Media Spain has gone crazy with the question of whether olives fattening or not. But its biggest problem is not calories

“Do olives fattening?” In recent days, this question has run like gunpowder online and should not surprise us. It is one of those things that becomes viral from time to time: it is a typical case of very common product at the gastronomic level, but deeply unknown at the nutritional level.

Let’s see what the science of olives and the rest of the pickles say.

An urban myth. As the nutritionist Pablo Ojeda pointed out a few days ago, the idea that “the olives fattening” is close to the urban myth. And not only because, in short, food does not fattening or thinning for themselves (that is something that has to do with the general caloric deficit and not a specific product).

It is an urban myth because it arises from a truth: that, According to the Spanish Food Composition Database92% of the energy provided by an olive It is fat. It is the nutrient that they contribute most with a lot of distance on carbohydrates or proteins. And that (even if that fat is “good”) destroys the nutritional profile of any product.

However, if we look at other parameters we will see that, for example, the caloric density of these products is not very high. That is, you have to eat many olives so that that contribution is really noticed.

Is the same thing with the rest of the pickles? In fact, olives are surely the most caloric pickles. In general, these types of products have very few calories. Classic pepinillos have about 12 calories per 100 grams, onions about 30.

In comparison, it is true that olives have a greater caloric contribution: 120 green and up to 289 blacks.

The real problem is salt. Because seen that, it may seem that pipinillos are a nutritional jewel. And, although they do not have many calories, what is certain is that they are very uploaded.

To get an idea, WHO advises that salt consumption Do not exceed 5 grams a day. Well, only pipinillos are 2.3 grams per 100. In a context in which salt consumption does not cease to rise (promoted, above all, by the ultra -processed), care must be taken because it is a very important risk factor of cardiovascular diseases.

And the probiotics? Here is some confusion because, although it is one of the fashion themes, still We know very little about the microbiota of our digestive system. On the one hand, yes: there are traditional products that are fermented in brine and, indeed, these They can have microorganisms to help us with the microbiota (although either much).

However, “pickles” comes to mean ‘conserving in vinegar’ and in that environment it is difficult for interesting probiotics to remain. Most of what is sold in the market, in fact, has none.

Beyond, this is, we must remember that the evidence that sustains probiotics is still scarce. It is not worth obsessing with them because, in most times, Its impact on health is zero. What matters As we often rememberIt is wanting to eat better. Everything else is literature.

Image | Marius Haakestad

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