Olive Oil Nutrition and Health Benefits

The only oil in my kitchen cabinet is Olive oil. I love it for it's health and nutrition benefits. I add it to anything that requires some oil.

Olive Oil was called "the great therapeutic" by Hippocrates of ancient Greece, the father of Medicine. 

Homer called Olive Oil "liquid gold" and ancient Greek athletes ritually rubbed it all over their bodies.

The health benefits of Olive Oil that had been known and applied for centuries in ancient Greece and other parts of the ancient world are now being rediscovered by modern day researchers.

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A study published in the March 2004 issue of Medical Science Monitor reported that 2 tablespoons a day of olive oil added to an otherwise unchanged diet in 28 outpatients, ranging in age from 64 to 71, resulted in significant drops in total and LDL cholesterol. If you visit the highlighted link to Medical Science Monitor you will find other more current articles on Olive Oil. 
  
Published studies link the judicious use of olive oil to reducing the effect of a growing list of ailments. For example, Greek women have a 42% lower rate of breast cancer than women in the U.S.
 
Olive oil is recognized as important in maintaining metabolism and contributes to the development of the brain and bones in children. It is also recommended as a source of vitamin E for older people. A natural anti-oxidant, olive oil slows down the natural aging process. It also slows down acid overproduction in the digestive system thereby reducing the risk for ulcers and other gastrointestinal problems.
 
There is also a low incidence of skin cancer among Mediterranean populations, and olive oil consumption could be a contributing factor to this low skin cancer rate. Olive oil contains significantly higher amounts of Squalene than other seed oils, and Squalene is to a large extent transferred to the skin. German researchers believe that this transfer mechanism is probably accomplished by scavenging singlet oxygen generated by ultraviolet light. Japanese scientists also claim that virgin olive oil applied to the skin after sunbathing could protect against skin cancer by slowing tumor growth.
 
Pamper yourself, inside and out, with natures gift from the olive trees.

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Updated 11/6/18

Image Credit: RitaE on Pixabay