If you’re looking for just one oil to use in the kitchen, you couldn’t do better than olive oil; olive oil benefits your body, your brain, and your recipes, too.
It’s definitely apt to call it liquid gold.
It was once considered so beneficial and miraculous that some thought it to be partially responsible for the amazing longevity of the people who followed a Mediterranean diet, before any scientific studies could definitively prove that olive oil benefits health. There’s been plenty of research that demonstrates the benefits of olive oil, in particular extra virgin olive oil, for heart health. This includes its ability to reduce blood pressure and improve healthy cholesterol levels, both of which contribute to a reduced risk of heart disease.
If you aren’t cooking with olive oil yet, here’s why you should start today! Here’s why:
- Olive oil is 100% fat. One 15ml (1 tbsp) serving contains around 135 calories, and on average 14g of fat of which 2g are saturated and the rest is unsaturated fats.
- Around 75% of this fat is a mono-unsaturated fat, called oleic acid, or omega-9, which is associated with multiple health benefits. The rest is poly-unsaturated fats, known as omega-6 and omega-3.
- Olive oil contains vitamin E, which supports the normal function of the immune system as well as maintaining healthy skin and eyes, and is a good source of vitamin K, which is needed for blood clotting and wound healing.
- It’s the oil’s antioxidant status which provides a lot of its nutritional value, graded using the ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) scale. Dietary antioxidants are found in foods and have been shown to significantly improve health. Extra virgin olive oil typically has higher ORAC scale than refined olive oil.
- Inflammation is thought to be one of the key drivers behind some of the world’s more chronic health problems, including Alzheimer’s and Type 2 diabetes. Research looking at the role of antioxidants and their anti-inflammatory effect, including oleic acid found in olive oil, has discovered they play a role in reducing inflammation and the marker for inflammation known as C-Reactive Protein (CRP).
- Some studies have found that extra virgin olive oil contains an antioxidant compound called oleocanthal, which shares the same pharmalogical activity as ibuprofen, thereby acting as a natural anti-inflammatory. Part of this anti-inflammatory activity has also been associated with certain positive changes in immune function in those with rheumatoid arthritis.
- As part of a healthy diet (one that includes high intake of fruit and vegetable and oily fish) olive oil has been found to play a role in decreasing the risk of depression.
If that isn’t enough, the healthful fats in olive oil can act as a sustained source of energy; people who consumed olive oil can feel full longer, which can lead to weight loss. Adding olive oil to your diet can prevent cognitive decline; contribute to brain health, mood stability and proper hormone development.
So what are you waiting for? Get your bottle of high quality olive oil today with Oleev!
