13 Benefits of Olive Oil for Health

humz.eu.org - Despite its name, olive oil is a fat concentrate obtained from the pressing process of olives. The olives that have been harvested before will be washed and then crushed to be used as oil. The most traditional method is to destroy the fruit between two large stones, as is the kneading technique. However, nowadays, olive oil producing factories often use steel knives to finely grind the fruit so that it can make more oil. The paste produced from the fruit is then ground to remove the oil droplets in a process called maceration. After that, the olive paste will be pressed in a special blender machine, called a centrifuge to separate the oil and juice (water). After the water is drained from the olive extract, what remains is pure olive oil. This is what is then packaged and traded on the market.

Olive oil has been known as one of the ingredients with a million benefits. Not only for beauty, but olive oil also has many other benefits for the body's health. From the name alone, we already know that olive oil is the oil obtained from grinding olives. This oil, which comes from native Mediterranean plants, contains many useful health compounds, including vitamins E, K, fats (omega 9, omega 6, omega three, and saturated fats), phenolic, and iron. Here are the health benefits of olive oil that you need to know.

1. Maintain heart health

Olive oil is an integral part of the Mediterranean diet, proven to be healthy for the heart. Heart disease patients on a Mediterranean diet are also associated with a lower risk of dying from the disease. Reporting from Medical News Today, Maria-Isabel Covas, a researcher at the Parc de Recerca Biomèdica de Barcelona, ​​Spain, conducted an extensive study of studies that focus on the biological and clinical effects of olive fruit oil. Covas found that people who regularly consume this oil tend to be protected from the risk of developing cardiovascular disease, including hypertension, stroke, and hyperlipidemia (high cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the blood). Covas also found that consuming this oil regularly can help reduce inflammation, endothelial dysfunction (problems with the walls of the lining of blood vessels), thrombosis, and carbohydrate metabolism in the body. Death rates from heart disease are reported to be low in European Southern Mediterranean countries (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, and Turkey) compared to other western countries. However, their coronary heart disease cases are higher.

2. Reducing the risk of Alzheimer's

In countries in the Mediterranean region where olive oil consumption is very high, such as Greece, the total cases of Alzheimer's disease are found to be lower than anywhere else in the world. This is because olive fruit oil contains unique oleocanthal phenolic compounds and MCTs, a "family" of essential fatty acids, which have been reported to have the potential to reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease or dementia associated with neurodegenerative conditions.

3. Blood flow

The omega 9.6 and 3 fat content will improve blood vessels' endothelial function, so that blood flow becomes smoother.

4. Combating acute pancreatitis

Researchers at the University of Granada in Spain conducted in vitro experiments on olive fruit oil. The researchers found that specific components in olive fruit oil can protect the body from acute infections. This is because olive fruit oil is rich in oleic acid and hydroxytyrosol, which influences sensitive pancreatitis development.

5. Maintain liver health

Many studies related to olive oil benefits have also found that this oil can protect liver health from oxidative stress, a significant risk factor for heart disease, cancer, and immune system disorders. Oxidative stress refers to cell damage associated with chemical reactions between free radicals and other molecules in the body.

6. Protect against chronic intestinal inflammation

Ulcerative colitis is a relatively common type of chronic intestinal inflammation. Scientists at the University of East Anglia in the UK say that increasing olive oil consumption can help ward off this disease. Researchers estimate that nearly half of ulcerative colitis cases could be avoided if the body received more oleic acid, which is found in olive oil. Oleic acid works to block the active compounds in the intestines that exacerbate inflammation caused by this disease.

7. Reducing the risk of depression

People who eat many foods high in trans fats, such as fast food and packaged snacks, are believed to have a higher risk of developing depression than people whose diets are healthier (rich in monounsaturated fat). Research reports that the more trans fats you eat over time, the higher your risk of developing depression. According to a study conducted at the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria in Spain and published in PLoS ONE, olive oil's properties appear to have the potential to prevent and reduce the risk of depression. Researchers from the University of Navarra and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria have also found that when foods rich in olive oil are combined with healthy choices from the Mediterranean diet, such as whole-grain cereals, oily fish, vegetables, and sun-dried tomatoes, olive oil will be better able to do its miracle of fighting depression.

