OLIVE OIL - History, Health and Benefits
Jun 17, 2004
Olive Oil History
Homer called it "liquid gold." In ancient Greece, athletes ritually rubbed it all over their body. Its mystical glow illuminated history. Drops of it seeped into the bones of dead saints and martyrs through holes in their tombs. Olive oil has been more than mere food to the peoples of the Mediterranean: it has been medicinal, magical, an endless source of fascination and wonder and the fountain of great wealth and power. The olive tree, symbol of abundance, glory and peace, gave its leafy branches to crown the victorious in friendly games and bloody war, and the oil of its fruit has anointed the noblest of heads throughout history. Olive crowns and olive branches, emblems of benediction and purifiation, were ritually offered to deities and powerful figures: some were even found in Tutankhamen's tomb.
Cultivating the Sacred
Olive culture has ancient roots. Fossilized remains of the olive tree's ancestor were found near Livorno, in Italy, dating from twenty million years ago, although actual cultivation probably did not occur in that area until the fifth century B.C. Olives were first cultivated in the Eastern part of the Mediterranean, in the region known as the "fertile crescent," and moved westwards over the millennia.
Beginning in 5000 B.C. and until 1400 B.C., olive cultivation spread from Crete to Syria, Palestine, and Israel; commercial networking and application of new knowledge then brought it to Southern Turkey, Cyprus, and Egypt. Until 1500 B.C., Greece -- particularly Mycenae -- was the area most heavily cultivated. With the expansion of the Greek colonies, olive culture reached Southern Italy and Northern Africa in the eighth century B.C., then spread into Southern France. Olive trees were planted in the entire Mediterranean basin under Roman rule. According to the historian Pliny, Italy had "excellent olive oil at reasonable prices" by the first century A.C, "the best in the Mediterranean," he maintained.
In the land of the Hebrews, King Solomon and King David placed great importance on the cultivation of olive trees; King David even had guards watching over the olive groves and warehouses, ensuring the safety of the trees and their precious oil.
Olive trees dominated the rocky Greek countryside and became pillars of Hellenic society; they were so sacred that those who cut one down were condemned to death or exile. In ancient Greece and Rome, olive oil was the hottest commodity; advanced ships were built for the sole purpose of transporting it from Greece to trading posts around the Mediterranean.
The belief that olive oil conferred strength and youth was widespread. In ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome, it was infused with flowers and with grasses to produce both medicine and cosmetics; a list was excavated in Mycenae enumerating the aromatics (fennel, sesame, celery, watercress, mint, sage, rose, and juniper among others) added to olive oil in the preparation of ointments.
Olive trees have an almost titanic resistance, a vital force which renders them nearly immortal. Despite harsh winters and burning summers, despite truncations, they continue to grow, proud and strong reaching towards the sky, bearing fruit that nourishes and heals inspires and amazes. Temperate climactic conditions, characterized by warm dry summers and rainy winters, favor plentiful harvests; stone, drought, silence, and solitude are the ideal habitat for the majestic olive tree. Italy and Spain are now the most prolific producers of olive oil, although Greece is still very active. There are about thirty varieties of olives growing in Italy today, and each yields a particular oil with its own unique characteristics.
Olive Oil Properties
Sun, stone, drought, silence and solitude: these are the five ingredients that, according to Italian folk traditions, create the ideal habitat for the olive tree.
We treasure extra-virgin olive oil for its nutritional and salutary virtues. La Cucina Italiana reports that extra-virgin olive oil is the most digestible of the edible fats: it helps to assimilate vitamins A, D and K; it contains so-called essential acids that cannot be produced by our own bodies; it slows down the aging process; and it helps bile, liver and intestinal functions. It is also valued for its culinary virtues and organoleptic properties as well: flavor (sapore), bouquet (aroma), and color (colore)
Climate, soil, variety of tree (cultivar) and time of harvest account for the different organoleptic properties of different oils. Certain extra-virgin olive oils are blends of varieties of olives; others are made from one cultivar.
Health
In Greece olive oil has been considered numinous for millenniums. Numinous has to do with the supernatural, with being holy, with having qualities impossible to describe or understand Ñ but of which you experience the effects. Numinous was sensed.
