Olive Oil Benefits
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Olive Oil BenefitsDisclaimer: All material provided on this web site is provided for educational purposes only. Consult your own physician regarding the applicability of any opinions or recommendations with respect to your symptoms or medical condition. The following information is from Dr Joseph Mercola. Olive oil is a staple in the diet of Mediterranean countries. It is used not only in cooking, but also used liberally mixed with vinegar as a dressing, and even with cracked black pepper as a dipping sauce for foccacia bread. 40 years ago, when research of the Greeks living on the island of Crete, researchers where amazed by the results. Despite the high fat content in the traditional Greek diet, the residents of the island had an exceptionally low occurrence of heart disease. This led researchers to examine the diets of the Greek people to try to figure out what factors contribute to this low rate of heart disease. Their conclusion? Olive oil! The Greeks do not eat much butter or margarine, substituting olive oil instead. By replacing the saturated fats in your diet with monosaturated fat, such as olive oil, the low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol level is lowered. However, the beneficial high-density proteins are left alone, thus the dangerous, artery clogging fat does not continue to accumulate. The benefits of this are long reaching. In a scientific project called the Seven Countries Study determined that 46 percent of middle aged deaths in American men were due to heart disease, while the percentage of deaths in Crete were only 4 percent-over 10 times lower. In addition to the benefits of the monounsaturated fats in olive oil, there are several other compounds that can benefit your health. These can stop damage in your arteries before it starts. Polyphenols are powerful antioxidants found in olive oil. These antioxidants disable the free radical oxygen molecules produced naturally by your body. This keeps the free radicals from attacking the low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) which lowers the chances that they will stick to artery walls, clogging them and causing heart disease. The conclusion? Adding olive oil to your diet can help to keep your arteries clear. In addition to being beneficial to your heart, there is evidence that it may also be able to help protect your breast as well. Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health and the Athens School of Public Health studied the effects of olive oil on more than 2,300 women. They discovered that women who consumed olive oil more than once a day had a 25% lower risk of breast cancer, and in fact the female population of Greece is much less likely to die from breast cancer than woman in the United States. They believe the high concentration of vitamin E, which has been proven to slow or stop cell damage, found in olive oil , as well as, the polyphenols mentioned earlier contribute to this benefit. To get the most benefit from olive oil, make sure to look for extra virgin olive oil. This oil comes from the very first cold press of the olive and contains the highest and purest amounts of disease fighting polyphenols. Also, unlike other oils, olive oil should be kept cool, either in the refrigerator of other dark cool spot. This will make sure your olive oil maintains its protective qualities, as well as its great taste.
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