When you begin researching information about different fats and their role in your diet, you will find quite a bit of conflicting information. However, almost everyone can agree that olive oil – especially extra virgin olive oil – is a substance that is actually good for you. That’s great news because that means you can drizzle it on your salad and use it to fry your chicken, without the guilt. Read on to discover the top five health benefits of olive oil that you probably didn’t already know.
1. It’s Full of Antioxidants
Extra virgin olive oil is a favorite for many recipes because it is a nutritious ingredient. In addition to being a good fatty acid, it is also full of modest amounts of both vitamins K and E. However, what is even better is that olive oil is full of antioxidants. These antioxidants are able to help fight off serious diseases and cases of inflammation. Antioxidants also help to prevent the cholesterol present in your blood from getting oxidized, which in turn helps prevent heart disease.
2. It Offers Impressive Anti-Inflammatory Properties
Many experts believe that a leading driver of a number of diseases is chronic inflammation. This includes serious diseases, such as Alzheimer’s, obesity, arthritis, diabetes, cancer, metabolic syndrome and even cardiovascular disease. Olive oil has been proven to help reduce cases of inflammation. In fact, there are some studies that show that the antioxidants in olive oil can inhibit some of the proteins and genes that cause inflammation, begin with.
3. Prevent and Protect Against Heart Disease
The most common cause of death in the world is heart disease. However, it is a rare occurrence in the Mediterranean Sea region. When interest in this peaked, people began extensively researching this diet. What they found was that the key ingredient of the Mediterranean diet is extra virgin olive oil. When consumed, it helps lower your blood pressure and protects against oxidation of LDL particles, which helps prevent heart disease.
4. It May Help Fight Alzheimer’s Disease
This is considered the most common neurodegenerative disease in the entire world. A key feature of this disorder is the accumulation of beta-amyloid plaque in brain cells. In mice, a study has shown that olive oil helps to remove this plaque from brain cells. While this is not scientifically confirmed, it is believed that olive oil may help to prevent Alzheimer’s.
5. Pain Relief for Rheumatoid Arthritis
This condition is characterized by painful and deformed joints. According to research, olive oil may help inflammatory markers while reducing the oxidative stress in those suffering from this condition. It has shown to be especially beneficial when it is combined with fish oil.
