Is Olive Oil Healthy?

Extra Virgin Olive Oil has been proven to provide protection against many diseases. Scientists have studied the Mediterranean diet in hopes of determining why that region’s inhabitance have such low incidents of certain cancers and heart conditions that plague other places around the globe. They have found their answer: olive oil!

If you have been watching your fat and caloric intake, you may have cut olive oil out of your diet, or at least lessened how frequently you use it. But there are real benefits to adding it back in! Extra Virgin Olive Oil has been proven to provide protection against many diseases. Scientists have studied the Mediterranean diet in hopes of determining why that region’s inhabitance have such low incidents of certain cancers and heart conditions that plague other places around the globe. They have found their answer: olive oil!

Though all forms of olive oil are preferable to many other oils on the market, Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO) is the most nourishing and provides the most restorative and preventative benefits because it comes straight from the olive, with very little processing. That means that the natural ingredients that make olive oil so healthy stay in the oil without being “processed out.” Vitamin E, which cells use to communicate with one another, polyphenols and other antioxidants are just some of the ingredients that make EVOO the best oil choice.

A partial list of the preventive and restorative powers of EVOO can be found below:

EVOO has been proven to reduce triglycerides and total cholesterol, as well as low-density lipoprotein, or LDL, the “bad” cholesterol, in the bloodstream.
The healthy fats found in EVOO help keep arteries clear of cholesterol build-up and increase the health of arteries, and consequently, the heart, even in the elderly.
The high content of mono-unsaturated fat, along with plentiful antioxidants, has been verified to play a preventative role in some cancers, specifically breast cancer and malignant melanoma, the most deadly form of skin cancer.
Because the active ingredients in EVOO help balance and stabilize insulin levels, a diet rich in the oil, along with a healthy diet, can inhibit or defer the onset of diabetes, which has become an epidemic in the Western world. Scientists say that a diet high in mono-unsaturated fats, like those found in EVOO, reduce the potential of developing type II diabetes more than 50% over a low-fat diet.
The high levels of Vitamin E found in EVOO improve the efficiency of cells in the body, which in turn, improves circulation.
Studies show that EVOO ingested regularly can lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Researchers have determined that the polyphenols found in the oil obstructs the genes that encourage high blood pressure, high cholesterol and diabetes.
Osteoporosis, which is a loss of bone mass often occurring in postmenopausal women, has been touted as beneficial to increasing bone mass in this age group. Though scientists don’t believe EVOO alone will cure osteoporosis, they are increasingly positive about its place in the future treatment of the disease.
Recent studies show that the oleocanthal found in EVOO can diminish the threat of Alzheimer’s and other cognitive decline disorders that occur with aging. The polyphenols found in EVOO have been proven to be potent antioxidants that may actually assist in the reversal of oxidative impairment that typically occurs during aging.

Not all olive oil is the same, however. Some olive oil that you find on your store shelves is a combination of olive and other oils. Often times its mixed with canola oil, which can cause inflammation! No thank you!!! So, always read your labels and make sure to find the most pure olive oil that you can.

My favorite olive oil is Kasandrinos Olive Oil. I personally know Tony (the owner) and he seriously puts his heart and soul into his olive oil. In my honest opinion, its the best. They even test their olive oil. Oil from every batch of Kasandrinos Greek organic extra virgin olive oil is sent for chemical analysis at Agbiolab in the USA and done in Greece at OLITECN Research and Analysis Laboratory. They are also careful to make sure that it has zero taste defects! You can find Kassandrino’s Olive Oil HERE.

Of course, EVOO alone isn’t the best way to improve your health and slow down the aging process. A sensible diet, high in fruits and vegetables and low in sugar, along with regular aerobic exercise is necessary to keep your body running at its most efficient. But considering how delicious Extra Virgin Olive Oil is, and how simple it is to add into your diet, it may be the easiest way to provide your body with the antioxidants and other nutrients it needs to stay young and healthy!