nutsoc.org.uk).

"I was fascinated by the fact that people living in Mediterranean regions were reported to have the longest life span in the world. Jeanne Calment, who had the longest confirmed lifespan (122 years) for any human being in history, attributed her longevity to olive oil and port wine. Throughout history, the virtues of olive oil have been extolled and food writers such as Elizabeth David and Ancel Keys are well-known for their advocacy of the Mediterranean diet.

"It's true to say, however, that despite a wealth of anecdotal evidence, the scientific evidence for the health benefits associated with consumption of olive oil is still developing. Over the years I have been involved in research which examines the impact of different types of dietary fat, including olive oil, on blood cholesterol and on risk for heart disease. It's fairly well known that eating too much saturated fat is not a good thing, but is all fat bad? The answer is 'no', and the following pages explain why we need fat in our diet and why replacing saturated fat with monounsaturated fat, in the form of olive oil, can be beneficial to our health.&

Click on a heading above to find out how to improve your health simply and effectively