TOP 3 HEALTH BENEFITS OF FRESH EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL

As a kid my father was always saying “Health is the most important element in life”.  Of course being a kid and not knowing any better, I would always argue with him that you could buy health if you had enough money.  Boy was I wrong. Now that I’m a father of three young kids, I fully understand why he was so driven to enforce a  healthy diet. It’s true, and most of all of us know it, but like many things in life, our health is taken for granted and pushed aside for other aspects of life.  Since co-founding Ilias and Sons, I’ve been exposed to a wealth of knowledge and information on the health benefits of extra virgin olive oil. Below are my top 3 health benefits of fresh extra virgin olive oil I have selected to share with you.

1 – LONGEVITY

There’s a reason our family lives to be over 100 years old, like my YiaYia (a.k.a.grandma) seen here who’s 105  years old.

I don’t have to look far to see what impacts extra virgin olive oil has on longevity.

Yiayia and our family use extra virgin olive oil every day and can be easily consumed on salads, added to fresh cooked vegetables, fish, marinades, dips and dressings.

Or, if you can stomach it, take a tablespoon or shot glass everyday like royalty.

For years now Queen Elizabeth II (Age 89) and Prince Phillip (Age 94) have been taking extra virgin olive oil daily by tablespoon or shot glass.  If the Queen can take a shot of olive oil, so can you.

I much prefer to consume extra virgin olive oil in my food, however, to each their own.

I’m not saying that if you drink olive oil, you will live longer. It’s a combination of diet and nutrition that will amount to a longer life. Extra virgin olive oil is just one super-food that will contribute to a healthy and longer life.

2 – CARDIOVASCULAR

Heart Disease continues to be one of the highest causes of death around the world as reported by the Word Health Organization . In a recent article published by the BBC, researchers didn’t know why a diet high in fat, just like the Mediterranean diet, was linked to good cardiovascular health.  In a test over 5 days, researchers fed mice the Omega 6 fatty acids found in olive oil and also added sodium nitrate in order to mimic the effects of vegetables.   The findings after the 5 day study, showed that the level of fatty acids was higher in the mice, but there blood pressure was much lower.

3 – MENTAL

There many benefits to extra virgin olive oil and mental health.  Polyphenols, is a high antioxidant found in extra virgin olive oil.  These antioxidants for polyphenols play an important role in keeping the olive oil fresh and are largely the reason olive oil has so many health benefits.

The two main vitamins in olive oil are Vitamin E which prevents decline as we age and minimizes the damage caused by strokes by redirecting blood supply after a stroke.  Vitamin K, is found in leafy vegetables.  This vitamin helps your brain keep sharp as you age and boosts processing speeds.  Vitamin K can also play a role in preventing Alzheimer’s.

There’s also research that suggests replacing polyunsaturated fats, such as vegetable, canola, sunflower, soy and safflower oils will reduce depression.  In a study with unhealthy vegetable oils was replaced by olive oils, they decreased there risk of depression by approximately 50% .

Really what it comes down to is that fresh extra virgin olive oil is a healthy super-food and for thousands of years contributed to the diets of our societies. The Mediterranean diet is extremely well known for its foundation of olive oil and also known for its whole grains, fish, fruits, vegetables and nuts.

We’ll be featuring additional health benefits, ancient greek recipes, and a draw to win a Foodie and Winer 5 Liter Tin in our upcoming January newsletter. Be sure to join if you already haven’t.

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