Well, for better or for worse, olive oil is becoming a little less numinous nowadays as scientists are starting to probe into its biological mysteries and magic. Its amazing properties are no longer sensed but proven through lab tests, population studies and graphs. The incidence of coronary disease in Greece is very low. The hypothesis was that this could be due to the extensive consumption of olive oil. To ensure experimental conditions, Crete seemed the ideal choice. Cretans consume 30 kilos (60-70 pounds) of olive oil a year per person. 90% of all fats there was provided by olive oil! A thirty year study confirmed the hypothesis.
The role of olive oil in the prevention of cardiovascular disease is indeed unique. Heart disease is in direct proportion to the concentration of cholesterol in the blood. Olive oil, due to its fatty acid composition, has a beneficial impact on controlling cholesterol levels.
Fatty acids are substances found in fats and oils. Fatty acids can be: Cholesterol, when it does not exceed certain levels, is vital for the structure of cell walls. Cholesterol though, which is synthesized in the liver, cannot move about the body by itself. So special vehicles, called lipoproteins, are provided for this purpose. The two main types are LDL and HDL. LDL are large trucks that carry cholesterol to the cells. Roads between cells though are often too small for LDL trucks, so the latter get stuck and as time goes by they completely clog blood vessels. HDL are smaller trucks that carry cholesterol away. So the more HDL the easier to unlock roads and rid the body of unwanted cholesterol. Or to state it another way, what the body really needs is a good HDL/LDL ratio.
The action of fatty acids: We all know that animal fats, which contain saturated fatty acids, vertically increase blood cholesterol levels. But here's what happens with unsaturated fatty acids: Polyunsaturated fatty acids lower both LDL and HDL levels in the blood, that is they do not really affect their ratio. Monounsaturated fatty acids on the other hand control LDL levels while raising HDL levels. No other naturally produced oil has as large an amount of monounsaturated as olive oil -mainly oleic acid. And furthermore, the modest amount of well-balanced polyunsaturated in olive oil is well protected by antioxidant substances.
It is widely believed that antioxidant substances such as vitamins E, K and polyphenols found in olive oil provide a defense mechanism that delays aging and prevents carcinogenesis, atherosclerosis, liver disorders and inflammations. Since olive oil is not tortured during extraction these substances are left unspoiled making the olive oil very stable, even when frying. So contrary to common belief, products of deterioration at frying are much lower in olive oil than in other oils.
Due to its chemical structure, olive oil is of unrivaled organoleptic value and thus the oil best suited for human consumption. It is very well tolerated by the stomach. In fact, its protective function has a beneficial effect on gastritis and ulcers.
It is a cholagogue, it activates the secretion of pancreatic hormones and bile much more naturally than prescribed drugs. Consequently, it lowers the incidence of cholelithiasis (gallstone formation). Its excellent digestibility promotes the overall absorption of nutrients, especially vitamins and mineral salts. It has a positive effect on constipation. Bones need a large amount of oleates and what source could be better than olive oil?
Promoting bone mineralisation, it is excellent for infants and the elderly who have bone calcification problems. It also has beneficial effects on brain and nervous system development as well as overall growth.
It shields the body against infection and helps in the healing of tissues internal
or external. Olive oil is a panacea, the perfect oil for all ages. And every time scientists look into the reasons behind an olive oil advantage empirically known and employed by the peoples of the Mediterranean it is sure that they will come across evidence of yet another unique biological attribute.
The following benefits of olive oil have been documentated by medical researchers, as well as ordinary people since the antiquity
The high quality extra virgin olive oil utilized to produce GarLeO contains polyphenols, tocopherols, antioxidants and Vitamins A, B, E and K. As a mono- unsaturated fat, olive oil is considered to be the "good" fat, which can protect against heart disease and more. Numerous studies have focused on the promising role olive oil plays in maintaining a healthy diet and reducing the risk of heart disease. Olive oil has been proven to decrease age-related mental declines and helps rheumatoid arthritis. Adding olive oil and other monounsaturated fats helps with cholesterol profiles. It lowers bad cholesterol (LDL cholesterol) and raises good cholesterol (HDL). Olive oil also thins your blood and may reduce the incidence of developing breast cancer in women. A tablespoon of olive oil contains 120 calories, 14 grams of fat, and no cholesterol. Seventy seven percent (77%) of the fat in olive oil is monounsaturated, and nine percent (9%) is polyunsaturated fat; fourteen percent (14%) is vegetable-derived saturated fat. Virgin olive oils also contain the antioxidants beta-carotene and Vitamin E, as well as the phenolic compounds tyrosol and hydroxytyrosol. Olive oil contains no salt and is naturally cholesterol-free
Extra Virgin Olive oil contains 80% monounsaturated fatty acids which help reduce cholesterol levels. Extra virgin olive oil is full of vitamins E (a powerful anti-oxidant) which has been shown to reduce gastric acidity.