8. Reducing the risk of cancer

Olive oil's strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and also through the action of phenolics and vitamin E can prevent and reduce the risk of cancer, especially breast and skin cancer. For skin cancer, using olive oil as sunscreen regularly is the best way to avoid sunburn and to protect the skin from the harmful effects of sunlight such as UVA and UVB. By doing so, malignant melanoma, the most dangerous type of skin cancer, can be prevented. Meanwhile, in breast cancer, breast cancer often occurs due to consuming too much bad fat. The fat present in olive oil can play a role in fighting the development of these tumors, which are the precursors of breast cancer. Olive oil, rich in oleic acid, unsaturated fats, and several bioactive compounds such as antioxidants, will be an important key to fighting tumors. A team of researchers from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona in Spain found that olive oil benefits carry the potential to protect against breast cancer. The properties of olive oil, according to the researchers, are not found in other types of vegetable oil. For example, Corn oil has been found to have the best effect - it increases the malignancy of tumor cells. These findings were obtained after they conducted trials on breast cancer cell culture cells dripped with olive oil. Olive oil reduces the activity of p21Ras type cancer cells, prevents DNA damage, and accelerates tumor cell death.

9. Maintain a healthy weight

Eating fatty foods has long been linked to massive weight gain and even obesity. However, although olive oil is primarily a fat concentrate, consuming large amounts of olive oil regularly, even if it is not fattening. In fact, you can achieve your ideal body weight at the end of the day due to the benefits of olive oil for your health. Numerous studies have linked the Mediterranean diet, which is rich in olive oil, with weight loss effects that are no joke.

10. Reducing the risk of diabetes

In another study that looked at more than 180 college students in Spain for three years, consuming large amounts of olive oil increased levels of antioxidants in the blood and led to weight loss. 10. Reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes Inflammation in the body is strongly suspected as the mastermind behind various chronic diseases. These include cancer, heart disease, metabolic syndrome, Alzheimer's, arthritis, obesity, macular degeneration, and diabetes. Olive oil's medicinal properties for various ailments are obtained by reducing inflammation, thanks to its antioxidant properties - especially oleocanthal, which acts as the drug ibuprofen. Some scientists estimate that the oleocanthal content in 3.5 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil is as effective as 10% of the adult dose of ibuprofen. Several studies have reported the benefits of olive oil on blood sugar control and also better insulin sensitivity. The Mediterranean diet is even said to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes by more than 40 percent.

11. Treating rheumatism

Rheumatoid arthritis (rheumatoid arthritis) is an autoimmune disease that causes recurrent joint pain symptoms. The benefits of olive oil can help reduce joint pain and swelling due to rheumatism. The benefits of olive oil will be doubled when combined with fish oil consumption, a source of omega-3 fatty acids that can ward off inflammation in the body. In one study, the combination of olive fruit oil and fish oil significantly reduced joint pain, fist stiffness, and morning joint aches in people with rheumatism.

12. Clean the intestines

Not only does it contain antioxidants that can prevent and reduce the risk of chronic disease, but olive oil also has antibacterial properties that can inhibit or kill disease-causing germs. One of them is Helicobacter pylori, a bacteria that inhabit the human gut which can cause stomach ulcers and stomach cancer. A human study shows that 30 grams of extra virgin olive oil can be lost. Helicobacter pylori infection in 10-40% of people within two weeks. Test-tube studies have shown that extra virgin olive oil effectively kills eight strains of H.pylori bacteria, three of bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics.

13. Prevent osteoporosis

Apart from the various benefits of olive oil that have been mentioned above, this oil also has benefits for bones. Because until now, there is increasing medical evidence that regular intake of olive oil can increase calcium amount in the blood, which can have a good impact on bone health and density to help prevent the risk of osteoporosis.
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