Is Olive Oil Good For You? Health Benefits Of Olive Oil
Is olive oil good for you? The answer is YES.Many people use olive oil in their diet without asking themselves this question. Either they know the health benefits of olive oil or they just use it because of its good taste. Either way, Regular use of olive oil improves your vitality and has a whole lot of health benefits most people don’t even know about.
Olive Oil Health Benefits
Anti inflammatory benefits
Every cell in our body has a certain level of inflammation. Without it, our wounds cannot heal. But if these levels rise too high, it can be destructive and can be the cause of diseases like hay fever, arthritis and even cancer.
Olive oil has properties that reduce inflammation levels to a normal rate, strengthening your resistance to colds, fever and other inflammation related diseases.
Cardiovascular benefits
Olive oil is good for the heart because of its monounsaturated fatty acids
These :
- Lower your risk of heart disease
- Lower LDL Cholesterol
- Prevent blood clotting, therefore lowering the risk of thrombosis
- Benefit insulin levels and blood sugar levels
Digestive Health Benefits
Olive oil is rich in antioxidants and polyphenols. These improve
colon health and support the digestive tract.
Bone Health Benefits
Although not fully researched yet, laboratory tests (on rats) have shown that olive oil consumption raises the calcium levels in the blood. This in turn enhances bone growth and bone fracture repair. The results look very promising, but unfortunately we cannot be totally sure yet.
Cognitive Benefits
Olive oil has shown to stop or reduce many brain related problems like an unbalanced nervous system and forgetfulness. Some compound found in olive oil has been claimed to reduce or stop Alzheimer’s disease.
Anti Cancer Benefits
1-2 Table spoons of olive oil per day greatly reduces the risk of breast cancer and cancer of the digestive tract .
Oleic acids greatly reduce the effects set of by cancer genes that cause colon, breast, prostate and ovarian cancer.
Anti Aging Benefits
Oxidation and aging are one and the same. The antioxidants in olive oil slow down the aging process. This is why many antioxidants that are found in olive oil are used in anti-ageing creams and lotions.
Why Is Olive Oil So Healthy?
Olive oil is rich in polyphenols
Polyphenols are antioxidants and fight off and eliminate free radicals. These free radicals destroy our cell structure and are responsible for aging and a number of diseases. There are many different sorts of polyphenols and olive oil contains at least twelve different types of polyphenol. This explains the great variety of health benefits of olive oil.
Rich in Vitamins A and E
- Vitamin A or retinol is good for our eye sight. Retinol enables us to see in dim light
- Vitamin A is good for our skin. Reduce acne, dermatitis and other skin diseases. Vitamin A also stimulates skin cell reproduction
- Vitamin A makes us more resistant to colds and infections, especially in the ares of the nose, ears eyes and bladder.
- Vitamin E is an antioxidant that fights free radicals.
Word Of Warning
Before you run down to your local supermarket to buy some olive oil there is something you should know. Not every bottle that claims to be ‘extra virgin’ olive oil is good. In fact some brands aren’t even virgin olive oil, but blends of refined olive oil and other oils mixed up with chlorophyl for color and taste enhancers. Some can even be harmful.
In general, cheap olive oil is crap, and you should not be using it if you want to improve your health. Read the article on olive oil facts to learn more about quality marks and grades.
Expect to pay between $10 and $20 for a bottle of decent olive oil. Organic olive oil is what we recommend and this is usually a bit more expensive.
So is olive oil good for you? It sure is, provided you use good quality the right way!
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Andi Kramers is the owner and admin of vitalbynature.net. Loves climbing, skiing, cooking, blogging and all things natural. Always happy to share good content. Feel free to connect :)
