Crucial Health Benefits of Olive Oil

Opposite to popular fitness trends that appeared to pin dietary fat as a bad source of fat, Olive Oil has been integrated into diets for thousands of years and stands today as one of the few sources of fat that's adjudged to as healthy.

Whether using it for cooking, salad dressings, or a variety of other culinary functions, Olive Oil goes far beyond a basic pantry product.

So What Is Olive Oil?

Olive Oil is the natural extract that comes from olives. To get a hold of this extract, olives can be processed an assortment of ways, which also determines whether the final product is deemed refined or unrefined.

Unrefined Olive Oil, also identified as Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Extra Virgin Olive Oil), is the least processed. This gives the Olive Oil an chance to retain a high percentage of its vitamins and minerals, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory properties, providing the final product a darker appearance and much more robust flavor profiles.

Refined Olive Oil is processed into a higher degree and can even be blended with a handful of other oils from different regions to get the final product. The extra processing removes a countless amount of the beneficial properties from the oil, resulting in a lighter appearance and little to no flavor.

And even though the two forms of Olive Oil are thought of as healthy for you, Extra Virgin Olive Oil carries the many benefits.

4 Health Benefits of Olive Oil

Olive Oil Has A High Concentration Of Antioxidants

These well known substances have long been enjoyed for their free radical fighting properties. For example, antioxidants work by preventing the oxidation of tissues and assisting with blood glucose, both of which are leading heart disease risk factors.

Away from benefiting overall heart health, antioxidants have also been known to help with the prevention of other diseases. And although more research still needs to be run, the results have led researchers to think that Olive Oil may assist with atherosclerosis or even cancer thanks to the anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties of Olive Oil.

Olive Oil Is An Outstanding Weight Loss Helper

A handful of the existing weight loss programs encourage participants to shy away from foods that are high in fat. Not only is this false, but Olive Oil has actually been shown to assist with weight loss in controlled research groups.

During the span of a 3-year study, the participants have a diet heavy in Olive Oil and enjoyed a number of benefits, decreased weight gain being just one of them.

To aid with your weight loss efforts, think about adding Extra Virgin Olive Oil into your daily diet. Of all the macronutrients, fats contain the maximum number of calories per gram and also digest at a slow pace. These two factors can help you feel full for a longer period of time, lowering cravings for snacks and junk food.

Monounsaturated Fats & Inflammation

Olive Oil is full of oleic acid, a healthy monounsaturated fat which has been shown to help decrease inflammation in the body. And even though inflammation is a natural response, when the body experiences chronic inflammation, various studies have revealed that it grows more likely to develop a range of different diseases.

Additionally, the elevated levels of lipoic acid existing in Olive Oil may have beneficial effects on cancer causing genes. Even further research have dive deeper into its role relating to breast cancer specifically, demonstrating promising results.

Cancer Fighting Properties

As one of the leading causes of death in the world, some of the top precautionary measures you can take to reduce cancer are dietary. Inhabitants of the Mediterranean region are found to have lower incidences of certain cancers, that researchers believe may be related to the elevated intake of Olive Oil in their own diets.

The antioxidants found in Olive Oil not only assist in preventing inflammation, but they also reduce cellular proliferation, which is thought to be one of the leading causes of cancer.