Time has made us understand the importance of a good diet and healthy lifestyle habits for the organism. There are many experts who defend the health benefits of olive oil.
Grandma already knew that EVOO was an innate natural remedy to combat illnesses and ailments, as evidenced by its common use as a home remedy, an inexhaustible source of health. Nowadays, far away from those days, numerous researches allow us to know better which are the advantages of EVOO for health.
9 Health Benefits of Olive Oil
Helps reduce weight
The oleic acid present in EVOO acts as an appetite regulator. This is due to the fact that it causes a feeling of satiety in the organism.
Improves digestion and calms constipation.
Taking a spoonful of olive oil on an empty stomach helps to improve digestion and regulate intestinal transit due to its components that have a slightly laxative effect.
Prevents gastritis and ulcers.
The consumption of olive oil helps to prevent ulcers and gastritis, since the polyphenols contained in EVOO mainly fight the bacterium ‘Helicobacter pylori’, which is the main cause of stomach ulcers and chronic gastritis.
Protects the liver.
A study conducted by the Pablo de Olavide University shows that consuming extra virgin olive oil on an empty stomach can help preserve the liver throughout life compared to sunflower oil, which has been shown to have adverse effects on the body if consumed over the long term.
Improves cardiovascular health.
One of the main health risk factors is the dreaded cholesterol. Although it should be noted that there are two types of cholesterol, one good and one bad.
Bad cholesterol sticks to the walls of the arteries, clogging them and causing arteriosclerosis and cardiovascular disease.
While the good cholesterol acts as a protector thanks to the phenolic compounds and antioxidants present in EVOO, helping to transport and dissolve the bad cholesterol to the liver to be eliminated. This minimizes the risks of arterial thrombosis and heart attack.
The polyphenols present in EVOO contribute to the protection of blood lipids, another major risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Daily consumption of 20 grams (2 tablespoons) of polyphenol-rich olive oil has been shown to provide these benefits.
The PREDIMED Study, the most comprehensive research conducted to date on the effect of the Mediterranean Diet supplemented with extra virgin olive oil on the health of the at-risk population, claims that people who followed this diet saw their risk of suffering a cardiovascular accident or stroke reduced by 30%.
Prevents Diabetes.
Diabetes is one of the most common metabolic diseases in developed countries. It has been shown that people who consume EVOO have lower blood fat levels and better control of their diabetes. The PREDIMED study also concluded that those participants who followed a Mediterranean Diet supplemented with extra virgin olive oil showed up to 40% less risk of developing diabetes than those who followed a low-fat diet.
On the other hand, the researchers of the San Carlos Study for the Prevention of Gestational Diabetes have shown that those women who during pregnancy follow a healthy diet, rich in extra virgin olive oil, have up to 30% less risk of developing gestational diabetes. They have also found that the health of children is also better, significantly reducing the number and duration of hospital admissions for all causes in children during their first two years of life.
Reduces the possibility of Alzheimer’s disease.
Due to the high content of healthy monounsaturated fats contained in EVOO as the main source of antioxidants and vitamins, it has been proven by numerous studies that the consumption of extra virgin olive oil reduces cognitive deterioration and improves the mental health of people where aspects such as memory, spatial orientation and calculation capacity have been analyzed, which is why it helps prevent Alzheimer’s disease.
Prevents the risk of breast cancer.
According to numerous scientific studies, the daily consumption of EVOO, rich in oleic acid, together with a healthy lifestyle are key factors in the prevention of breast cancer, developing smaller and less aggressive tumors. Eduard Escrich, researcher at the Autonomous University of Barcelona, defends the consumption of EVOO over seed oils to prevent breast cancer.
Minimizes the likelihood of obesity
The PREDIMED Study has found that those participants who took this diet supplemented with extra virgin olive oil (about five tablespoons a day), managed to maintain their weight, and even showed a tendency to lose weight, compared to people who followed a low-fat diet.
New benefits are being discovered
Recent studies also indicate that “these doses are associated with a lower risk of breast cancer, Alzheimer’s disease and bone fractures. Although it is almost 100% fat, it is not in itself associated with an increase in body weight. On the contrary, it is associated with long-term weight maintenance.
