Health Benefits of Eating Olives
What Are Olives Good For?
One of the most-frequently asked questions in regard to olives is the difference between black and green. Green olives are picked before they're ripe, and black olives are generally picked at peak ripeness. Since most are eaten before being cured (salted, pickled, or soaked in brine, oil, water, or in a strong alkali solution) the texture and color depends on the length of time they're cured, while the taste depends on the ingredients, method, and variety. And there are a lot of varieties - seven at least in the U.S. - mostly grown in California. Greek Kalamata olives are one of the best-known varieties worldwide.
It's the pit at the center that makes an olive a "drupe" and places them in the fruit category. Native to Mediterranean regions, short, gnarled olive trees can live for hundreds of years, especially in rocky mountainous areas like Spain, Italy, and Greece.
Green olives are the ones most often seen on a relish tray and dropped into Martinis, while the black variety is usually used in recipes like salad (Greek salad, for instance), chopped in vegetable dips and combined with herbs and spices to make a delicious spread.
Health Benefits of Olives
Olives are as unique as they are extraordinary. They're loaded with free radical-zapping antioxidants, which plays out in the prevention of a number of different diseases, including heart disease, stroke, DNA damage, and cancer, specifically breast and stomach cancer. Other benefits relate to the health of the nervous system, respiratory system, immunity, and digestion, to name a few. Vitamin E (alpha tocopherol) is another important antioxidant nutrient in olives, along with antioxidant minerals like selenium and zinc.
Interestingly, the vitamin E content of olives may increase in the early stages of ripening, just as the phenolic antioxidants are beginning to lower. As olives continue to ripen, this trend may reverse, which may simply be nature's way of ensuring that olives at any stage contain beneficial phytonutrients.
One of them is called hydroxytyrosol, which aids in cancer and osteoporosis prevention. Used very early in traditional medicines against pain, medical science shows a strong link between ingesting olives or olive oil and inflammation - even relief from headache pain. Research contains evidence that olive extracts function as antihistamines (histamine being a molecule linked to allergies and inflammation) at the cellular level.
Oleuropein, a compound only found in olives, decreases the oxidation of LDL (bad) cholesterol by scavenging nitric oxide, a reactive oxygen-containing molecule. This lowers the markers of oxidative stress, which simply means the cells don't have enough protection from potential oxygen damage. Eating foods containing antioxidants, like olives, can help change that.
Olives contain zero sugar, but due to the curing process, one olive equals 39 mg of sodium. While that sounds rather alarming, consider that there's more salt in a serving of cornflakes than five olives.
It's also true that olives contain a certain amount of fat, but it's the type of fat that's important. The food industry has only recently taken a second look at the decades-long war on fat in foods, because some fats - the natural kind - are absolutely essential to a healthy body. Nearly three-fourths of the fat in olives, for instance, is oleic acid, a monounsaturated fatty acid linked to reduced blood pressure and cardiovascular disease risk. Olives also contain omega-3-rich alpha-linolenic acid.
Olives are a great little snack, salty and satisfying with cheese, crackers, fruit, and other light fare, and a wonderful addition to salads. But the nutritional aspects go far beyond what one might expect, discovered centuries ago throughout Mediterranean regions where the olive tree first grew.
Scientists now know it's the phytonutrients and antioxidants in olives such as hydroxytyrosol and histamine that can help prevent heart disease, stroke, DNA damage, and cancer, and positively affect the nervous system, respiratory system, immunity, and digestion. Healthy fats in olives, such as oleic acid, linoleic acid, and linolenic acid are linked to reduced blood pressure, inflammation, osteoporosis, and cardiovascular disease risk. Oleuropein, found only in olives, scavenges nitric oxide. These and other nutritional attributes in olives make them an exceptional addition to your diet.
Did you know that eating olives have a vast number of health benefits. Here are just a few
Not only does olives taste delicious, but it also offers many health benefits for you. We chatted to the South African Olive Industry Association and asked them for some interesting olive health facts. Here are a few:
Health Benefits of Eating Olives
One of the most-frequently asked questions in regard to olives is the difference between black and green. Green olives are picked before they're ripe, and black olives are generally picked at peak ripeness. Since most are eaten before being cured (salted, pickled, or soaked in brine, oil, water, or in a strong alkali solution) the texture and color depends on the length of time they're cured, while the taste depends on the ingredients, method, and variety. And there are a lot of varieties - seven at least in the U.S. - mostly grown in California. Greek Kalamata olives are one of the best-known varieties worldwide.
It's the pit at the center that makes an olive a "drupe" and places them in the fruit category. Native to Mediterranean regions, short, gnarled olive trees can live for hundreds of years, especially in rocky mountainous areas like Spain, Italy, and Greece.
Green olives are the ones most often seen on a relish tray and dropped into Martinis, while the black variety is usually used in recipes like salad (Greek salad, for instance), chopped in vegetable dips and combined with herbs and spices to make a delicious spread.