The emollient effect of extra virgin olive oil protects against ulcers, it aids the passage of foodthrough the intestines, and it reduces the risk of gallstones.
extra virgin olive oil beautifies your skin, hair and nails.
One study compared the effect of consumption of tomato products with extra-virgin olive oil versus sunflower oil. The different oils did not affect the absorption of the lycopene into the body, but the tomato/olive oil combination generated increased plasma antioxidant activity by around 20%. Therefore one conclusion drawn from the research was that it would seem that consumption of tomato products with olive oil, but not with sunflower oil, improves the antioxidant activity of the plasma.
There is a low incidence of skin cancer among Mediterranean populations, and olive oil consumption could be a contributing factor to this low cancer rate. Olive oil contains significantly higher amounts of squalene than seed oils, and squalene is to a large extent transferred to the skin. German researchers believe that this transfer mechanism is probably accomplished by scavenging singlet oxygen generated by ultraviolet light. Japanese scientists also claim that virgin olive oil applied to the skin after sunbathing could protect against skin cancer by slowing tumor growth.
The researchers believe constituents of olive oil, such as flavonoids, squalene and polyphenols, may help to protect against cancer. Flavonoids and polyphenols are antioxidants, which help prevent cell damage from oxygen-containing chemicals called free radicals.
Another study by researchers at the University of Oxford adds to the growing body of evidence that shows olive oil is as effective as fresh fruit and vegetables in keeping colon cancer at bay.
The researchers suspect olive oil protects against bowel cancer by influencing the metabolism of the gut. They think it cuts the amount of a substance called deoxycyclic acid and regulates the enzyme diamine oxidase which may be linked to cell division in the bowel.
A study in the March 27, 2000 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, which was produced by Dr. Ferrara's research team, shows that a diet high in MUFA from olive oil can also help reduce blood pressure levels.
Ferrara and his colleagues found that while consuming the extra-virgin olive oil diet, research subjects reduced the amount of antihypertensive medication necessary to control blood pressure levels by 48%, versus only a 4% reduction on the sunflower oil diet. In addition, eight subjects on the extra-virgin olive oil diet required no antihypertensive medications; all subjects on the sunflower oil diet required antihypertensive medication. The authors conclude that a diet lower in total fat and saturated fat and a diet that contains higher amounts of MUFA can lower blood pressure levels and reduce or eliminate the need for medications in people with hypertension.
So why does olive oil lower blood pressure? One possible reason is its polyphenol content. Polyphenols are potent antioxidants which help arteries dilate, thereby reducing blood pressure. Ten grams of extra-virgin olive oil contains five mg of polyphenols; sunflower oil has no polyphenols.
Health benefits of olive oil
Learn the many health benefits of olive oil!
Olive oil is a staple in the diet of Mediterranean countries. It is used not only in cooking, but also used liberally mixed with vinegar as a dressing, and even with cracked black pepper as a dipping sauce for foccacia bread. 40 years ago, when research of the Greeks living on the island of Crete, researchers where amazed by the results. Despite the high fat content in the traditional Greek diet, the residents of the island had an exceptionally low occurrence of heart disease. This led researchers to examine the diets of the Greek people to try to figure out what factors contribute to this low rate of heart disease. Their conclusion? Olive oil! The Greeks do not eat much butter or margarine, substituting olive oil instead.
By replacing the saturated fats in your diet with monosaturated fat, such as olive oil, the low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol level is lowered. However, the beneficial high-density proteins are left alone, thus the dangerous, artery clogging fat does not continue to accumulate. The benefits of this are long reaching. In a scientific project called the Seven Countries Study determined that 46 percent of middle aged deaths in American men were due to heart disease, while the percentage of deaths in Crete were only 4 percent-over 10 times lower. In addition to the benefits of the monounsaturated fats in olive oil, there are several other compounds that can benefit your health. These can stop damage in your arteries before it starts. Polyphenols are powerful antioxidants found in olive oil. These antioxidants disable the free radical oxygen molecules produced naturally by your body. This keeps the free radicals from attacking the low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) which lowers the chances that they will stick to artery walls, clogging them and causing heart disease. The conclusion? Adding olive oil to your diet can help to keep your arteries clear.
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