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.
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.
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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