You may have heard of the Mediterranean diet, inspired by the typical diet of regions such as southern Italy, southern Spain and Greece. In these places, even consuming fat-rich foods, people have lower rates of cardiovascular disease.
The secret to this lies in the fact that the fats in the Mediterranean diet are essentially beneficial to our body? and one of the main foods on this menu is olive oil, widely used in various preparations.
Below you will find eight reasons to increase your consumption of olive oil in your daily life, whether it is used as a salad and fish seasoning, as an ingredient in grain-based pasta or even ingested fasting. Remember that extra virgin olive oil, which is the least processed version, better retains its beneficial properties.
1. Helps prevent cancer
Olives and olive oil contain antioxidants, such as acteosides, tyrosol and phenylproprionic acids, which combat the damage caused by free radicals in the cell's DNA. In addition, they also provide components such as squalene and terpenoids, which exert anticancer activity (1).
2. Contributes to beauty
Although it is quite common to use olive oil directly on skin, nails and hair, is the ingestion of this food also beneficial for beauty? maybe even more than topical application. Using olive oil orally helps prevent and treat acne and dry skin, and accelerates hair growth and strengthens nails.
Read also: How to choose olive oil at the time of purchase
3. Does a liver detox
Olive oil is an excellent cleaning agent for the liver, the organ responsible for our metabolism and for controlling virtually all other organs directly or indirectly. Precisely because of this, sometimes it can get overloaded and need a detox.
For this, it is recommended to consume daily one tablespoon of olive oil mixed with half a tablespoon of lemon juice, which helps to potentiate the detoxifying effect.
4. Strengthens Immunity
Olive oil is rich in fatty acids that help strengthen our immune system, but without increasing the body's inflammatory activity, which could lead to autoimmune diseases (2).
Did it look confusing? Let's understand: Our immune systems must be prepared to detect and destroy disease-causing microorganisms. However, if the activity of this system is greatly exacerbated, defense cells may start attacking harmless agents (such as a pollen grain causing rhinitis) or healthy body structures (such as joints causing arthritis).
The advantage of olive oil in this whole story is that it regulates the immune system and strengthens the defenses against viruses and bacteria, but without increasing inflammatory activity.
Read also: Herbal Salt: Less Sodium, More Health and Flavor for Your Dishes
5. Contributes to heart health
Have you heard that olive oil is good for the heart? This is because it is rich in healthy fats, such as omega 3. Thus, it contributes to raising good cholesterol (HDL) levels and reducing bad cholesterol (LDL) levels (3).
As a result, olive oil reduces the tendency to accumulate plaque in the arteries, which could rupture and block blood flow, the main cause of heart attacks and strokes.
6. Fighting pain
Studies in rats have shown that extra virgin olive oil has analgesic and anti-inflammatory properties and is able to potentiate the effect of drugs such as ibuprofen (4, 5).
The results have not yet been proven in humans, but this research indicates that a diet containing olive oil may contribute to lower levels of chronic pain and inflammation.
7. Helps Control Blood Sugar Levels
Some scientific studies have shown that including olive oil with meals helps to lower blood glucose levels immediately after eating, which could prevent worsening diabetes (7, 8).
Read also: 7 foods that help prevent colon cancer
In addition, along with lowering bad cholesterol levels, lowering blood sugar concentration is also a protective factor of the heart and cardiovascular system.
8. Protects brain functions
Extra virgin olive oil is rich in polyphenols, antioxidants that have been linked to the prevention and reversal of memory and learning deficits caused by aging or degenerative brain disease (9).
Thus, a diet with significant amounts of olive oil can help improve the retention capacity of new information and prevent the onset of brain diseases such as senile dementia, Alzheimer's disease, and Parkinson's disease.
Now you know why the Mediterranean diet is so famous for its health benefits: so much of the benefit of this diet is the use of olive oil!
In addition to giving this ingredient preference for seasoning your salads and other dishes (and leaving greasy sauces aside), you can also try the trick of consuming a tablespoon of the extra-virgin fasting version. Observe the effects on your body and then tell us in the comments.
Read also: 15 Prebiotic Rich Foods You Should Include in Your Diet
Why Dr. Oz Recommends Adding Olive Oil to Cereal (May 2024)
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