From staying active to eating right to getting enough sleep, there’s a lot we can do to live healthy. And that includes using extra virgin olive oil in your best recipes.
We know olive oil tastes great. But did you know that EVOO is not only tasty for flavor, it’s also beneficial for your health, too?
Whether you use it in your vinaigrette salad dressing, in your baking or in marinating your dinner, EVOO can do wonders for your health. It’s an ingredient that not only takes the flavor to a new level, it also amps up your health.
EVOO has several characteristics that make it a source for good health. And the fact that it’s free of processed chemicals is just the start of its wonders.
10 Health Benefits of EVOO
Here, we share 10 benefits of EVOO that can improve your health and make you feel great.
1) High in healthy monounsaturated fats
When you think of fats, you may immediately think of unhealthy, processed ingredients. However, fats are an essential part of your diet that need to be included daily. The kind of fat you use makes a big difference on your overall health.
EVOO has monounsaturated fats. This fat - oleic acid - comes with a variety of health benefits such as reducing inflammation and reducing your risk of heart disease.
2) Antioxidants for Your Heart
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Much of EVOO’s credit to being a health food comes from its antioxidants. Polyphenols is one of the natural antioxidants found in olive oil. Like any other antioxidant, polyphenols have properties that can improve your heart health and do things such as lower bad cholesterol and blood pressure. They work by clearing out arteries and improving your overall cardiovascular health.
According to researcher Dr. Mary Flynn, EVOO high in polyphenols has shown to increase good cholesterol, HDL, while lowering bad cholesterol, LDL.
To hear more from Dr. Mary Flynn, check out this video on the role of extra virgin olive oil in a healthy diet:
3) Antioxidants for Inflammation
Another antioxidant you can find in EVOO is oleocanthal. This antioxidant also can have profound effects in improving your health. Oil expert Paul Vossen suggests that the antioxidant oleocanthal is an anti-inflammatory that reduces pain. It mimics the properties of an ibuprofen or other pain reliever in alleviating discomfort.
4) Anti-Bacterial
The antioxidants also have properties to act as an anti-bacterial. The antioxidant polyphenols in olive oil have shown to be effective in preventing and delaying the growth of harmful bacteria such as Salmonella, Cholera, Staphylococcus, Pseudomonas and Influenza.
5) Prevents Gallstones
Afraid of getting gallstones? Use olive oil as part of your prevention methods. Oil expert Paul Vossen notes that since olive oil encourages bile and other pancreatic hormones that are important for health. With these properties, olive oil helps to reduce the risk of getting gallstones.
6) Improve Your Skin
Another beneficial antioxidant found in olive oil is hydroxytyrosal. This super ingredient has the power to improve your skin, notes olive oil expert Paul Vossen. This antioxidant can prevent aging and helps your skin glow. Olive oil can also help heal abrasions faster as well as delay and reduce skin cancers caused by UV rays.
Polyphenols also come with benefits like better skin. These compounds act as remover of radicals due to overexposure of sun rays and environmental stresses. Pharmaceuticals and cosmetics have even found that polyphenols have the highest number of radical scavengers among other traditional antioxidants.
7) Prevent Cancer
The benefits of EVOO keep getting better, as the antioxidants found in olive oil have also shown to reduce the risk of cancer. An article from Legion Athletics notes that the oleocanthal found in olive oil can increase the destruction rate of cancer cells. From breast cancer to colon cancer to stomach cancer to much more, the power of the antioxidants can do wonders in prevention and healthy living.
8) Avoid Type 2 Diabetes
Another important benefit of olive oil is regulating your blood sugar and insulin levels, according to an article from Legion Athletics. Studies have shown that diets that incorporate olive oil, such as a Mediterranean diet, have a decreased risk of developing diabetes than others.
9) Prevent Strokes
Strokes are caused by a disruption in the blood flow to your brain from a clot or some other bleeding. According to an article from Healthline, studies have shown that olive oil was the single source of monounsaturated fat that is associated with a decreased risk for stroke.
10) Treat Rheumatoid Arthritis
Autoimmune diseases like rheumatoid arthritis can be a painful and frustrating condition to live with. With olive oil’s properties of anti-inflammatory and reducing oxidative stress, it can act as an aid to alleviate rheumatoid arthritis, notes an article from Healthline. The article also notes that when olive oil is combined with fish oil, the anti-inflammatory properties are even more effective.
Improve Your Health With EVOO
With so many health benefits of using olive oil, you’ll want to use it in everything! From your heart to your brain to your skin to your stomach, EVOO is an all around superfood to help you be healthy and feel great. Check out a single varietal or flavored EVOO from our wide selection of products to start feeling those health benefits for yourself.