Why is olive oil good for health?

The Mediterranean diet, much like its weather, is considered to be quite wholesome and inarguably the best in the world. The native diets of countries like Greece, Italy, Tunisia, Morocco, Turkey and Spain score brownie points in being among the healthiest in the global cuisine.

One of the chief ingredients of Mediterranean food is olive oil and it is used extensively throughout all kinds of dishes and preparations. Restaurants and eateries serving the cuisine often buy bulk olive oil for cooking, frying and salad dressing. The reason why it is chosen is its numerous health benefits. Any authentic bottle of olive oil is rich in unsaturated fatty acids, polyphenol antioxidants and vitamins, which do their part in improving and sustaining human health to a large extent. Other than the wide range of cooking olive oil bottles available in the market, it is also sold as a cosmetic product and its value in skincare regime is undeniable as well.

Read on to find out the many health benefits of olive oil.

It helps prevent diabetes

Olive oil contains the ‘good’ fat or unsaturated fat in large quantities, which are supposedly great for people suffering from diabetes. The extra virgin type contains 70-80% of a certain monounsaturated fat called oleic acid which helps keep blood sugar levels down and diabetes at bay in a natural way. Monounsaturated fats are also resistant to high heat, therefore making EVOO a great choice for cooking.

It can fight cancer

Any kind of olive oil is rich in polyphenols, which have multifaceted benefit of their own. A certain polyphenol, named oleuropein have immense life-extending properties. Cancer is the world’s leading killer disease and oleuropein helps in prevention of cancer, especially breast cancer in women. Detailed studies are yet to be presented, but primary researches show that there are many such compounds in the chemical formation of olive oil that fight cells from turning cancerous.

It protects against heart diseases

Olive oil, more specifically extra virgin olive oil has powerful health benefits for the welfare of your body’s blood pumping organ. EVOO is low in acidic content and high in oleic acid – a combination that together keeps “bad” LDL cholesterol from oxidation, protects the lining of blood vessels and prevents them from narrowing and keeps excessive tendencies of blood clotting away. This in turn helps keep blood pressure levels normal, therefore reducing the risks of heart diseases and cardiac arrests, which is among the leading causes of premature death.

It alleviates inflammation

Chronic inflammation is associated with a lot of common life-threatening diseases, such as cancer, diabetes, heart problems, arthritis and many metabolic syndromes. Olive oil is known for its antioxidants, and one particular compound called oleocanthal does as good a job as the anti-inflammatory medication ibuprofen, studies have found.

It keeps dementia and Alzheimer’s away

It has long been a favourite idea of health enthusiasts that Mediterranean diet helps fight cognitive decline at old age. True to that line of thought, olive oil, has been found to do wonders for keeping neurodegenerative conditions like dementia and Alzheimer’s disease at bay.

It detoxifies the body and keeps it young

More or less all the health benefits of organic olive oil  is rooted in the fact that it has anti-degenerative properties. Antioxidant-rich composition of the oil fights free radicals in the body, which are the sole cause of many critical diseases including cancer, dementia and other chronic disorders. Olive oil keeps stalls the decay of all the cells in the body, thereby increasing longevity and keeping us young and healthy.