Therapeutic Benefits of Olive Oil

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Therapeutic Benefits of Olive Oil

JoAnn Guest

Jul 07, 2004 11:52 PDT

 

The health and therapeutic benefits of olive oil were first

mentioned by Hippocrates, the father of medicine. For centuries, the

nutritional, cosmetic and medicinal benefits of olive oil have been

recognized by the people of the Mediterranean.

 

Olive oil was used to maintain skin and muscle suppleness, heal

abrasions, and soothe the burning and drying effects of sun and

water. Olive oil was administered both internally, and externally -

for health and beauty.

 

Recent research has now provided firm proof that a Mediterranean

diet, which includes olive oil, is not only generally healthy, but

that consuming olive oil can actually help lower harmful LDL

cholesterol.

 

Olive oil contains " antioxidants' that discourage artery clogging

and chronic diseases, including cancer.

There are three kinds of dietary fats: saturated (animal),

polyunsaturated (plants, seeds, nuts, vegetable oils), and

monounsaturated (olive oil). From a nutritional standpoint, all

types of olive oil are approximately the same, with 80%

monounsaturated, 14% saturated, 9% polyunsaturated fats on average.

 

Olive oil is rich in vitamins A, B-1, B-2, C, D, E and K and in

iron. Olive oil, which is beneficial to the digestive system, does

not necessarily keep you thin; it contains just as many calories as

other oils (9cal/g).Olive oil acts as a mild laxative, is a friend

to the intestine and an enemy of ulcers and gastritis. Olive oil is

a good tonic, with " specific benefits " for people suffering from

heart disease.

 

Olive oil has been regarded as the " beauty oil " . The body's cells

incorporate the valuable *fatty acids* from the oil, making arteries

more supple and skin more lustrous. The amount of oleic acid in

olive oil is about the same as that found in a mother's milk and is

thus the best growth supplement for infants.

 

Drunk before a meal, olive oil protects the stomach from ulcers. If

a spoon or two is taken with lemon or coffee, it prevents

constipation without irritating the intestinal tract.

 

It is also effective in treating urinary tract infections and gall

bladder problems.It is a perfect remedy for gastritis in children,

it accelerates brain development and strengthens the bones.

 

Olive oil dissolves clots in capillaries, has been found to lower

the degree of absorption of edible fats, and consequently slows down

the " aging process " .

 

Only animal-derived foods contain cholesterol. Olive oil is

cholesterol-free.

 

Cholesterol is not entirely harmful; it is an essential building

block for cell membranes, nerve fiber coverings, vitamin D and sex

hormones.

 

The body manufactures all the cholesterol it needs, so any

cholesterol in foods we eat is excessive.

Excess cholesterol causes a gradual accumulation of fatty deposits

and connective tissue, known as plaque, along the walls of blood

vessels.

 

Eventually, plaque builds up, narrows the arteries and reduces blood

flow, in this way increasing the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

cholesterol is manufactured in the liver and is vital for the

structure of cell walls.

 

In order to circulate through the bloodstream, it is " packaged " in

fatty-protein wrappings called " lipoproteins " . The

low-density lipoproteins (LDL) distribute cholesterol throughout the

body, dropping it off where needed.

 

The liver also packages another type of cholesterol called high-

density lipoproteins (HDL), which *picks-up* circulating cholesterol

and " returns " it to the liver for reprocessing, or excretion.

 

The LDLs are the ones that build up the walls of the arteries and so

are tagged " bad " cholesterol. HDLs carry cholesterol away.

 

So the more HDLs there are, the easier it is to unblock paths and

rid the body of unwanted cholesterol. What the body really needs is

a good HDL/LDL ratio. Polyunsaturated oils lower LDL ( " bad " ) and HDL

( " good " ) levels. Monounsaturated oils (such as olive oil), lower

only LDL cholesterol, leaving HDLs to help clean out arteries.

 

Animal fats, which contain saturated fatty acids, exponentially

increase blood cholesterol levels. Polyunsaturated fatty acids lower

both LDL and HDL levels in the blood, but they do not affect their

ratio.

 

Monounsaturated fatty acids on the other hand control LDL levels

while raising HDL levels.

 

No other naturally produced oil has as large an amount of

monounsaturated fatty acids as olive oil, which mainly

contains *oleic acid*. The modest amount of well-balanced

polyunsaturated fatty acids in olive oil is well protected by

*antioxidant* substances.

 

It is widely believed that antioxidant substances such as vitamins

E, K and polyphenols found in olive oil provide a defense mechanism

that

delays aging and prevents carcinogenesis, therosclerosis, liver

disorders and inflammations.

 

Since olive oil is not 'tortured' during extraction, these

substances are left unspoiled, making the olive oil very stable even

when frying. So contrary to common belief, olive oil undergoes a

smaller degree of deterioration during frying than other oils.

