The Importance of Olive Oil for Healthy Living

There is absolutely no doubt about the fact that olive oil is beneficial for the health and is often listed as one of the healthiest foods in the world.  Researchers all around the world are coming up with new benefits of olive oil almost every day and we are only beginning to understand the importance of this product for a healthy life.

Replacing high fat oils and butter with olive oil has shown to provide protection from and prevention of way too many diseases. The following are some of the points which explain the importance of olive oil for healthy living:

importance of olive oil for healthy living

  • The number one point of importance of olive oil is that it provides protection against cancer. Olive oil contains a phytonutrient which is called oleocanthal and this nutrient helps in reduction of inflammation. By doing so, olive oil tends to decrease the risk of cancer and especially breast cancer.
  • Olive oil is known to lower down the level of bad cholesterol in our blood and does not alter the good cholesterol levels. By doing so, it helps to decrease risk of heart diseases and prevents the formation of fatty patches. Heart patients are often recommended to replace any other cooking oils or butter with olive oil due to this reason.
  • Olive oil is a very rich source of antioxidants especially vitamin E and this is one of the major reasons why it so good for the health. Among all of the plant oils, olive oil contains highest amount of monosaturated fat and low in polyunsaturated fat.
  • Those who take a diet rich in olive oil and thereby low in saturated fat have better chances of staying away from diabetes. This oil helps in regulating the blood sugar levels and also enhances the sensitivity of insulin.
  • Olive oil is also very important for those who are obese or overweight because many research works have proved that olive oil helps to reduce the level of obesity, inspite of being high in calories. Those who are obese are thus often recommended to switch to olive oil both for cooking and garnishing of certain foods.
  • Olive oil not only improves the overall heart condition but has also proved to prevent strokes. Older people who have olive oil everyday may be able to protect themselves in a much better way against stroke as compared to others.
  • It has been proved that high level consumption of olive oil can help in the improvement of bone calcification and mineralization. This means that olive oil is also effective against osteoporosis and helps in calcium absorption.
  • Another reason why olive oil is important for a healthy life is because it can also help to fight against depression. It has been proved that those who took a diet higher in olive oil for a long period of time were less prone to depression and depressing thoughts as compared to others who didn’t. A diet rich in olive oil can also help protect against certain mental illnesses.