Olive Oil - An Important Cooking Staple For Various Health Benefits

Posted by Carol Austin on May 30th, 2017

Did you know that olive oil was popularly called ‘liquid gold’ in the ancient world? If you are a culinary expert or are a fan of cooking shows, you must be familiar with olive oil. Most chefs today recommend its use. There is more to olive oil than just being a special kitchen ingredient.

People from the Mediterranean, where olive oil is grown and consumed the most, have the lowest mortality rates in the world when it comes to cardiovascular diseases. Olive oil also aids in weight loss, helps to control the blood sugar, blood pressure, cholesterol, cancer and arthritis.

Olive oil was once best known for its savory taste and versatility, but recently its popularity has skyrocketed as more attention is being focused on its many health attributes. It is easy to digest and helps our bodies assimilate vitamins and minerals. It aids the digestive system by stimulating the gall bladder. Olive oil is cholesterol free and is made up of 70% monosaturated fatty acids, which reduce the bad cholesterol. It contains chlorophyll which aids in the metabolism, stimulating cellular growth and speeding the healing process. And it contains no trans fats.

Olive oil is a good source of Vitamin E, which is an essential nutrient for clear, healthy skin. In addition, it helps in repairing skin damage from the sun and inpreventing wrinkles and sunspots. It also provides Vitamin A, Vitamin K, and iron, as well as carotenoids, which are potent antioxidants that can boost your immune system and improve your overall health. Also, Vitamin A is an essential nutrient that supports strong, healthy bones and teeth, reducing the risk of bone fractures.

Olive oil controls blood sugar specifically by lowering blood glucose levels. Diabetics, or borderline diabetics are instructed to follow a low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet. Olive oil helps to control blood sugar level even if diabetics switch to high-fat diet, considering most of that fat comes from olive oil.

We all know that the greatest health benefits come from eating a healthy, balanced diet with plenty of vegetables, in conjunction with living an active lifestyle with daily exercise. That said, adding olive oil into your daily diet will only boost your health in a number of ways. And when you factor in its taste and versatility, olive oil is one healthy eating proposition that shouldn’t be overlooked.