Health Benefits
The olive fruit and its leaf have been used for medicinal treatments for centuries. There are biblical references to it as a healing compound and archeological finds show it revered as both a food and a medicine.
Recorded uses of the olive leaf have been for fever and coughs and colds. Some cultures have traditionally used the olive leaf as a boost to the immune system. In England in the early 1800’s, olive leaves were boiled and the liquid was used to treat colonial troops suffering from malaria. Scientists isolated a substance in the leaf called oleuropein, thought to be responsible for the trees powerful disease resistance. In the mid 1990’s olive leaf extracts have been marketed in health stores offering the benefits of wide spectrum antibiotic, anti-fungal, anti-viral and anti-bacterial properties.
Olives and olive oil is a staple of the Mediterranean diet, renowned for its low incidence of heart disease and cancer. Scientists are now discovering the reasons why olive oil is so beneficial. The answers lie in more than one of the compounds of olive oil.
Olive oil has a high content of monounsaturated fats in the form of oleic acid, which helps reduce bad cholesterol (LDL), and raises the good cholesterol (HDL).
Phonelic compounds in olive oil have been shown in laboratory studies to have anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-clotting properties which may explain cardiovascular health benefits. Dr Francisco Perez Jimenez said this is the first study to show a benefit for olive oil on a blood vessel function. There are as many as 5mgs of anti-oxidant polyphenols in every 10gms of olive oil. Polyphenols have been shown to reduce coronary heart disease and may be the substance involved in lowering blood pressure by helping arteries dilate.
A newly discovered substance in olive oil called oleocanthal acts as a natural anti-inflammatory compound, similar to that of ibuprophen used to treat arthritis. Research by the French institution INRA shows olive oil polyphenols appear to tackle the inflammation involved in arthritis.
Extra virgin olive oil is rich in anti-oxidants, particularly Vitamin E and provitamin E. Vitamin E combats free radicals that damage body cells and tissues and contributes to aging
It is thought that Vitamin K and the polyphenols found in olive oil help prevent carsinogenesis, liver disorders and inflammations.
Because olive oil is so well tolerated by the stomach it is believed to lower the incidence of gallstone formation by activating the necessay bile flow and increasing the HDL, as well as promoting bone mineralization.
Dr Michael Goldacre at the Institute of Health Sciences suspects olive oil protects against bowel cancer by influencing the metabolism of the gut. He thinks it cuts the amount of a substance called deoxycyclic acid and regulates the enzyme diamine oxidase which may be linked to cell division in the bowel.
The University of Athens and Harvard University found women who consumed olive oil at 2 or more meals a day cut breast cancer rates by 25%.
Olive oil also contains Omega 6 and some Omega 3 which the body cannot self produce. These essential fatty acids help the body in a number of ways including mental functions, vision, blood pressure and immunity. By consuming 2-3 tablespoons daily you will meet the body’s requirements.
Olive oil also contains Vitamin A, potassium, and small amounts of minerals like calcium, magnesium and iron.
It just remains to be said that:
the quality of the olive oil you consume directly affects the health benefits given. For optimum benefits to be gained the oil needs to be fresh extra virgin olive oil, correctly pressed and stored!
Disclaimer: Harewood Estate will not be held responsible for the use of their product and whilst every effort has been made to provide accurate information, cannot be held responsible for any errors
