Fat that leads to better health may seem to be a strange claim. Fats in the diet may be one of the most controversial health topics today. So, what are the health benefits of extra virgin olive oil?
The nutritional data of 100 grams of olive oil:[i]
- Saturated fat: 13.8%
- Monounsaturated fat: 73% (most of it the 18 carbon long oleic acid)
- Omega-6: 9.7%
- Omega-3: 0.76%
- Vitamin E: 72% of the RDA
- Vitamin K: 75% of the RDA
Extra Virgin Olive Oil Benefits
You hear about extra virgin olive oil being the “healthiest fat.” But what makes this timeless oil healthy?
5 Health Benefits of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Let’s read what the science says…
- It Helps Improve Bone Health
Bone health becomes more important as you age. One study looked at how extra virgin olive oil may prevent bone loss when aging.
One study reported that bone fractures were reduced by 51% in those who consumed higher amounts of extra virgin olive oil.[ii]
- It Helps Improve Brain Health
Improving brain function is another aspect of health that becomes more important as you age. Healthy habits such as getting enough sleep, exercise, and proper nutrition play a role in brain health.
One study found that those who ate a diet rich in extra virgin olive oil compared to those who ate a low-fat diet had lower cognitive decline over a 6.5-year period.[iii]
- It Helps Lower Risk of Type 2 Diabetes
In one study, the Mediterranean diet has been found to decrease the risk of type 2 diabetes by more than 50%. It is believed that the extra virgin olive oil, a large component of the Mediterranean diet, improves insulin sensitivity and helps fight against type 2 diabetes.[iv]
- It Helps Protect Against Stroke
Stroke is the second largest killer in the United States after heart disease. A stroke shares many of the same risk factors of cardiovascular disease.
One study reported there is increasing evidence that the Mediterranean diet, with the hallmark of olive oil, can reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and stroke.[v]
- It Is a Great Source of Antioxidants
Keep reading to find out why!
What sets extra virgin olive oil apart from other oils? Its antioxidant-rich profile.
What Makes Extra Virgin Olive Oil a Powerful Antioxidant?
The human body naturally produces both free radicals—which cause a variety of chronic diseases and illnesses—and antioxidants, which counteract the effects of those free radicals.
However, in most bodies, free radicals vastly outnumber antioxidants, which means we need to take in more antioxidants to protect ourselves from illnesses.
Read more about why powerful antioxidants are important HERE.
Extra virgin olive oil contains powerful antioxidants that have been shown to reduce the likelihood of chronic diseases. These antioxidants fight inflammation and aid in protecting your blood cholesterol from oxidation—both of which contribute to heart disease.[vi]
Then there are regular, refined, or “light” olive oils, which have often been extracted with solvents, treated with heat, or even diluted with cheaper oils such as soybean and canola oils.
Is Extra Virgin Olive Oil Part of Your Diet?
Extra virgin olive oil clearly has some significant health benefits. There are some easy ways to get this nutrient-rich fat into your diet…
- Drizzle it on your eggs in the morning.
- Cook your chicken or sauté your vegetables in it on the stove.
- Brush on your thinly sliced potatoes, add a little salt, and bake for healthful homemade potato chips.
- Pour it into a bowl with garlic and spices and dip your bread in it.
- Serve it as a salad dressing by mixing in apple cider vinegar, salt, and pepper to taste.
Looking for more ways to get extra virgin olive oil into your diet? Click on the foods below for a full recipe.
- Hummus Tahini
- Pita Bread
- Falafel
- Read Leaf Lettuce Salad
- Pomegranate, Chicken, and Couscous Salad
Is Your Olive Oil Fake?
A recent study discovered that up to 70% of all olive oil sold in the United States is not genuine, but instead, is supplemented with other oils such as sunflower or canola oils, making it fake olive oil. This allows manufacturers to charge full price for what consumers believe to be pure olive oil but is actually fake olive oil.
In fact, this has been such an issue, even in Italy, that the police launched an underground investigation—Operation Golden Oil—to address the tampering of olive oil.
Operation Golden Oil ended by seizing 85 oil farms across the country that, after testing, were proven to be adding certain percentages of chlorophyll to both sunflower and canola oils to both sell and export the fake olive oil as an olive product.
Steps were taken to push this scam further by mixing colorant, perfumes, and olive flavors to the corrupted oils.
This created a mass investigation, revealing devastating results across the globe.
Following this scandal, the University of California chose to do their own study of 124 imported brands of extra virgin olive oil. Sadly, they discovered that most of these labels did not pass the test.
Click HERE to find out what oils were on the list that didn’t pass the test.
Want to know if your olive oil is fake? Click HERE to learn how to test it.
This really makes you think about the nutrients you are putting into your body. If you truly want all of the health benefits that extra virgin olive oil has to offer, you need to know what NOT to purchase too.
Quality cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil is hard to come by. Make sure you are getting what you pay for.
Available to you right now is extra virgin olive oil harvested directly from My Olive Tree sponsored trees in the Kings’ Valley of Israel.
The harvested oil is cold pressed and manufactured on the original day of harvest.
Why Should Olive Oil Be Cold Pressed?
The process of cold pressing retains the oil's aroma, nutrients, and flavor better than other pressing methods that use heat.
Check out the King’s Valley Extra Virgin Olive Oil here and bring the Promised Land home to your family.
Taking It Home | The Summary
Extra virgin olive oil is rich in vitamins and powerful antioxidants. Science is finding evidence of olive oil’s positive impact on the aging process and cardiovascular diseases. But to ensure you are getting all the vitamins, antioxidants, and health benefits, purchasing high-quality extra virgin olive oil is a must.
[i] https://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/fats-and-oils/509/2
[ii] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28143667
[iii]https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23732551
[iv] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3005482/