Olive oil health benefits

Considered by many to be the elixir of life, extra virgin olive oil's health benefits is referred to as the 'prince of the Mediterranean diet'. Acknowledged as a UNESCO heritage site, extra virgin olive oil is the ideal food from the weaning of children due to its lipid balance that makes it similar to breast milk. The high presence of oleic acid and omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids, aids in cardiovascular health, and phenolic compounds, vitamin E and carotenoids, valuable antioxidants, make it beneficial for health. What really makes a high quality extra virgin olive oil unique? It is its vast and complex array of micro-components and antioxidant molecules, which originate through rigorous processes and the choice of the right degree of ripeness for the harvesting of selected olives. This takes place in the shortest possible time to milling within even 6 hours, when the cold-pressed olives without physical or chemical treatments give a more intense and aromatic oil, very pure, with excellent organoleptic qualities and very low acidity, that enhance all the nutritional virtues of the fruit of the olive tree. Among the health benefits of olive oil is the reduction of risks related to heart disease.

Many of our customers appreciate extra virgin olive oil, not only for its great taste but, also for its health benefits. Regarded as a superfood, olives contain natural disease-fighting polyphenols, antioxidant vitamin E, oleic acid, and monounsaturated fat. It has been suggested that olive oil is not only good for heart protection but, also for cancer protection.

If you see the words “cold pressed” on a bottle of olive oil that means heat was not used when extracting the oil. Remember, heat destroys antioxidants, so cold pressed is a good thing!

FDA Approved Qualified Health Claim for Olive Oil in Fighting Heart Disease

FDA statement on Health Benefits (19 November 2018)

In the United States, producers of olive oil may place the following health claim on product labels:
Limited and not conclusive scientific evidence suggests that eating about two tablespoons (23 grams) of olive oil daily may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease due to the monounsaturated fat in olive oil. To achieve this possible benefit, olive oil is to replace a similar amount of saturated fat and not increase the total number of calories you eat in a day

 

Other Healthy Benefits

  • Healthy Heart Benefits: Replacing other fats in your diet with olive oil can significantly lower blood pressure, prevent LDL cholesterol from sticking to the walls of the arteries, and reduce the risk of heart attack. The healthy heart benefits of the plant-based phenolic compounds found in olive oil have also been studied by the American Journal of Cardiology . These phenolic compounds may explain the benefits of the Mediterranean diet.
  • Cancer Inhibiting Benefits: A study published in the January 2005 issue of Annals of Oncology identified oleic acid, a monounsaturated fatty acid found in olive oil, as having the ability to reduce the affect of an oncogene (a gene that will turn a host cell into a cancer cell) associated with the rapid growth of breast cancer tumors. The researchers concluded that oleic acid when combined with drug therapy encouraged the self-destruction of aggressive, treatment-resistant cancer cells thus destroying the cancer. Olive oil has been noted positively in studies on prostate and endometrial cancers as well.
     
  • Anti-Inflammatory Properties: The body uses the healthy fats in olive oil to produce natural anti-inflammatory agents. These anti-inflammatory agents can help reduce the severity of both arthritis and asthma. Well-nourished cell membranes are more fluid and better able to move healthy nutrients into the cells and move waste products out. A lower incidence of osteoporosis and dementia is found in areas where people consume large quantities of olive oil.