Olive oil is one of the oldest staples of cooking, having been used for thousands of years, especially in Mediterranean diets. It’s a delicious and versatile tool to use in making our meals or in just quickly dressing a salad, and it is wonderfully healthy.
Olives are very rich in nutrients. They contain Vitamins E and K and primary oleic acid, a healthy fatty acid. Olive oil collected by cold-pressing better helps retain more of these beneficial vitamins and fats among other benefits.
Check out these five health benefits of cold-pressed olive oil!
Healthy fats
The oleic acid that comes from olives is the healthy kind of fat that doctors advise keeping in one’s diet, instead of saturated fats. Using rich cold-pressed olive oil increases your daily dose of good fatty acids, which could lower LDL cholesterol and lower the chances of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, and cancer.
Antioxidants
Cold-pressing olive oil is made without heat and thereby is more likely to retain more Vitamin E and other antioxidants from its olives.
Fighting inflammation
In addition to the proven reduction of inflammation from antioxidants, olive oil contains oleocanthal, a natural anti-inflammatory. This is a major help in reducing the risk of certain inflammation-linked conditions like diabetes and arthritis.
Protecting against heart disease
Reducing one’s LDL cholesterol and reducing inflammation are big contributors to a lower risk of heart disease, which affects a large percentage of people in the US. Transitioning from saturated fats to monounsaturated fats, like those found in cold-pressed olive oil, has been proven to reduce the risk of heart disease. One study showed it reduced risk to women by 15 percent.
Supporting brain health
Olive oil is an essential staple of a Mediterranean diet, and research supports the finding that a Mediterranean diet can help reduce neurodegeneration. One study found that switching to a Mediterranean diet was linked to a 53 percent rate reduction of Alzheimer’s disease. It has also been proven to help fight depression.
Olive oil is a great thing to keep in your cupboard. If you are particularly interested in minimizing risks of inflammation or other health issues, you have only to gain by going for the cold-pressed olive oil.
