The Health Benefits of Olive Oil

Olive trees have been around for a very long time. They were first planted in the Mediterranean region around 5000BC. It is considered as a symbol of peace, glory and is known to have medicinal properties. It has been used for ointments, for nutrition and as healing agent. But in this article we shall be discussing the health benefits of olive oil:

 1. It promotes a healthy heart
It prevents atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) which happens when oxidized LDL cholesterol particles are deposited on the walls of the arteries. This condition can lead to a narrowing of the arteries giving the heart an extra work to get oxygenated blood to all parts of the body. Olive oil contains a compound called Oleuropein which prevents the oxidation of LDL cholesterol. Adding olive oil to your diet significantly reduces your chances of getting heart diseases and stroke.

2. Anti-Inflammatory Properties
Olive oil is a source of healthy fats with natural anti-inflammatory properties. These anti-inflammatory properties help to reduce the risk of arthritis and asthma.

3. Cancer Inhibition
 Olive oil contains a monosaturated aftty acid called Oleic acid that has been shown to reduce the effect of an oncogene associated with the proliferation of breast cancer tumors. Oleic acid in combination with drug therapy has been found to promote the self-destruction of this form of treatment-resistant carcinogens. Olive oil also protects the body from colon cancer.

  4. Weight Loss
A study conducted shows that over-weight people can loss a significant percentage of their body weight without any physical activity if they used olive oil in place of saturated fats in their diets.
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5. Control of Blood Sugar For people with diabetes, a low fat, high carbohydrate diet combined with olive oil is usually recommended. Research has shown that this combination is very effective in reducing blood sugar levels. Olive oil is also said to lower triglyceride levels and thus reduce the risk of heart diseases.


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