Posted on June 07, 2016 by Jenny Cromack
Good quality extra virgin olive oil is packed full of nutrients & antioxidant and has some great health benefits.
When it comes to olive oil you get what you pay for! Reports found that over half of the ‘extra’ virgin olive oil on the market is fraudulent and not actually ‘extra virgin’
The olive is a fruit and makes the olive oil a very unique fat because it doesn’t derive from an animal or vegetables. The olive is pressed using a hydraulic press and is very natural.
So What Are The Benefits of Extra Virgin Olive Oil?
Olive oil contains a high level of antioxidant that is known to be highly effective at protecting the heart and fighting chronic inflammation.
The health benefits of consuming healthy olive oil over saturated fat can lead to a reduce risk of heart disease, diabetes and atherosclerosis and have been found to improve insulin health and prevent diabetes.
As well as reducing diabetes studies showed that a Mediterranean diet that is rich in extra virgin olive oil may help lower blood pressure, heart disease, improve glucose metabolism and counter inflammation.
The Alzheimer’s association has seen positive effects of virgin olive oil on the age related cognitive decline disease as well as breast and prostate cancers.
The Journal of Neurological Research found that Oleuropein an antioxidant found in olive oil can help decrease inflammation in the spinal cord and brain after been involved in a traumatic incident.
So as mentioned earlier, there are a number of not so healthy olive oils therefore you need to make sure that what your using is good quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil and you can ensure this by buying brands that are certified by an organisation. Buy from good quality stores and pay for the good quality. A great way of checking your virgin olive oil is the real deal is by popping it in a fridge if it doesn’t go solid it is most likely made up of other oils.
In summary using good quality extra virgin olive oil in the correct way can have a great benefit on your healthy so ditch the low calorie sprays and fake oils and opt for extra virgin olive oil instead.
References
Khalaltbary, A., Ahmadvand, H. Neuroptrotective effects of Oleuropein Following Spinal Cord In Rats Neurological Research. 2012. 34(1), 44-51.