Nutrition
Olive Oil, the Healthy Choice
Growing up in Krokees, olive oil was an everyday ingredient in the traditional vegetarian-rich Mediterranean diet. Olive oil contains 75-82 percent of the nonessential monounsaturated fatty acid called oleic acid, a member of the omega-9 family. Nutritionally, it has 14 grams of fat and 124 calories per tablespoon. But unlike animal fats, it is easily absorbed and metabolized by the body. The enzyme action of triolein, chlorophyll and pheophytin aid the digestion of food and the promotion of overall health.
Don’t confuse the peppery taste of extra-virgin olive oil with rancidity. Cold-pressed olive oil that is not manipulated or modified in any way will have a characteristic stinging, spicy or pepper-like sensation at the back of the throat. Do not be alarmed, the oil is not rancid! What you are tasting is the beneficial anti-inflammatory phytochemicals oleocanthal and hydroxytyrosol present in olive oil. This is what true olive oil like ours will taste like. The stronger the taste, the fresher and purer the olive oil. This is why we recommend buying single source olive oil that is guaranteed by protected designation of origin (PDO). By comparison, so-called “light tasting” olive oils are modified and diluted. They are not real olive oils!
Recommended reading:
The Anti-Inflammation Zone, Doctor Barry Sears; Publisher: Harper Collins 2005.
Heart healthy
Olive oil boosts the good HDL blood cholesterol and lowers the harmful LDL cholesterol that forms plaque in arterial walls, therefore decreasing the risk of heart attack. The accumulation of free radicals, resulting from oxidation in the body, causes serious problems on human health. Free radicals destroy cell membranes and DNA, accelerate the aging process, and cause damage to the liver and formation of cancer. Olive oil is high in tocopherol vitamin E, A, D, and K, polyphenols, oleuropein, squalene, betasitosterol and tyrosol: all important antioxidants, cancer –protective, blood-sugar stabilizing and atherosclerosis preventing compounds.
Bone Healthy
The monounsaturated fatty acid in olive oil offers an entire spectrum of benefits to bone health:
- it is transported into the cell plasma membrane, helping to maintain the structural integrity of neuronal membranes and bone-building cell membranes;
- acts as a regulator in the cell plasma membrane to ensure that EPA- and DHA- rich omega-3 fish oil fats penetrate the cell membrane to keep the lipid bi-layer supple, fluid, and stabilized to allow bone-building nutrients to enter bone cells;
- helps intestinal absorption of bone-building micro-nutrients;
- and contains antioxidants, in particular the four most powerful polyphenols - tyrosol, hydroxytyrosol, verbascoside, and oleuropein (which are found only in cold-pressed, extra virgin olive oil and give olive oil its slightly bitter taste). Hydroxytyrosol prevents the oxidation (the equivalent of rusting) of keratin protein, the main protein scaffolding in your bones, and protects EPA and “bone smart” DHA fats from peroxidation degradation.
Recommended reading:
The Bone Building Solution, by Sam Graci, Dr. Carolyn DeMarco & Dr. Leticia Rao; ch. 10, p. 284; Publisher: John Wiley & Sons Canada, Ltd.
Skin Care
After washing, do not completely dry your skin. Gently rub a few drops of oil into your skin. The water moisture aids absorption. Olive oil is rich in vitamin E and squalene, two phytochemicals that nourish and moisturize skin tissue. Vitamin E is also antiseptic and ideal for sore muscles, cuts and abrasions.
Note: Vitamin E is administered to burn victims to heal and protect damaged tissue.
