Olive Oil Ingredients

Some of the key components are:

• Essential Fatty acids - Olive oil is made up of what are called Essential Fatty Acids (EFA’s). Essential fatty acids are required to sustain and maintain good health but it’s the component that the human body cannot manufacture by itself. As such, they must be obtained through food.

  Fatty acids come in two different varieties: saturated or unsaturated. Saturated fatty acids are what are in saturated fat, and unsaturated fatty acids make unsaturated fats. For human nutrition, there’s pretty clear pecking order between saturated and unsaturated fat.

  Diets that are high saturated fat are ‘correlated’ (i.e. the two things go together) with higher rates of cardiovascular disease. Unsaturated fats on the other hand can actually help lower cholesterol levels, and are a small but essential part of a healthy diet.

  Thankfully, most of the fatty acids in olive oil are of the unsaturated variety, and it has significantly lower proportion of saturated fat than any other fat commonly used in cooking. Foods that are rich in essential fatty acids include fatty fish like tuna, mackerel and herring. You’ll also find them in fish oils and flaxseed oils.

  Olive oil has zero trans fatty acid, which is known to clog arteries and bring on host of health issues. Food such as margarine contains trans fat, which is also known “partially hydrogenated oil” in many packaging labels so watch out for these words.

  Click here for more in-depth information on Essential Fatty Acids

• Antioxidants - Olive oil is rich in polyphenols, which are a chemical compound with powerful antioxidant characteristics. ‘Antioxidant’ is another nutritional term that we’ve all heard talked about.

  Antioxidants do just what the name suggests. They slow down the process of or prevent the oxidation of other molecules. And why is this a good thing? Because oxidation of molecules in the body can produce free radicals that are damaging to cells, leading to diseases such as cancer. Some scientists also believe that it is damage from free radicals that cause living things to age.

  People who eat a diet high in good sources of antioxidants, like oily fish, fruit and vegetables, have been shown to have a level of protection against cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer’s. Olive oil, with its 5 milligrams of polyphenols in every 10 grams, is another member of this group of foods.

  The scientific community has proven that antioxidants have many health benefits from lowering cholesterol and blood pressure to lowering the risk of heart disease.

• Vitamin K - Olive oil is also a good source of vitamin K. Vitamin K is an essential vitamin, and has a critical role in allowing blood to coagulate properly and form clots. Vitamin K deficiency leads to anemia and to internal bleeding such as from the gums and nose.

  While vitamin K deficiency used to be rare, recent research has shown that it might now be much more common. The primary sources of vitamin K are in leafy, dark green vegetables such as broccoli and spinach. Olive oil can also provide a handy substitute on days where those vegetables don’t fit into your plans for dinner.

• Calcium - Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the human body. Approximately 99% of the body’s calcium is stored in bones and teeth.

  The remaining 1 % is found in the blood and tissues as well as playing a critical role in transmitting nerve impulses and regulating muscle contractions. It also works hard in regulating blood pressure, blood clotting and other body processes. Click here to learn more about this important mineral.

It’s true. Not all olive oils are created equal. Extra-virgin olive oil is different from virgin olive oil, which is also different in nutritional quality from pure or light olive oil. It matters whether an olive oil is made organically, naturally, using the “cold-pressed” or heat method, etc.

The fact is that extra-virgin has the highest amount of nutrients like antioxidants. The best way to make quality and finest olive oil is to “cold-press” it within 48-hours after harvesting. Only extra-virgin extra olive is made this way and will be rich in polyphenols.

Click here to learn more about extra-virgin olive oil.

What are the different types of olive oil?

If you read most of the research on olive oil and its health benefits, most of the findings will show that olive oil alone will not prevent disease. It’s a combination of using good food like olive oil along with healthy diet such as Mediterranean-style living and daily exercise that will give you the maximum benefit.

‘Sun, stone, drought, silence and solitude’ - Well, these aren’t exactly components of olive oil, but according to Italian folk traditions, these are the five essential ingredients that create the ideal environment for fruitful olive trees.

The fact that olive oil has been held in such high regard by the Mediterranean peoples of the world for such a long time is due, at least in part, to its health benefits and essential role in their diets.

While today we’re still trying to work out exactly what it is about the foods we eat that make them good or bad for us, any food with a tradition and history like olive oil’s has got to have something going for it!

• Reading about the many health benefits of olive oil.

• Learning about the health benefits of extra-virgin olive oils.

• ...or checking out our favorite olive oil products Top 8 essentials?