Health Benefits Of Olive Oil
Posted on 27. Nov, 2009 by Miranda Phillips in Diet & Nutrition
A healthy diet should incorporate many foods which support and nurture your body, and virgin olive oil is one of these. Scientific and anecdotal research has proven how incredibly beneficial this oil and its numerous compounds is to the way the body functions as a whole and certain important bodily systems in particular.
Oleic acid has been isolated as one of the single most important elements in virgin olive oil. It is important because it contains such high levels of antioxidants. These are critical to the continued health of cells because it shields them from damage caused by oxidization. Damaged cells may reproduce incorrectly and the problem with this is that if the genetic material is also damaged they can replicate out of control and then form cancerous tumors inside the body which can ultimately be fatal.
You may also find that the use of virgin olive oil can help you improve the health of your heart and circulatory system. Improved cardiovascular and circulatory health means much less of a chance of having a heart attack or a stroke. One of the critical benefits of olive oil is that it can regulate levels of both bad (HDL) cholesterol and good (LDL) cholesterol which can also help reduce the incidence of heart attack and stroke. Keeping both forms of cholesterol within healthy limits and in a good proportion to each other is critical to maintaining good heart health and preventing the build-up of plaque which can clog arteries and blood vessels. Although LDL cholesterol can be oxidized in the body, virgin olive oil can also prevent this from happening due to its antioxidant properties.
If you view different forms of olive oil you may see that there is virgin olive oil and processed olive oil but it is the virgin olive oil that you want to use. Made from the second pressing of the olives it is less heavily processed. The less an olive oil has been processed it will retain more of the beneficial compounds and elements in the oil. If you want to ensure you are consuming the highest levels of beneficial compounds you need to use extra virgin olive oil.
If you want to find ways to include virgin olive oil in your diet, it is not hard to do. You can replace harmful fats and oils such as peanut oil and butter. Because virgin olive oil is so flavorful, it can add flavor to your dishes and may not require additional seasoning with salts and harmful ingredients. Although heating does not damage the beneficial compounds in the oil, it can destroy the flavor so it is recommended to reserve the highly flavorful extra virgin olive oil for unheated uses and those which do not require that the oil be heated for long periods of time.
The Mediterranean diet was the first definitive proof that eating olive oil can help you maintain and even improve your health. It showed the beneficial effects that it can have in lowering heart disease and cancer rates. This proof alone has been enough to make many people include this wonder food in their daily diets.
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