The Health Benefits of Olive Oil
Olive oil – the juice one makes by pressing an olive – has countless uses. Unlike other oils, many ways to use olive oil prove beneficial to human health. When picking out olive oil for cooking, the European grading system is based on the presence of free fatty acids, indicators of lower quality, damage and instability; “extra virgin olive oil,” for example, can contain less than .8% free fatty acids and “virgin” olive oil can contain less than 2%. In America, Grade A olive oil has a fatty acid content of 1.4% or less. Grade B is 2.5% or lower, Grade C is 3% and “fairly free from defects,” and Grade D is 3% or higher and “fails to meet the requirements of US Grade C.” First cold press olive oil is most desirable, as it yields the most consistent extra virgin olive oils. Here are a handful of health benefits:
1. Olive oil is lower in saturated fats than other oils.
Soybean oil, vegetable shortening, lard, and butter all contain significantly more saturated fat than olive oil, which offers a much larger amount of monounsaturated fat. The higher monounsaturated fat count has been said to help reduce the amount of LDL, or “bad” cholesterol while helping to bring up HDL, or “good” cholesterol levels. This then may help reduce your risk of heart disease.
2. Olive oil can be used as a skin moisturizer and revitalizer.
People can use olive oil to cleanse and moisturize one’s face and skin, as well as a way to remove earwax buildup by dropping it into one’s ears. Olive oil provides the skin with antioxidants, Vitamin A and E, and other treatments that have shown potential to help skin regenerate and recover from damage in the wake of pollution, cigarette smoke, and other environmental factors. Some people also recommend washing the backs of their ears with olive oil to clean a space that few people think of but where unpleasant buildups can happen.
3. Olive oil may help prevent colon cancer.
Research has shown that rats fed olive oil supplements develop colon cancer at a significantly lower rate than rats fed diets heavier in safflower oil. The olive oil fed-rats develop cancer at rates similar to rats that had consumed fish oil, which has also been shown to potentially reduce colon cancer rates.
4. Olive oil can help to deep condition hair and control dandruff.
Mixtures of olive oil and water after shampooing, then followed by an additional shampooing, can help to make hair shinier, stronger, and cleaner. People who suffer from intense dandruff buildups can benefit from the addition of olive oil to their showering routine, as it’ll stop the buildup of unsightly dandruff flakes in your hair, on you, and on your clothing.
5. Olive oil can help to reduce stomach irritation and bring down the potential to develop gallstones.
Individuals suffering from stomach issues may benefit from cooking with olive oils more than other cooking oils. Unlike other oils, olive oil helps trigger hormones from the pancreas and helps the stomach secrete bile, helping to weaken both ulcers
and painful symptoms associated with gastritis. This combination of factors helps to bring down one’s risk of developing gallstones, which are made up of crystalized bile and can lead to pancreatitis, jaundice, and other painful symptoms
.
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