Health Benefits of Olive oil: How to pick, use and store olive oil?

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Health issues
Southern Europeans have one of the lowest incidence of heart attacks. Mediterranean diet is believed to be a big factor and has been linked to longevity, decrease in mortality due to heart disease, lower risk of cancers and decrease in neuro-degenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and better cognitive function

High fat, low heart risk paradox of Mediterranean diet
Mediterranean diet is rich in vegetables, lentils, fruit, grains. There is moderate fish and wine consumption along with low ingestion of red meat.

The amazing paradox is that while Mediterranean diet is rich in fat, it is also protective against heart disease.

• The big difference here may be the high consumption of olive oil. In contrast the typical American diet derives its fats from red meat, milk and milk products.
• However, all olives and olive oils are not the same!

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Potential health benefits of olive oil or its products

•  Reduced risk of heart disease
• Anti-inflammatory
• Decreased growth of colon cancer
• Reduced risk of breast cancer
• Reduced risk of abnormal heart rhythms (atrial fibrillation)
• Reducing neuro-degenerative diseases
• Reduced cracking of nipples in lactating women
• Reduced osteoporosis
• Antibacterial properties
• Olive oil/Aloe vera cream helps heals chronic wounds
• Diminishes risk of male infertility induced by toxins
• Preventing or improving arthritis
• Reduces high blood pressure

Wall Street Journal Best Seller Dr. M's Seven-X Plan for Digestive Health

Variation in healthy components of olive oil
Traditionally, oleic acid in olive oil was thought to be responsible for the beneficial health effects.

• Recent data suggests that phenolic components of olive oil may also promote health via their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antibacterial properties.
• Moreover these phenolic compounds can affect the functioning of the genes by turning them off and on further affecting health.

The oleic acid and phenolic content of olive oil varies depending upon variety of olives including cultivation methods and ripeness. Studies by Dr. Baiano and Dr. Hoffman colleagues, demonstrate that polyphenol levels in olives vary with:

1. Region
2. Climate
3. Air pollution
4. Cultivar of the olive trees
5. Olive maturity
6. Possible infestation with the olive fly
7. Processing of olive oil
8. Method of storage

Thus not all olives or olive oil can provide same health benefits.

Worldwide consumption of olive oil
Much of the olive oil is produced and consumed in Italy and Spain. Olive oil craze is catching on in the U.S. as well.

 

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Olive oil choices on market

• Regular/plain versus, virgin versus extra virgin olive oil
• Domestic versus Spanish versus Italian etc.

How do virgin and extra virgin oils differ from refined and plain

• There is no significant differences in the oil content of the different types.
• The procedures for processing include physical methods like washing, filtration etc and are meant to get rid of debris.
• Extra virgin oil has lesser oleic acid and an excellent aroma as compared to virgin oil whose flavor is judged to be reasonably good. No chemical refining is involved.
• Chemically treated olive oil is labelled as refined oil. It lacks aroma. It loses some of its healthy components which may then replaced into the marketed product after processing.

What is plain/regular olive oil

It is frequently is a blend of refined and virgin olive oil.

Original source of olives matters
Olive oil color and flavor in past depends on the soil, climate and harvesting techniques in the region of cultivation. Majority of olives are derived from Italy, Spain and Greece.

• Be careful about the terms producers use to describe the source of olives and olive oil. These can be misleading. For example, terms packaged or bottled in Italy clearly indicate that olives actually came from elsewhere.
• Quality, composition and potential health benefits of virgin olive oil grown in even same area vary.
• Some data suggest that extra-virgin olive oil is more cardioprotective than regular olive oil.
• The polyphenols in olive oil vary more than 15-fold. Olive oil containing high amounts of phenolic compounds offer superior health benefit.
• Olive oil has very high concentration of bioactive fat components that contribute to positive health.

Wall Street Journal Best Seller Dr. M's Seven-X Plan for Digestive Health

Pick olive oil depending on the intended goal
The main thesis is the flavor since oil is the same.

• Use extra virgin olive oil for the beautiful flavor when it is consumed as is, e.g. dipping bread, salad dressing etc. The flavor is related to the impurities/debris that is lost in refined oil.
• Furthermore, cooking/heat destroys many of these impurities that are ironically responsible for the distinct aroma.
• Use refined olive oil for cooking since heat with destroy the aroma components of virgin oils anyway. The brand of the olive oil is immaterial.

Storage of olive oil
Light, heat and oxygen in air damage beneficial components in Virgin or extra virgin oils. Use dark colored or opaque colored bottles. If you buy in bulk, save in small dark or tin foil covered bottles/containers and store in rferigerator. Never keep it close to heater stove. lose their beneficial components. Anti-oxidant properties and amount of phenolic compounds in olive is significantly diminished by deep frying.

Note of caution: Do not add olive oil to your diet; instead use it in lieu of other fats consumed.

Wall Street Journal Best Seller Dr. M's Seven-X Plan for Digestive Health

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Wall Street Journal Best Seller Dr. M's Seven-X Plan for Digestive Health

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Wall Street Journal Best Seller Dr. M's Seven-X Plan for Digestive Health