The extra virgin olive oil is definitely food for thought!
The extra virgin olive oil is one of the healthiest fats on Earth.
Fats in diet are highly controversial. You’ll hear people argue about animal fats, seed oils and almost everything in between. However, one of the few fats most people agree is healthy is the extra virgin olive oil.
This is because extra virgin olive oil is produced naturally, meaning that the oil isn’t made through any sort of chemical treatments. Virgin oil is also an indication that the oil isn’t refined, that it’s of higher quality and that its natural flavor is intact.
Recently, the New York Times Magazine wrote that the heart-friendly extra virgin oliv04e oil was a potential reason why inhabitants of the Greek Island Ikaria just “forget to die.” This oil, a substantial part of the Mediterranean diet, is a traditional fat that has been a dietary staple for some of the world’s healthiest populations. Studies showed that the fatty acids and antioxidants in the extra virgin olive oil have powerful health benefits, such as greatly reduced risk of heart disease.
What is extra virgin olive oil and how is it made?
Extra virgin olive oil is the oil got the first time olives (the fruits of the olive tree) are pressed. The process is incredibly simple: you just press the olives and the oil comes out!
One major problem with the extra virgin olive oil, offered in stores US-wide, is this one: It isn’t always what you think it is! The real virgin olive oil is extracted using natural methods and standardized for purity and sensory qualities like taste and smell.
Some lower quality oils can be extracted from olives using chemicals-solvents and heat. These are the so-called refined or “light” olive oils. But the worst thing of all is that producers dilute (that is adulterate) virgin olive oil with other, cheaper types of edible oils (like soybean and canola oils) to make extra profits!
So, be alert to the fraud going on in the olive oil market today. Remember to buy your olive oil from a reputable honest seller because the label “extra virgin olive oil” can easily double-cross you and waste your money!
A tip for consumers: The olive oil that is truly extra virgin has a distinctive taste and color. It is high in phenolic antioxidants, which are the main reason for its benefits.
Here are 10 secrets that only the real extra virgin olive oil keeps:
1. It’s good for your intimate life
It’s no wonder the greatest lover in history-Casanova was Italian: the extra virgin olive oil may improve your sexual life. Casanova must have had an excellent circulation for all those “conquests”. The extra virgin olive oil boosts circulation in all areas of the body, including those hard-to-reach erogenous zones.
2. It’s a secret weapon for fighting obesity
The average Greek consumes 20 liters a year, compared with just 2 liters per person in Australia.
20 liters of the extra virgin olive oil each year and most Mediterranean people haven’t gone fat as yet! According to Leandro Ravetti, Chief Oil Maker of the award-winning Cobram Estate Extra Virgin Olive Oils, a diet rich in extra virgin olive oil may deliver greater and longer lasting weight-loss results than a low-fat diet.
3. It’s diabetes deterrent
Eating the extra virgin olive oil as part of a balanced nutritious diet may help prevent or delay the onset of diabetes. Ravetti says the extra virgin olive oil helps “regulate and balance your insulin levels, so you’re not really having those spikes.”
4. It’s good for pain relief
The extra virgin olive oil contains a substance called oleocanthal, which has anti-inflammatory properties, meaning olive oil is like a natural Ibuprofen. Present research is increasingly more interested in the anti-inflammation potential of olive oil for treating a number of chronic diseases as well.
5. It’s skin-friendly
The extra virgin olive oil helps with anti-ageing, osteoporosis and skin damage. “One that’s proven is that it adds a protective coating on the skin, both through consumption and application,” says Ravetti.
6. It provides mental alertness
Olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fat, which research suggests helps prevent or slow down the cognitive decline associated with diseases like Alzheimer’s.
7. It strengthens your immune system
Loaded with antioxidants – vital for strengthening and protecting your immune system – the extra virgin olive oil may help you become more resistant to infection. This range of important antioxidants isn’t found in other oils.
8. It keeps your body running smoothly
It’s not just vehicles that benefit from a regular oil change. The extra virgin olive oil contributes to the operational health of vital corporal areas such as the stomach, pancreas and intestines.
9. It’s pregnancy aid
Not only can topical application of olive oil assist in avoiding stretch marks, but also it can improve your child’s psychomotor reflexes in the course of your pregnancy.
10. It guarantees longevity
Since the extra virgin olive oil assists in the prevention and/or reduced impact of so many diseases (including certain types of cancers), it’s no overstatement to say it can help you live quite longer.
Obviously, there is far more to the extra virgin olive oil than meets the eye.
That is why you should make your use of the extra virgin olive oil as liberal as possible ASAP!
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