Enjoy Olive Oil Health Benefits Today!

Curious about in olive oil health benefits?

Of all the healthy oils, olive oil is probably the most popular. It got its origins thousands of years ago in Armenia and Turkistan - before reaching the Mediterranean. While many cultures use it as a cooking oil, you can also use the oil to moisturize your skin and condition your hair.

What's so great about olive oil is you can eat it immediately after it's been pressed from olives. The best quality olive oils shouldn't be processed, refined or chemically treated. In fact, the olive oil health benefits are due to the availability of the healthy fatty acids, vitamins and antioxidants straight out of the bottle.

And now thanks to the popularity of the Mediterranean Diet, more people are becoming aware of the health benefits of olive oil. I've used this oil for cooking, salad dressings, dips and even blended into my protein drinks.

While there are many cooking oils available, they're not all the same. Olive oil's health benefits are due to its unique mixture of ingredients not found in other vegetable oils such as corn oil.

Bertolli Olive Oil Ingredients

Here's a picture from a label of some Bertolli Extra Virgin Olive Oil I have in my cupboard.

You can see olive oil gives you 3 types of fats:

1. Saturated Fats - contains palmitic acid, stearic acid, arachidic acid, behenic acid, myristic acid and lignoceric acid.
2. Mono-unsaturated Fats - makes up almost 80% of the total fat content in olive oil and contains high amounts of oleic acid, as well as small amounts of palmitoleic acid.
3. Polyunsaturated Fats - contains the Omega-6 fatty acid, linoleic acid and the Omega-3 fatty acid, linolenic acid.
4. Vitamin E and K - though not listed on my label of Bertolli olive oil, you may get trace amounts of these vitamins in your olive oil, depending on the brand.

Health Benefits of Olive Oil

So now that we know what we're getting from olive oil, what health benefits can we enjoy from this tasty oil? Research shows there are a number of reasons why you should include this oil in your diet.

Protects your body from free radical damage:

Your cell membranes contain fatty acids that can be exposed to free radical damage. One of the primary olive oil health benefits is due to substances called polyphenols. These nutrients appear to have antimicrobial action, reduce the oxidation of LDL cholesterols, reduce inflammation and improve platelet and cellular function. You can also get polyphenols from the skins of fruits and vegetables, berries and certain teas - all food items recommended to help lower your risk for disease.

I should also mention that the vitamin E in the olive oil acts as an antioxidant - also reducing your risk for oxidative cell damage.

Helps lower your blood pressure:

Studies show the oleic acid in olive oil may help lower high blood pressure, reducing your risk for strokes and heart attack.

May help reduce risk for bleeding disorders:

The vitamin K plays an important role in helping your blood clot. A deficiency in Vitamin K (though rare) may lead to anemia, bruising, heavy menstrual bleeding and nosebleeds. Vitamin K is also found in leafy green veggies, such as broccoli and spinach, with kale containing the highest amounts.

More Olive Oil Health Benefits

You can use olive oil as a natural treatment for many conditions. Here's some more you may be interested in:

Olive Oil Hair Conditioner

- If you're looking for an easy and effective way to nourish and moisturize your hair, try using this all natural hair care treatment. Some people apply olive oil directly to their hair after shampooing - leave it in for a few minutes and then rinse out. Others take it one step further by covering the hair in plastic and leaving the oil in the hair overnight before rinsing the following day.

- Here's where you can learn more about using olive oil for hair conditioner.

Using Olive Oil on Skin

- Want to know the beauty secret for many Mediterranean women? Many Italian women have used olive oil as a natural skin moisturizer to soften and prevent wrinkles. But there's much more to this healthy oil that just that. Learn why Olive Oil Skin Care Products may offer much more than just your basic skin moisturizing qualities.

Cuticle Softener and Moisturizer

If you suffer from dry peeling cuticles, try using olive oil. Simply soak your finger tips in a dish of extra virgin olive oil for a few minutes and then rinse off. You'll find your cuticles will be softer, smoother and less prone to peeling and cracking.

Treating Dry, Cracked Lips

Olive oil makes a great lip balm and soothes dry cracked lips. Simply place a drop of oil on your finger tip and apply across your lips.

As you can see, olive oil health benefits are not limited to just making your meals healthier and tastier. Dieticians and chefs recommend using an oil that's been cold-press and non-refined. This will give you the best tasting oil packed with all the nutrients you should get from the olive. Heat-treated and refined oils may have some oxidative damage to the fats in the oils, thus lowering the nutritional value.

Why not start adding olive oil to your diet today and enjoy the health benefits this healthy oil can give you?

Research References:

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