The History of Olive Oil

Olive oil, scientific studies suggest, might be one of the primary reasons people of the Mediterranean have about 50% fewer incidences of cancer than those of the United States. That alone is enough to get anybody’s attention!

Olive oil helps the body assimilate vitamins A, D, and K. It contains essential acids that our own bodies cannot produce. Olive oil is a liquid fountain of youth, slowing down the aging process. It benefits a body’s liver, regulates bowel movements, and helps maintain a healthy sex drive. (Some say olive oil is an aphrodisiac!). Moreover, science has proven that the circulatory system is stimulated by a diet that includes olive oil.

Olive oil is about 75% monounsaturated fat. Knowing that olive oil is about 75% monounsaturated fat, isn’t it true that fats are bad for the body?

Actually, our bodies need fat, and 30% of all of our daily diet should come from fat. It’s hard to accept this, as we’ve been bombarded by the idea that fat is bad. We need, though, to discern between “good” fats and “bad” fats. The difference between the two is magnanimous.

When we are eating “fats” in our diet, we want to eat unsaturated fats. Unsaturated fats are the good guys. They are fats found in avocados, olive oil, fish, and other natural substances. Tom Venuto, a weight trainer and author of Burn the Fat, says

Adding the right kind of fats can increase your energy, increase fat burning, increase muscle-building hormones, increase your strength, improve insulin function, improve your skin texture and strengthen your joints (Venuto, 2003: 156).

Saturated fats, on the other hand, are the fats we want to avoid. Foods like donuts, cakes, potato chips, French fries, fried foods, fast foods, etc., are some of the worst things we can put in our bodies. As opposed to the good guys, these fats clog our arteries, raise our cholesterol, be carcinogenic, and make us fat! 

In short, good, unsaturated fats and oils are essential to healthy living. They do everything from help stimulate appetite to assist the digestive process. Olive oil is not only tasty but also a GREAT way to get the dairy fats you need in a healthy, flavorful way!