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  • Top 3 Health benefits of fresh extra virgin olive oil

    December 15, 2015 3 min read

    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 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 children, I understand why he was so driven to enforce a healthy diet. 

    Eating healthy matters, and most of us know it. But like many things in life, our health is often 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 oi (EVOO). Below are, what I believe, the top 3 health benefits of fresh EVOO.
      

    1 - Longevity

    Maria Giannakos a.k.a Yiayia 105 years old and still living in Vasilaki Greece

    There's a reason members of my family have lived 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 EVOO has on longevity. 

    Yiayia and our family consume EVOO every day. We dribble it on our salads, fresh cooked vegetables, fish, marinades, dips and dressings. 

    Many who 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. EVOO is just one super food that contributes to a longer -- and healthier -- 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 BBC, researchers didn't know why a diet high in fat, just like the Mediterranean diet, was linked to good cardiovascular health. To learn why, researchers fed mice the Omega 6 fatty acids found in olive oil over 5 days, adding sodium nitrate in order to mimic the effects of vegetables. The findings revealed that while the level of fatty acids found in the mice was much higher, their blood pressure was much lower.
     

    3 - Mental

    EVOO also helps improve 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, while providing many other health benefits. To learn more about even more health benefits, check out this article.   

    The two main vitamins in olive oil are Vitamin E which prevents health from declining as we age and minimizes the damage caused by strokes by redirecting blood supply after a stroke. Vitamin K, is found in olives and other 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 the risk of depression by approximately 50% .

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

     

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