Olive Oil Health Heritage

Olive Oil, Health Heritage!

Our beloved olive oil is a real health heritage. Despite thousands of researches olive oil continues to be the undisputed king of the table thanks to its properties and its benefits.

The extra virgin olive oil is one of the main foods of our beloved Mediterranean Diet.  Many of the beneficial and healing properties can be exploited both by the consumption and in some cases, by external use.

Amongst the most counterfeit products of the Italian agri-food sector we find it abroad under various forms, real olive oil has properties able to support the body in contrasting the “bad” cholesterol LDL and in ensuring the good health of the bones.  Its consumption would also help to counteract breast tumors and colon cancers according to the most recent research.
The polyphenols contained in olive oil (obviously we speak of extra-virgin olive oil) would also help to protect the brain from neurodegenerative forms like Alzheimer’s.  But not only to take advantage of its curative properties is also the skin, which exploits the emollient and soothing properties.

Nutritional values
Extra virgin olive oil has 899 kcal per 100 grams of product.

It is obviously a high content mainly due to its composition, that includes mostly fats of various nature (approximately 99.9% of the total).
Monounsaturated fatty acids represent, with 72,95 grams each 100 g extra virgin olive oil, the most substantial part of the product.

In second place for the amount of the share reserved for saturated fats, a little more than 14 gr./100 grams of liquid. 7.52 gr. are polyunsaturated fatty acids.

In the small portion not covered by the lipids are present vitamins A, D, E and K, phytosterols and water-soluble polyphenols

But howcome it is still considered a panacea since it contains all those calories and fat?

In reality the fats of olive oil are considered amongst the best and obviously portions must be controlled anyway.

HOW TO RECOGNISE A GOOD OLIVE OIL AND NOT BE CHEATED?

As we have already said in the market there are many false copies and really harmful products that mimic the extra virgin olive oil, so we must learn how to defend ourselves and how to choose.

One of the first available items to evaluate the quality of an olive oil is the fluidity: i.e. if it is excessive and therefore in other words if it is too liquid this tends to indicate that it may have been mixed with oils of a less valuable quality.
Another important point is the olfactory note: in this case the must not be a presence of any smells that are not much appreciated such as winey, sludge, rancid and heating.
The coldiretti (Italian food protection association) finally has spread other data to help recognise a good olive oil among which precisely is the price and in fact an extra virgin olive oil is hardly put on sale (final price to the consumer) at prices lower than 6-7 euros net of any promotions. This means that an oil sold for two, three euros in reality may not have the purity characteristics described.

PROPERTIES AND BENEFITS OF OLIVE OIL (EXTRA-VIRGIN)
Extra virgin olive oil is composed for 99.9% from lipids and vitamin complexes (E and K). To these are added mineral salts such as potassium, calcium, sodium, iron and zinc. There are also flavones, flavonols and simple phenols.
Extra virgin olive oil is considered to be a powerful weapon in the control of the levels of bad cholesterol (LDL), but not only: the presence of oleic acid favours an increase in the levels of good cholesterol (HDL).

A study of the King s College of London has demonstrated that consumed as a salad dressing also proves it effective in cases of high blood pressure.
The welfare of the bones instead is associated with the antioxidant properties and the presence of osteocalcin in the olive oil, thanks to which the olive oil is able to guarantee to the bone structure greater resistance against traumas and osteoporosis.
The extra virgin olive oil is however associated to the fight against cancer. It is considered to be especially effective against the tumor forms affecting breast and colon, as amongst others also the researchers of the “Campus Bio-Medico di Roma” (Bio-medical campus of Rome) and the “Karolinska” Institute in Stockholm declare.
Being also rich in polyphenols it helps the brain to stay young, stimulating the cognitive activity and helping in the prevention of diseases such as Alzheimer’s.

From an external level it can help to protect your skin thanks to its emollient properties.
Finally, but not less important to the extra-virgin olive oil are associated properties that are effective against the risk of type 2 diabetes.

Also discover the benefits of GARLIC.

Take a look at our tried and tested method: Anti-Diet