Olive oil is a lipid derived from the fruit of the Olea europaea (olive tree), a traditional Mediterranean tree crop. This unusual oil is made by pressing whole olives. Although olive oil originated in the Mediterranean, it is now used all over the world.
Many individuals are unaware of the incredible health benefits of olive oil. Scientists believe that olive oil, particularly extra virgin olive oil, is beneficial to health. For example, olive oil, which is high in monounsaturated fatty acids, is a staple of the Mediterranean diet, and Mediterranean populations enjoy higher life expectancies and lower rates of heart disease, high blood pressure, and stroke as compared to North Americans and Northern Europeans.
Over the last 50 years, many studies have looked at the health benefits of olive oil. Here are some of the health benefits of olive oil:
Reduces the risk of stroke
Consuming two tablespoons of olive oil daily will strengthen artery flexibility, making you less prone to strokes and heart attacks. Scientists in France have also concluded that olive oil may help prevent strokes in the elderly. According to their findings, older persons who routinely used olive oil for cooking, salad dressing, or with bread had a 41% lower risk of stroke than those who did not.
Olive oil may reduce breast cancer risk
In comparison to other vegetable oils, virgin olive oil, according to research from Barcelona, Spain, helps protect the body from breast cancer. The researchers discovered a relationship between virgin olive oil and an increased risk of benign, or non-cancerous, breast cancers.
Protects your red blood cells
Your blood cells oxidize with time, which is one of the most prominent causes of aging symptoms. Olive oil has a specific form of polyphenol that protects your red blood cells from oxidation, keeping you younger for longer and helping to protect your heart, so don’t forget to add olive oil to your salads.
Olive oil slightly protects against depression risk
A study published in PLoS ONE by the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria in Spain found that olive oil appeared to protect against depression slightly, even after controlling for people’s total diet, physical activity, and lifestyle.
Data was collected from 12,000 volunteers over a six-year period for the study, which revealed that persons with high trans fat diets had a 48 percent higher chance of getting depression than those with high mono- and polyunsaturated fat diets.
Eases thick cough
When you get a dry, tickly cough, you can ease the irritation with a teaspoon of olive oil.
Reduces the signs of aging
The list of olive oil advantages would be incomplete if it did not include the fact that it can diminish indications of aging. Olive oil is high in antioxidants and vitamin E, making it an excellent anti-aging treatment. To keep your young look, apply olive oil to your skin on a daily basis. It will help keep wrinkles at bay.
Olive oil helps maintain healthy cholesterol levels
A Japanese study published in the Medical Science Monitor found that using olive oil supplements once a day for 6 weeks reduced LDL cholesterol levels in 28 outpatients. “These findings suggest to an extremely positive influence of olive oil on the lipoprotein spectrum,” the researchers concluded.