Health Benefits Of Olive Oil

Olive oil is a fat obtained from the fruit of oleapaea (olive tree) a traditional tree crop in Mediterranean region, where whole olives are pressed to produce olive oil.The oil is used in cosmetics, medicine, cooking, it is also used for making soaps. The olive oil can be used as fuel for traditional lamps, which originated from the Mediterranean countries and today it is used worldwide. The Greeks has the highest olive oil consumption per person in the world.According to the north american olive oil association the Greeks consume  average of 24 liters of olive oil each person per year. Italians consume about 15 liters per year.


                        HEALTH BENEFITS OF THE OLIVE OIL

Helps Reduce Risk Of Diabetes:
Naturally a low-fat diet has been prescribed to prevent various diseases such as heart disease and diabetes. While studies have shown that high fat diets may increase the risk of certain diseases such as cancer and diabetes, it appears that it is the type of fat that counts rather than the amount of fat. We now know that a diet rich in monounsaturated fats such as the ones found in olive oil, nuts and seeds actually protects from many of these chronic diseases.A study published in the scientific journal Diabetes Care showed that a Mediterranean style diet rich in olive oil reduced the risk of type II diabetes by almost 50 percent compared to a low fat diet. Type II diabetes is the most common and preventable form of diabetes.

Helps Keep The Heart Healthy:
The olive oil helps ensure a healthy heart diet rich in olive oil may actually be able to slow down the aging of the heart.
It is a known fact that as we grow older the heart also goes through a normal aging process. The arteries may not function as well as they did and this can lead to a number of health problems. However, in a recent study, Spanish researchers discovered that a diet rich in olive oil or other monounsaturated fats could improve the arterial function of elderly individuals.

It Helps Prevent Osteoporosis:
Osteoporosis is a disease characterized by a decrease in bone mass, which in turn causes the architecture of bone tissue to become fragile. This can then increase the possibly of fractures, making even the slightest of knocks potentially fatal for sufferers.Olive oil supplementation was found to positively affect the thickness of bones. Olive oil will not be the only solution in the continuing fight against postmenopausal osteoporosis, however scientists have concluded that it is a very promising candidate for future treatments of the disease.

Helps Prevent Breast Cancer:
Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer in Western countries. While a diet rich in fats is directly related to a higher incidence of cancer, some types of fats can actually play a protective role against the development of these tumors. Such is the case of virgin olive oil which is rich in oleic acid, a mono-unsaturated fatty acid, and contains several bioactive compounds such as antioxidants.A moderate and regular intake of virgin olive oil, characteristic of the Mediterranean diet, is associated with a low incidences of specific types of cancer, including breast cancer, as well as with having a protective role against coronary diseases and other health problems.

Helps Reduce Depression:
Recent study shows  that a higher intake of olive oil and polyunsaturated fats found in fatty fish and vegetable oils was associated with a lower risk of depression.
The findings suggested that cardiovascular disease and depression may share some common mechanisms related to one's diet.