Health Benefits of Olives
Olives are as unique as they are extraordinary. They're loaded with free radical-zapping antioxidants, which plays out in the prevention of a number of different diseases, including heart disease, stroke, DNA damage, and cancer, specifically breast and stomach cancer. Other benefits relate to the health of the nervous system, respiratory system, immunity, and digestion, to name a few. Vitamin E (alpha tocopherol) is another important antioxidant nutrient in olives, along with antioxidant minerals like selenium and zinc.
Interestingly, the vitamin E content of olives may increase in the early stages of ripening, just as the phenolic antioxidants are beginning to lower. As olives continue to ripen, this trend may reverse, which may simply be nature's way of ensuring that olives at any stage contain beneficial phytonutrients.
One of them is called hydroxytyrosol, which aids in cancer and osteoporosis prevention. Used very early in traditional medicines against pain, medical science shows a strong link between ingesting olives or olive oil and inflammation - even relief from headache pain. Research contains evidence that olive extracts function as antihistamines (histamine being a molecule linked to allergies and inflammation) at the cellular level.
Oleuropein, a compound only found in olives, decreases the oxidation of LDL (bad) cholesterol by scavenging nitric oxide, a reactive oxygen-containing molecule. This lowers the markers of oxidative stress, which simply means the cells don't have enough protection from potential oxygen damage. Eating foods containing antioxidants, like olives, can help change that.
Olives contain zero sugar, but due to the curing process, one olive equals 39 mg of sodium. While that sounds rather alarming, consider that there's more salt in a serving of cornflakes than five olives.
It's also true that olives contain a certain amount of fat, but it's the type of fat that's important. The food industry has only recently taken a second look at the decades-long war on fat in foods, because some fats - the natural kind - are absolutely essential to a healthy body. Nearly three-fourths of the fat in olives, for instance, is oleic acid, a monounsaturated fatty acid linked to reduced blood pressure and cardiovascular disease risk. Olives also contain omega-3-rich alpha-linolenic acid.
Olives are a great little snack, salty and satisfying with cheese, crackers, fruit, and other light fare, and a wonderful addition to salads. But the nutritional aspects go far beyond what one might expect, discovered centuries ago throughout Mediterranean regions where the olive tree first grew.
Scientists now know it's the phytonutrients and antioxidants in olives such as hydroxytyrosol and histamine that can help prevent heart disease, stroke, DNA damage, and cancer, and positively affect the nervous system, respiratory system, immunity, and digestion. Healthy fats in olives, such as oleic acid, linoleic acid, and linolenic acid are linked to reduced blood pressure, inflammation, osteoporosis, and cardiovascular disease risk. Oleuropein, found only in olives, scavenges nitric oxide. These and other nutritional attributes in olives make them an exceptional addition to your diet.
source: foodfacts.mercola.com
Health Benefits of Eating Olives
BY KARINDA RISTICDecember 23, 2014Did you know that eating olives have a vast number of health benefits. Here are just a few
Not only does olives taste delicious, but it also offers many health benefits for you. We chatted to the South African Olive Industry Association and asked them for some interesting olive health facts. Here are a few:
Health Benefits of Eating Olives
- Olives eliminate excess cholesterol in the blood.
- Olives control blood pressure.
- Olives are a source of dietary fibre as an alternative to fruits and vegetables.
- Olives are a great source of Vitamin E
- Olives act as an antioxidant, protecting cells.
- Olives reduce the effects of degenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s, benign and malignant tumours, including less serious varicose veins and cavities.
- Olives help prevent blood clots that could lead to a myocardial infarction or deep vein thrombosis (DVT).
- Olives protects cell membranes against diseases like cancer.
- Olives are a great protection against anaemia.
- Olives enhances fertility and reproductive system.
- Olives play an important role in maintaining a healthy immune system, especially during oxidative stress and chronic viral diseases.
- And just in case these benefits weren’t enough they are also a great aphrodisiac.
- Olives are nutritious and rich in mineral content as sodium, potassium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus and iodine.
- Olives provide essential vitamins and amino acids.
- Olives contain oleic acid, which has beneficial properties to protect the heart.
- Olives contain polyphenols, a natural chemical that reduce oxidative stress in the brain. So by eating a daily serving of olives helps improve your memory by up to 25%.
- Just one cup of olives is a great source of iron – 4.4mg.
- Eating olives can improve the appearance of wrinkles by 20% since they contain oleic acid, which keeps skin soft and healthy.
- By eating just 10 olives before a meal, you can reduce your appetite by up to 20%. This is because the monounsaturated fatty acids contained in olives slow down the digestion process and stimulate the hormone cholecystokinin, a hormone that sends messages of fullness to the brain. Not only does it do that, but it also helps your body to stimulate the production of adiponectin, a chemical that burns fat for up to five hours after ingestion.
For more information please visit www.saolive.co.za or find us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/SaOliveIndustryAssociation
source: www.destinyconnect.com
Comments
Post a Comment