There is a lot of data to suggest that chronic inflammation is one of the leading causes of many of today’s most common diseases. These include heart disease (the top cause of death in the United States), cancer, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, arthritis and Alzheimer’s. Chronic inflammation refers to the consistent presence of conditions characterized by redness, swelling, heat, pain and loss of function.
Therefore, one of the biggest health benefits of olive oil is its numerous anti-inflammatory properties.
Olive oil’s most prominent fatty acid is oleic acid, a type of acid that has been the subject of a lot of
research recently for its anti-inflammatory abilities. Olive oil also contains a great deal of antioxidants, including oleocanthal, which operates similarly to ibuprofen, one of the most popular anti-inflammatory drugs that you can find on the market.
Many nutritional science experts say that the amount of oleocanthal in approximately 50 ml of extra virgin olive oil has a similar affect to about 10 percent of an adult dosage of ibuprofen when used for pain relief. Therefore, using extra virgin olive oil in cooking or as a base for lotion can help to offer you some relief from pain caused by inflammation.
While even chronic low-level inflammation tends to take years or even decades to do serious damage to your body, antioxidants and other anti-inflammatory substances in foods like olive oil (as well as a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables) go a long way toward maintaining your overall health for years to come. By eating and living healthily now, you could prevent some major health problems caused by inflammation 20 or 30 years into the future.
For more information about the nutritional properties found in our olive oil, we encourage you to contact us today at My Olive Tree. Our olive oil is guaranteed 100 percent extra virgin oil made here in Israel from fresh olives from our groves. Place your order now!