Olive oil
When it comes to fat, advice often comes down to the amount of fat consumed, and fat is generally known to have a bad health reputation, but that does not mean that all of them have negative health effects. For example, olive oil comes in the forefront of healthy fats, Like other fat gives a lot of calories, but it carries the benefits of health, making it one of the main components in the list of people who follow a healthy diet, as the main fatty acid in the composition of olive oil is Oleic acid (monounsaturated fatty acid), which is useful for health, especially if a person replaces saturated fatty acids (trans fat acids) in the diet with this type of beneficial fatty acids.
Olive oil, as well as oleic acid, contains many of the components that give it its health benefits, including hydrocarbons such as squalene, sterols such as beta-sitosterol, polyphenols, and tocopherols , terpenoids, and a few other substances.
Benefits of olive oil
The intake of olive oil in a healthy diet in moderate quantities and the replacement of unhealthy fats by it provides many health benefits, which include both of the following:
- Reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, as some preliminary studies indicate that eating two tablespoons (or about 23 grams) of olive oil a day reduces the chance of cardiovascular disease, especially stroke, and is attributed to the improvement of many of the risk factors Of these diseases, which include the following:
- Lower the level of bad cholesterol.
- High cholesterol lipoprotein.
- Improve the blood pressure. Olive oil intake in the diet can also be achieved by people with low or moderate high blood pressure to lower the doses of their medications to control blood pressure or stop taking it completely, but consult your doctor before you modify the dosage or discontinue the medication. Take prescribed medicines.
- Improve insulin levels and sugar in the blood, which benefit type 2 diabetics.
- Reduce the level of inflammation in the body.
- Raise the level of oxidation resistance in the body.
- Resistance to clot formation.
- Reduce oxidation of bad cholesterol.
- Reduce the risk of metabolic syndrome.
- Reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes.
- Oleic acid has been found to be effective in the fight against breast, colon and prostate cancer. Olive oil contains antioxidants that contribute to the prevention of many cancers. Many scientific studies have found lethal effects on cancer cells in many types of cell lines. ), And some studies suggest that women who consume more olive oil have a lower risk of developing ovarian cancer, but this effect needs further research.
- Olive oil is easy to digest and absorb nutrients, which include fat-soluble vitamins, and the effects of olive oil resistant to inflammation, bacteria and microbes contribute to improving the health of the digestive system, which plays an important role in body health and immunity, and research has found that olive oil fights Three types of hepatic pylori (helecobacter pylori) that cause ulcers, which are resistant to antibiotics.
- Olive oil is effective in reducing constipation.
- Olive oil contains vitamin E, vitamin A, and vitamin K.
- Taking olive oil daily for two months may reduce the number of migraine attacks, but this need needs further research.
- Reduce the risk of Rheumatoid Arthritis.
Interactions about olive oil
Olive oil helps reduce blood sugar and helps lower blood pressure. Therefore, it can increase the intake of the drugs in the case of diabetes or high blood pressure. Therefore, blood sugar and pressure should be monitored in people who consume olive oil and medicine. One of these cases.
Quality of olive oil and its health benefits
The benefits of olive oil need to be met with certain specifications. Their quality is linked to the olive type and the acidity of the oil. Extra-virgin olive oil is extracted through the use of pressure only (cold age) The acidity is only 1%. Virgin olive oil is also cold, and its acidity is 3%. The oil should not be old and balanced, so it is important to know the history of olive harvesting and its age.
Note : This article is not considered a health reference, please see your doctor before you start taking olive oil for therapeutic purposes.