RODALE NEWS, EMMAUS, PA—The fat-free diet craze has left many of our bodies screaming for some healthy fat calories. And a new study published in the journal Neurology gives us yet another reason to drizzle olive oil over our foods. French researchers have found that older people who use olive oil on a regular basis enjoy a 41 percent decreased risk of stroke compared to people who don't use any olive oil. The study participants who used it most generally used olive oil in cooking and as dressing. Most used extra-virgin olive oil. The latest news in the olive oil benefits department joins some other prominent research suggesting that dipping bread in the oil, cooking with it, or sprinkling it over salads is beneficial to many aspects of human health. (If cooking with olive oil, remember to cook at a low temperature to keep the oil's health benefits intact.)

Previous investigations into olive oil benefits found that the oil can knock out some strains of H. pylori, the germ that causes most peptic ulcers and some types of stomach cancer. Olive oil even killed some strains that antibiotics couldn't combat. It has also been shown to drastically slash your risk of heart disease, and can even lengthen the lives of heart attack survivors.

Here's how you can harness the power of olive oil and other healthy fats.

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