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From its use since the dawn of civilization and the results of study after sudy, olive oil has proven to be a gracious gift of nature because of its many health
benefits and appetizing flavor. Of all the oils available for cooking, baking, and seasoning, olive oil consists of the highest percentage of the desirable monounsaturated fatty acid. Of a serving of one
tablespoon (14 grams), 11 grams are monounsaturated, one gram is polyunsaturated, and two grams are saturated. Olive oil is naturally cholesterol free.
In 1986, research into the
different types of fatty acids revealed new evidence about how they interact with cholesterol and the nature of cholesterol in relationship to the human body. There are two groups of lipoprotiens that interact
with cholesterol, low density lipoprotiens (LDL), and high density lipoprotiens (HDL). LDL's transport and deposit cholesterol into the tissues and arteries and for this reason are harmful. Consumption of
saturated fatty acids increase LDL's. HDL's on the other hand remove cholesterol from the cells and transport it to the liver where it is passed out through the bile ducts. Monounsaturates reduce LDL while
maintaining (or even possibly increasing) HDL. The maintenance (or possible increase) in the level of HDL in combination with a reduction in LDL acts not only to protect against cholesterol deposits but has been
shown to reduce cholesterol levels in the body. In addition, monounsaturated fatty acids are broken down and burned as easily as sugar, much easier than polyunsaturated and saturated fatty acids. For this reason
olive oil is a great source of energy and is not fattening because monounsaturated fatty acids are broken down and burned as easily as sugar.
The increase in heart disease since World War II
motivated the American Heart Foundation to conduct research into the modern diets of the world, smoking habits, and obesity, and how they relate to cardiovascular illness and high blood pressure. The study revealed that
in the Mediterranean countries, where olive oil consumption is high, the mortality rate due to cardiovascular illness was the lowest in the world. As for the results from within the Mediterranean countries, the people
of Greece, especially the Greek island of Crete, who consume more olive oil than any other country in the world (an average of over 20 quarts per person each year) were found to have the lowest rate of cardiovascular
illness of all the heart healthy peoples of the Mediterranean. The United States and Finland reportedly had the highest coronary mortality rates. The most significant variable in the diet of the populations studied
proved to be the type of fat ingested. The fat intake of those populations which suffered from higher rates of cardiovascular illness consisted of large amounts of animal (saturated) fats and small amounts of
monounsaturated fat. Olive oil on the other hand, which contains the highest percentage of monounsaturates, was and still is the main fat used in the Mediterranean diets.
The health
benefits of olive oil are not limited only to the cardiovascular system. Other research into the relationship of olive oil and the human body has taken place over the years and has given us insight into its many
other benefits. Studies conducted by Dimitrios Trichopoulos at the Harvard School of Public Health indicate a correlation between the fact that women of Greece and other mediterranean countries suffer only 50 to
60% of the rate of breast cancer compared with women of other countries and the fact that the Greek and Mediterranean women consume large amounts of virgin olive oil. Trichopoulos stated that part of the basis of
this correlation may lie in the fact that olive oil is less easily oxidized than polyunsaturated fats and that unrefined virgin olive oil is full of antioxidant vitamins and other nutrients including Vitamin E and
Alphatocopherol (a particular antioxidative form of Vitamin E). The analysis of this study, published by the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, confirmed that this data came from one of the largest studies
that has examined the role of diet in the cause and origins of breast cancer.
In addition, since olive oil contains vitamin E and oleic acid, which is also found in human milk, it is
beneficial for expecting and nursing mothers because it aids normal bone growth and encourages development of the brain and nervous system of infants before and after birth. Furthermore because olive oil contains
antioxidants it has also been shown to prevent the deteriorating effect of age on the tissues, organs and the functioning of the brain. Another health benefit is that olive oil has been shown to reduce gastric acidity
and its emollient effect protects the stomach against ulcers and aids the passage of food through the intestines. As a result it helps prevent constipation and is also prescribed by doctors to rid the intestines
of parasites. It also reduces the risk of gall stones because it stimulates bile secretion and induces contraction of the gall bladder. A final nutritional note is that because virgin olive oils are cold pressed
(extracted without the use of heat, steam, or solvents), the vitamins that are removed in many other oils as a consequence of chemical and heat extraction, and purification, remain in their natural state in cold pressed
virgin olive oils. These vitamins include E, K , and Betacarotenes.
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