Due to its chemical structure, olive oil is of unrivaled

organoleptic value and thus the oil best suited for human

consumption. It is very well tolerated by the stomach. In fact, its

protective function has a beneficial effect on gastritis and ulcers.

 

It is a cholagogue, activating the 'secretion' of *pancreatic

hormones* and bile much more naturally than prescribed drugs.

 

Consequently, it lowers the incidence of cholelithiasis (gallstone

formation). Its excellent digestibility promotes the overall

absorption of nutrients, especially vitamins and mineral salts. It

has a positive effect on constipation.

 

Bones need a large amount of oleates and what source could be better

than olive oil?

 

Promoting bone mineralisation, it is excellent for infants and the

elderly who have bone calcification problems. It also has beneficial

effects on brain and nervous system development as well as on

overall growth.

 

It shields the body against infection and helps in the healing of

tissues, internal and external.

 

Olive oil is a panacea, the perfect oil for all ages. And every time

scientists look into the reasons behind an olive oil advantage

empirically known and employed by the peoples of the Mediterranean,

it is certain that they will come across evidence of yet another

unique biological attribute.

 

http://mediterraneandiet.gr/health.html

 

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Olive Oil and Health

 

As doctors said, prevention is number one factor for good health.

Speaking as simple as we can and without the use of special medical

terms we must point out the following:

 

1.Many diseases are caused by the incontrollable receipt of food,

especially food containing in excess saturated fatty acids (animal

fats), leading to arteriosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases.

 

 

Medical studies indicate that Mediterranean countries and

specifically Greece, where olive oil consumption is high, suffer

less cardiovascular problems from any other country in the world

where the ratio of the consumption of animal fat is high or simply

the nutrition parameters

are poor.

 

 

By reducing the animal fats and increasing olive oil in our diet we

obtain a perfect combination for the prevention of such fatal

diseases, like arteriosclerosis and heart attacks.

 

2.The problems in bile area torture millions of people on our

planet. The bad function of the bile and the formation of gallstone

are problems difficult to cure and most of the times medical surgery

is the only solution available.

 

Recent medical studies proved that olive oil, perfectly compatible

with human body needs, creates a natural tie to those liquids that

result in the formation of the gallstone mitigating pain and

annoyance in bile's area.

 

3.Millions of people around the world suffer by stomach problems and

related diseases. Very serious is the gastric ulcer disease. As it

is known the use of olive oil in nutrition is a beneficial factor

for the function of the digestive system due to its property of

keeping low the percentage of HCl in our stomach.

 

Thus, the olive oil helps the normal function of the digestive

system reducing to minimum the chances of

ulcer creation and the other relative diseases, not to mention that

is the best natural medicament for the fight against constipation.

 

It has been also proved that the use of olive oil in nutrition helps

to sustain:

 

1.Human metabolism at a good balance, body's growth and bone growth

at a good level. It is obvious that olive oil means good health and

development for our children.

 

2.Good level of Vitamin E in our body. This vitamin has the property

to delay the change of the cellular structure which leads to natural

decadence, the people's aging, so one of the best medicaments for

delaying aging is the olive oil. On the other hand, as we all know,

Vitamin E improves our sexual life.

 

So one can say that olive oil is by itself an aphrodisiac!

ast but not least, is the unique property of olive oil to dissolve

useful substances coming from food that cannot be absorbed by the

human

body.

 

Olive oil is used in everyday cooking. It can be used in salads or

added in the cooking process of almost any recipe. Olive Oil is the

healthiest type of oil with 0% cholesterol, rich in Vitamins against

aging and perfect even for frying dishes. Olive oil is the best

nutritional gift we can offer to ourselves. Olive oil helps us keep

good in health making our life pleasant.

 

http://mediterraneandiet.gr/oliveoilhealth.html

 

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Aromatic Olive Oil

 

Aromatic olive oil has been produced in Greece since time

immemorial.

 

It is mainly used for its medicinal, astringent and antioxidant

properties, provided by the herbs and spices added to it.

 

Scientific research has proven that many herbs contain antioxidant

substances that prevent olive oil from being oxidised and improve

its flavour. In contrast, substances negatively affecting olive oil

include garlic, onion, peppers and the peels of acidic citrus fruit.

 

Aromatic olive oil is produced from high quality oil with subtle

aromatic tones and a non-distinctive flavour, with the addition of

spices, aromatic herbs or even fruit and vegetables pices:

 

cardamom, coriander, cedar fruit, nutmeg, cumin seed, aniseed,

cinnamon, ginger, pepper, guinea grains, fennel seed.

 

Herbs and aromatic plants: basil, bay, oregano, marjoram, mint,

sage, spearmint, rosemary, tarragon, thyme, savory, fresh fennel,

coriander, parsley, dill.

 

Vegetables: red hot peppers, red sweet peppers, sun-dried tomatoes,

garlic, capers, Chinese mushrooms, truffles.

 

Mrsjo-

http://www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest/