NontoxicLifestyle: Benefits of Olive oil--how you can tell if your olive oil is good.

Olive oil is produced from olive tree crop found mainly in the Mediterranean regions. Olive oil is a staple for cooking, canning food, cosmetic products, soaps, medicinal/pharmaceutical supplements. North Americans use raw olives mainly for pizzas and salads.

There are many brands and kinds of olive oil on the market, and It is easy to be confused about product labeling. Finding what is healthy has become more difficult as more product are manufactured and sold with misleading labels that is left to the consumer to research. When shopping at your local supermarket you should know that different olive oil product labels have different meanings, aroma and tastes, so how can you tell what olive oil is best, for your salads.

A way to tell will be reading labels carefully with this in mind- the type of oil you use will determine the flavor, aroma and nutritional value you will get.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil or cold-pressed oil is extracted directly from the olive fruit by grinding the olives in thermal conditions which helps to retain its nutrient and taste. Extra virgin oil is a more superior kind of olive oil, rich in mono-saturated fat because it is produced by cold pressing olives without the application of high heat temperature.

Extra virgin olive oil is produced naturally, meaning that the oil is not made from any sort of chemical treatments. The extra virgin type olive oil contains the highest level of antioxidant polyphenols and oleic acid. Virgin oil is not refined, it has a higher quality and flavor.

By the colors you can see the difference, extra virgin oil in the same glass bottle is darker.

Pure Olive Oil product labels are misleading in the sense that it is pure but it is not as pure as extra virgin oil because it is an actual blend of either refined olive oil and Extra virgin oil or just plain refined olive oil. it is usually cheaper than Extra virgin olive. For example, a 16 fluid ounce Pompeian extra virgin oil will cost 4 dollars 44 cents while the pure olive oil (imported and non imported) is priced at 4 dollars 12cents, the extra virgin is more expensive by a couple of cents or a dollar more, but it has more aroma and nutritional value on the other hand pure olive oil is refined lacks taste and aroma. So in actuality for a couple of cents or a dollar more for extra virgin oil you will get a more natural olive oil, not saying the later is bad but if you are using it for its health benefits which is the reason most people do, if that is your reason for choosing olive oil over regular vegetable oil (refined soybean oil) or partially hydrogenated oil then Extra Virgin Olive oil is for you. If the product label says olive oil it is same as the pure olive oil.

Tip:The smart manufacturer, usually gives a detailed label by design and words- when shopping look out for that.

Benefits of using Extra virgin olive oil

Olive oil is rich in disease-fighting phyto -chemicals, vitamin E, and mono saturated fat. It helps to clear cholesterol from arteries.

Olive oil is high in mono saturated fats, which could raise the levels of beneficial high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol. olive oil helps to rate of heart disease.

Olive oil lowers LDL levels (bad cholesterol) in the blood.

Extra virgin oil is rich in antioxidants which help to reduce LDL oxidation. LDL collects in the walls of blood vessels, causing the blockages of atherosclerosis. Higher LDL levels are known to increase the risk for a heart attack from a sudden blood clot in an artery narrowed by arteriosclerosis.

Olive oil is nourishing, eating meal prepared with olive oil can help improve the health of the skin. Also it can be used topical as skin oil. It is an excellent source of vitamin E which is an essential for a healthy skin and hair care regimen.

Olive oil in meals helps to speed up digestion-metabolism and also improve brain function for more clarity. Olive oil provides calcium and iron.

Olive oil helps to maintain weight, it is hard to gain weight with olive oil, a mono-saturated fats. Also olive oil helps detox the colon.

Protects the liver from oxidative stress- extra virgin oil and hydrophilic fraction intake induced a significant increase in antioxidant enzyme activity and a decrease in markers of liver damage.

It is known to reduce the risk of cancer. "According to laboratory studies, to help protect against breast cancer, high blood pressure, infection-causing bacteria, and heart disease. Lignana, present in extra virgin oil may protect against cancer by suppressing early cancer changes in cells" (Reader's digest)

Olive oil can protect the human body against cancerous growth, especially colon cancer. The acidic value in olive oil helps to prevent the development of rectum and colon cancer.

The Food and Drug Administration recommends 2 tablespoon olive oil everyday to reduce the risk of heart diseases.

Note: Olive oil does contain some calories but it is not very significant. One tablespoon of olive oil has 120 calories,, a medium sized olive contains approximately 5 calories when green and 9 calories when ripe.

Pets love it when you add olive oil to their water especially cats; it helps to improve shinny coat.

The flavor is determined by many factors such as the regions where the olives are cultivated, the climate, the type of olive, how the olive fruit were harvested, how the oils are extracted and processed.

The classification of olive oil is the same worldwide and is governed by the International Olive oil council.

Ways of processing olives differ by region, the Spanish fermenting unripe green, Soaking half-ripe olives in an iron solution to give it a darker color (American method), preserving fully ripe olive is the Greek way.