Olive oil may offer health benefits as it is high in healthy monosaturated fats and antioxidants. It also has anti-inflammatory properties.
Olive oil is an important ingredient in many cuisines around the world and has been recognized for its health benefits for centuries. Olive oil may offer health benefits as it is high in healthy monosaturated fats and antioxidants. It also has anti-inflammatory properties.
Olive oil helps maintain healthy cholesterol levels, which helps prevent strokes, reduce weight, etc. It has strong anti-inflammatory properties, such as chronic inflammation that can lead to diseases such as cancer, heart disease, and diabetes.
As medicine, people most commonly use olive oil for heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure. It is also used for high cholesterol, cancer, memory and thinking skills, migraines, obesity, and many other conditions, but there is no good scientific evidence to support many of these other uses.
Olive oil is a liquid fat obtained by pressing whole olives, the fruit of Olea europaea, a traditional tree crop of the Mediterranean Basin, and extracting the oil. It is commonly used in cooking, for frying foods, or as a salad dressing.
It can also be found in some cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, soaps, and fuels for traditional oil lamps. It also has additional uses in some religions. The olive is one of three core food plants in Mediterranean cuisine, together with wheat and grapes. Olive trees have been grown around the Mediterranean since the 8th millennium BC.
Spain is the world’s largest producer, manufacturing almost half of the world’s olive oil. Other large producers include Italy, Greece, Tunisia, Turkey, and Morocco.
COMPOSITION:
The composition of olive oil varies with the cultivar, altitude, time of harvest, and extraction process. It consists mainly of oleic acid (up to 83%) with smaller amounts of other fatty acids, including linoleic acid (up to 21%) and palmitic acid (up to 20%). Extra virgin olive oil is required to have no more than 0.8% free acidity and is considered to have favorable flavor characteristics.
Nutritions:
According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA)Trusted Source, 1 tbsp, or 13.5 grams (g) of olive oil, provides:
119 calories
13.5 g of fat, of which 1.86 g is saturated
1.9 milligrams (mg) of vitamin E
8.13 micrograms (mcg) of vitamin K
It also contains traces of calcium and potassium, as well as Trusted Source polyphenols, tocopherols, phytosterols, squalene, terpenic acids, and other antioxidants.
Health benefits of olive oil:
Olive oil is a good source of healthy fats, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory compounds. Studies have shown that consuming olive oil can help lower the risk of heart disease, stroke, and certain types of cancer.
Olive oil contains large amounts of antioxidants:
Extra virgin olive oil is fairly nutritious. Apart from its beneficial fatty acids, it contains modest amounts of vitamins E and K. But olive oil is also loaded with powerful antioxidants. These antioxidants are biologically active and may reduce your risk of chronic diseases.
They also fight inflammation and help protect your blood cholesterol from oxidation, two benefits that may lower your risk of heart disease.
Versatility in cooking:
One of the benefits of olive oil is that it is a versatile ingredient in cooking and can be used in a variety of dishes, including salads, marinades, and sautés. It also adds flavor and richness to food.
Skin and hair care:
Olive oil has moisturizing and nourishing properties that make it a popular ingredient in skin and hair care products. It can help hydrate and soothe dry skin, reduce inflammation, and improve hair health.
Cultural significance:
Olive oil has been an important part of Mediterranean culture and cuisine for thousands of years. It is often used in traditional dishes and has symbolic meaning in many cultures.
Olive oil and cancer risk :
Substances in olive oil may help reduce the risk of breast cancer, but not all findings confirm this. According to a research olive oil contains substances that may help prevent colorectal cancer. Lab tests have found evidence that antioxidants in olive oil may help protect the body from inflammation, oxidative damage, and epigenetic changes.
Alzheimer’s disease :
In 2016, some scientists suggested that including extra virgin olive oil in the diet may help prevent Alzheimer’s disease.
This may be due to its protective impact on blood vessels in the brain. Authors of a mouse study published in 2019 suggested that consuming oleocanthal-rich extra virgin olive oil could help slow or stop the progression of Alzheimer’s. Oleocanthal is a phenolic compound that occurs in extra virgin olive oil.
Olive oil and the liver :
A 2018 review of laboratory studies found that molecules in extra virgin olive oil may help prevent or repair liver damage.
The oil’s MUFAs, which are mainly oleic acid, and its phenolic compounds appear to help prevent inflammation, oxidative stress, insulin resistance, and other changes that can result in liver damage.
Olive oil and inflammatory bowel disease :
Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) causes inflammation of the digestive tract. Ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease are types of IBD.
Phenols in olive oil may help boost intestinal immunity and gut health by changing the microbes in the gut. This could be useful for people with colitis and other types of IBD. The authors noted that more human studies are needed to confirm these results.
Olive oil may help prevent strokes:
A stroke is caused by a disturbance of blood flow to your brain, either due to a blood clot or bleeding. In developed nations, stroke is the second most common cause of death, right behind heart disease.
The relationship between olive oil and stroke risk has been studied extensively. A large review of studies in 841,000 people found that olive oil was the only source of monounsaturated fat associated with a reduced risk of stroke and heart disease.
Olive Oil Is Protective Against Heart Disease :
Heart disease is the most common cause of death in the world. Observational studies conducted a few decades ago showed that heart disease is less common in Mediterranean countries. This led to extensive research on the Mediterranean diet, which has now been shown to significantly reduce heart disease risk.
Extra virgin olive oil is one of the key ingredients in this diet, protecting against heart disease in several ways. It lowers inflammation, protects “bad” LDL cholesterol from oxidation, improves the lining of your blood vessels, and may help prevent excessive blood clotting.
Interestingly, it has also been shown to lower blood pressure, which is one of the strongest risk factors for heart disease and premature death. In one study, olive oil reduced the need for blood pressure medication by 48%.
Olive Oil May Reduce Type 2 Diabetes Risk :
Olive oil appears to be highly protective against type 2 diabetes. Several studies have linked olive oil to beneficial effects on blood sugar and insulin sensitivity. A randomized clinical trial in 418 healthy people recently confirmed the protective effects of olive oil. A Mediterranean diet rich in olive oil reduced the risk of type 2 diabetes by over 40%.
Olive Oil Can Help Treat Rheumatoid Arthritis :
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease characterized by deformed and painful joints. Though the exact cause is not well understood, it involves your immune system attacking normal cells by mistake. Olive oil supplements appear to improve inflammatory markers and reduce oxidative stress in individuals with rheumatoid arthritis.
Olive oil seems particularly beneficial when combined with fish oil, a source of anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids. Olive and fish oils significantly improved handgrip strength, joint pain, and morning stiffness in people with rheumatoid arthritis .
May promote brain health :
Diets high in cold pressed olive oil have been shown to support brain health.
One example is the MIND (Mediterranean-DASH Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay) diet, which recommends primarily cooking with olive oil. It combines the traditional Mediterranean diet with the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet.
In population studies, individuals following the MIND diet demonstrate slower declines in mental sharpness and memory with age as well as after stroke.