Three tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil a day keep the doctor away!

26/02/2022

Three tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil a day keep the doctor away!

Today we would like to talk to you about the truly extraordinary effects of extra-virgin olive oil on your body.

How many spoonsful of oil do you consume each day?

Extra-virgin olive oil is different from other vegetable fats because it is made using fresh olives and extracted using mechanical methods and under conditions that do not alter the product.

This gives EVO oil properties that are extremely healthy and different from those of other fats. The result is that it is extremely beneficial to your wellbeing.

Extra-virgin olive oil is the best fat for the human diet

EVO oil is made up of 98% fatty acids and 2% antioxidants.

After reading this table we are sure you will say “Oh, EVO oil is full of fat! Maybe it’s not very good for me and maybe it’ll even make me fat!” Don’t be alarmed, not all fats are bad for your health and physical wellbeing. Quite the opposite!

Let’s look quickly at the nutritional and healthy properties of EVO oil:

high in essential fatty acids our body needs – Rich in Omega 3, 6 and 9
an excellent source of vitamins (A, D, E, K)
prevents the risk of degenerative disease
prevents the risk of cardiovascular disease
benefits the digestive system
has numerous anti-aging benefits

Rich in Omega 3, 6 and 9

As you can see in the table, EVO oil is a good source of oleic fatty acid. This acid is rich in omega 9, which reduces “bad” cholesterol levels (LDL) and does not affect “good” cholesterol levels (HDL). It does not block your arteries; so, it does not put you at risk for any of the related cardio-circulatory problems. It also has strong antioxidant properties and regulates blood pressure, thereby protecting you from hypertension.

EVO oil contains 1% linoleic fatty acid, which is full of omega 3. These fatty acids have numerous beneficial effects: they improve eyesight, help the nervous system and are strong anti-inflammatories and anti-coagulants. Not to mention they also considerably reduce your risk of developing a stroke, arthritis, asthma, diabetes and cognitive deterioration.

EVO oil contains about 10% linoleic fatty acid (not to be confused with the linolenic fatty acid already mentioned) and is rich in omega 6. This omega acid also has numerous important functions and actually boosts platelet production, and hence blood clotting, while strengthening your immune system and anti-inflammatory response.

We are sure this information has already changed your mind regarding the health and nutritional value of the fats in EVO oil, but the list goes on and we would like to let you in on another little secret below.

Omega 6 and 3 are two essential fatty acids. They are called “essential” precisely because they are essential to your body and are therefore a required part of your diet.

Do you know what the ideal ratio is of omega 6 to omega 3?

In the typical Western diet, the ideal ratio of these two essential fats ranges from 5:1 to 7:1, and extra-virgin olive oil has a 7:1 ratio.

But did you know that this ratio of omega 6 and omega 3 also corresponds to the same ratio found in breast milk? Unbelievable, isn’t it?

Ideal source of vitamins A, D, E, K

EVO oil is a source of vitamins and is high in vitamin E, which has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and protects cells from developing tumors.

It is also rich in vitamin A, which improves eyesight and protects the integrity and functioning of mucous membranes and skin.

It also contains a good amount of vitamin D and facilitates the absorption of this vitamin that your body usually creates after being exposed to the sun. Vitamin D helps to improve your immune system and mood while reducing stress and the risk of depression.

Finally, EVO oil also contains vitamin K, which is essential to protect and maintain your bones.

Prevents the risk of degenerative diseases

Not only does our precious EVO oil contain essential fatty acids and the oleic acid that prevents degenerative disease, it also contains polyphenols.

Phenolic compounds are also very powerful antioxidants and protect your arteries and cell membranes from oxidative stress.

According to a study published in ACS Chemical Neuroscience by Dr. Amal Kaddoumi of the University of Louisiana, extra-virgin olive oil, and especially the phenolic compound oleocathal, helps the body rid itself of the “beta amyloid” proteins associated with Alzheimer’s disease

It is indeed oleocathal that gives EVO oil that distinctive “pungent” taste. Many benefits are attributable to this phenolic compound thanks the role it plays in protecting nerve and brain cells.

EVO oil also has 1% squalene, a hydrocarbon that is an antioxidant and considered the precursor to the synthesis of cholesterol and steroid hormones. Recent studies have also shown how squalene has a chemopreventive effect in some forms of cancer, particularly skin cancer.

Benefits for the digestive system

All the components of EVO oil also benefit the digestive system:

EVO oil makes food tastier, more pleasant and appetizing and stimulates the production of gastric juices
Fosters the emptying of the gall bladder, thereby preventing the formation of gall stones
Facilitates the absorption of vitamins and calcium and also acts as a laxative
Protects the stomach lining by reducing hydrochloric acid secretions
Reduces pancreatic secretions

Anti-age effects: A beauty elixir

Let’s looks at some of the anti-aging effects of EVO oil:

Helps maintain the structure and fluidity of the cells in the nervous system
Reduces bad cholesterol
Helps rid the body of free radicals, which speed aging
Improves circulation and combats cellulite

As you can see, extra-virgin olive oil truly does benefit human health in many ways. Not only does it bring out the flavor in dishes, it has a healing touch. We are not the only ones who believe this, people have known about the benefits of EVO oil and how essential it is to the body for ages.

Hippocrates (400 B.C.) suggested using fresh olive oil to treat mental disorders and olive pulp poultices to heal ulcers.

Pliny the Elder (79 A.D.) argued that the two liquids the body most appreciates are wine and oil!

What is more, an increasing number of studies prove that the Mediterranean diet featuring EVO oil is the best diet for a healthy lifestyle.

Have you ever heard of the “Seven Countries Study” by Ancel Keys? This was the first study that looked closely at the relationship between lifestyle, diet and disease in various populations from different parts of the world. According to this study, the countries with a Mediterranean diet had a lower death rate from cardiovascular and degenerative disease.

Then, in 2010 UNESCO put the Mediterranean diet on its list of intangible cultural heritage.

And what is a daily part of the Mediterranean diet? Extra-virgin olive oil!