Breast Cancer Research. An Oily Pasta con Alici Recipe.
Oct is breast cancer awareness month, some helpful research. And here's a yummy recipe.
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Breast Cancer Awareness Month
October is one of our favorite months! It’s harvest, my birthday, Halloween, and Breast Cancer Awareness Month. As relatively healthy young people we haven’t worried too much about the C-word.
But, as Giuseppe’s parents have gotten older and encountered some health issues we’ve found ourselves staying up late reading about the health benefits of olive oil.
The ways in which a gross little fake grape can possibly help with diseases and aging, both inside and out, never ceases to amaze us (looking at you SOPHIA LOREN). We are delighted with the current research supporting the ways in which extra virgin olive oil can help consumers possibly lower their risk of breast cancer.
A study found that extra virgin olive oil is superior to ordinary olive oil and that women who used at least two tablespoons per day of virgin olive oil for seasoning, cooking or frying had a 28% lower risk of breast cancer than women who didn't. It was also found that consuming less than two tablespoons was less effective.
Below are some additional helpful snippets:
“It's been found that eating a Mediterranean diet protects women in Spain and Italy against breast cancer far more than it does women in the US and several Northern European countries…” [1].
“They [Spanish women] had a remarkable 68 % lower risk of breast cancer than women in the study who had been advised to eat a low fat diet.” [1]
“…research indicates that when it comes to the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet, particularly as to breast cancer protection, the use of olive oil, especially extra virgin olive oil with its high content of olive polyphenols and lignans, is more effective than other oils that might be used in substitution.” [1]
And the best part? Researchers are still at the tip of the iceberg when it comes to researching the health benefits of olive oil, especially extra virgin. This is also exciting because these studies are being performed by universities around the globe, from Yale to the University of Madrid and they’re using different cultivars from different countries.
High polyphenol olive oil
All extra virgin olive oils are rich in polyphenols, however, some stand out more than others. And guess which EXAU oil has a polyphenol content that’s dang near off the charts? The Lina, at a whopping 826. So we are just going to leave this here…
We’re not saying it’s a fountain of health, but… the girls that get it, get it.
No, we’re not taking olive oil like shots
Some folks are into which, which is great. But TBH, in our house, we easily hit that 2 tbsp a day per person by including extra virgin olive oil in our pasta, salads, and side dishes. Don’t forget that the EVOO you use to cook with counts. But if you need a little help, we are here to help. Scroll down for a delicious recipe!
Regular Breast Care
Some fun facts about going to the doctor in Italy:
In south Italy most doctors, even for women’s care, are male.
Sometimes there’s not the option to request to see a female doctor. (This came as a surprise because my mom was a nurse and I grew up surrounded by all female healthcare workers and always had the choice to see a female doctor).
For young women, they typically do breast exams with an echocardiogram (in the US it’s often a mammogram).
Echocardiograms are often requested every 3 years.
I find going to hospitals and clinics, and seeing doctors a fascinating experience in other countries (albeit I don’t want to spend too much time at those facilities). Growing up in the US I always saw healthcare through the lens of the American healthcare system.
This often meant very big hospitals, whereas in Italy there are a lot more small private practices for basic services. Imagine your foot doctor being just down the road in town. Now that’s convenient.
Perform a monthly breast self-exam
Regular breast exams can help women maintain breast health and detect cancer early. Not sure how? Well, here are two options.
Mayo Clinic: How to perform a breast self-exam
Cleveland Clinic: How to perform a breast self-exam
Lastly, if you’re due for a visit to the doctor make sure you book that appointment : )
An Olive Oily Recipe
Now we need to find another delicious way for you to consume extra virgin olive oil and catch all of those possible health benefits! How about lots of olive oil + anchovies? Giuseppe created a recipe for…
Pasta con Alici
Ingredients
1 lb of fresh anchovies
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
3 garlic cloves
1 spicy pepper
1 sprig rosemary
1 lemon
1/2 cup of white wine
freshly cracked black pepper
2 sprigs parsley
1 lb of linguine
Instructions
Fillet anchovies, and rinse very well to remove the black interior part. We are using fresh anchiovies.
Heat a medium pan on medium heat, add olive oil, garlic, spicy pepper, and rosemary.
In a cup add the lemon juice and wine, and mix.
Once the garlic is blonde, pour the lemon juice and wine in the pan, bring the solution to a boil.
Once boiling add a pinch of salt and black pepper to taste. Then add the anchovies. Cook them completely and the sauce will turn a light silver color. Salt to taste, then add the parsley. Remove from heat.
Bring a large pot of water to a boil, once the water is boiling salt the water. Then add the linguine. When the pasta is almost al dente, place the pasta in the pan with the anchovies and begin to stir together. Add a ladle of pasta water when necessary and continue stirring. Continue cooking for about 2 minutes or until the pasta is the desired consistency.
Serve immediately and buon appetito!
Grazie mille for reading! Have a fantastic week.
-Skyler & Giuseppe
P.S. Did you know we are now stocked on the shelves at Crate & Barrel? Yes, like THE CRATE & BARREL. If you see us in person can you please snap a pic and send it to us? You can find us hello@exauoliveoil.com and on Instagram!
Resources used:
[1] aboutoliveoil.org/protecting-against-breast-cancer-with-extra-virgin-olive-oil
[2] pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35194197
[3] pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29518016
[4] pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26365989
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