Olive oil is a popular essential ingredient in numerous foods, but it has also gained recognition due to its numerous health benefits. From reducing the risk of stroke to helping maintain blood glucose levels, extra virgin olive oil can provide an array of surprising health benefits.
Understand the Types of Olive Oil
It is classifed according to its acidity, with extra virgin olive oil being the least acidic and of the highest quality. It’s recommended to opt for extra virgin olive oil when shopping to ensure that you benefit from all its medical attributes. Studies have also shown that it helps reduce inflammation and prevent against age-related metabolic diseases.
Know the Nutritional Value of Olive Oil
Olive oil is a natural source of fatty acids and also provides vitamin E, monounsaturated fats, antioxidants, and polyphenols. Often labeled a superfood, it’s rich in health-promoting compounds like phenols and hydroxytyrosol, while also being low in saturated fats. Its combination of healthy fats and vitamins create an oil that’s beneficial to many parts of the body when ingested regularly. Its nutritional value makes it an ideal dietary addition for those looking to boost their immunity and maintain their good overall health.
How It Protects Your Heart Health
Regularly consuming extra virgin olive oil can help to protect heart health due to its monounsaturated fat content and omega 3 fatty acids. These components are important for blood cholesterol regulation, reducing the risk of stroke and maintaining optimal blood sugar levels. Additionally, their antioxidant properties can prevent cholesterol from oxidizing and eventually developing into plaque on artery walls. The health benefits of consuming it regularly have been scientifically proven to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease by as much as 30 percent.
Explore Olive Oil’s Role in Weight Loss & Diabetes Management
Olive oil is beneficial for weight loss and diabetes management due to its low-calorie content and ability to boost insulin sensitivity. For those with type 2 diabetes, it helps reduce fasting blood sugar levels by helping convert dietary carbohydrates into energy more efficiently. Additionally, it can also prevent fat storage in the liver and improve liver health overall. Those trying to lose weight or reduce risk of diabetes should replace unhealthy fats such as butter or margarine with high quality extra virgin olive oil while cooking or using as a condiment.
How Extra Virgin Olive Oil May Help Reduce Cancer Risk
A number of cancers are less common in the Mediterranean region compared to other populations, according to epidemiological studies. Several mechanisms of antitumor activity have been identified in virgin olive oil. It has been shown to prevent colorectal, breast and skin cancers.
Not only can it offer benefits for diabetes and weight management, but recent studies suggest it also may be linked to reduced cancer risk. A 2020 study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that people who consumed it had a 25% lower risk of developing certain types of cancers than those who did not. Again, it’s important to choose extra virgin olive oil as it contains more beneficial health-promoting compounds such as polyphenols that appear to help protect against cancer.
Olive oil contains polyphenols that display anticancer effects
Olive flesh is known to contain around 2 to 3% of polyphenol substances in their glucoside and ester forms. Virgin olive oil, meanwhile, contains approximately 500 mg/L of these compounds. The amount and quality of polyphenols depend on the manufacturing process. Their composition consists mostly of glycides and phenols such as oleuropein and hydroxytyrosol, with flavonoids making up a lesser amount. These are what give virgin oils their unique bitter taste.
The anticancer effects of these polyphenols (especially oleuropein and hydroxytyrosol) were also confirmed by in vitro studies,