Greeks use olive oil more than any other country. Their Mediterranean diet has been known to:
Most recently, the New York Times Magazine wrote that heart-healthy olive oil was a main reasons that inhabitants of the Greek Island Ikaria just "forget to die."
They absolutely swear by it for keeping hunger pangs in check, helping with body maintenance, health and longevity."
Furthermore, a 2013 study conducted by the German Research Center for Food Chemistry indicates that even just smelling Extra Virgin Olive Oil may lead to greater feelings of fullness: when the scent was added to foods via an aromatic extract, it lowered the number of calories consumed by study participants, and improved blood sugar response.
In addition, compared to other oils and fats, when Extra Virgin Olive Oil was added to yogurt, the group that had eaten the yogurt enriched with olive oil easily showed the largest increases in blood levels of serotonin, a hormone associated with satiety.
Olive Oil Is Great For Pain Relief
The Monell Chemical Senses Center discovered that Ibuprofen and Extra Virgin Olive Oil have the same kind of anti-inflammatory properties, even though the substances are otherwise completely unrelated. For example, their polyphenols (a type of antioxidant) act on the same receptor in the back of your throat, which is what can cause a ticklish sensation for some when they swallow it.
The Koroneiki varietal of Extra Virgin Olive Oil specifically has the highest quotient of polyphenols, which also makes it good deal for external relief and beauty treatments on skin, hair, and scalp.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil Might Cut Down On Accidental Carcinogens
The smoke point of Extra Virgin Olive Oilis at about 400 degrees, which is much higher than other popular cooking oils such as canola (200 degrees), or corn and non-virgin olive oils (around 320 degrees each).
According to the Cleveland Clinic, Heating oil above its smoke point—the temperature at which the oil begins to smoke — generates toxic fumes and harmful free radicals (the stuff we’re trying to prevent in the first place).
A great rule of thumb usually is: The more refined the oil, the higher its smoke point.
