Olive oil - good and bad

Olive oil is a unique product that is successfully used not only in cooking, but also in cosmetology, general medicine and dietology.Even the ancient Greeks and Egyptians valued olive oil as a source of health and energy for the body, but they absolutely did not know the composition of the product.Modern medicine uses the results of studies - the composition of olive oil can have a beneficial effect on the functioning of organs and systems.

Caloric value, nutritional value and chemical composition of olive oil

Nutritional information 100 g:

• Calories: 898 kcal
• Fat: 99,8 gr

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Firstly, the product in question, in which there is vitamin E, promotes vascular walls, normalization of exchange processes, restore and preserve the beauty of hair and nails.

Secondly, olive oil contains in its composition a large amount of oleic acid - up to 80%.This component is perfectly absorbed in the intestines, it has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the organs of the gastrointestinal tract, strengthens the walls of the intestine, and enhances its peristalsis.

Thirdly, oleic acid( Omega-9 unsaturated fatty acid) is able to exert an anti-carcinogenic effect( in particular, with respect to breast cancer) - perhaps the most important fact related to this component.In addition, Omega-9 fatty acids are able to normalize and stabilize blood pressure( they are especially helpful in hypertension), they serve to prevent the development of diabetes and obesity, and actively reduce the level of harmful cholesterol.

In addition, olive oil contains linoleic acid, which promotes rapid healing of wounds and burns, improves eyesight.

Use of olive oil

Please note: in the media, olive oil is often positioned as the most useful.However, this statement is not true.So, in linseed oil contains much more omega-3 fatty acids, which are so necessary for vegetarians.And the sunflower oil outstrips the olive oil in terms of vitamin A content - vitamin E.

Nevertheless, the following useful properties of olive oil are scientifically proven:

1. Drinking 2 tablespoons of olive oil daily helps reduce the risk of coronary insufficiency.In this case, scientists focus on the fact that it is important to monitor the total amount of saturated fat consumed - otherwise you will not appreciate the use of olive oil.
2. Applying olive oil for skin care, it is quite possible to hide the manifestations of its aging - the phenols contained in the product make the skin more taut, velvety.
3. Including olive oil in your daily diet, you can naturally normalize the digestive system - stop constipation, restore peristalsis, prevent flatulence.
4. This product is often used for massage - the oil is perfectly absorbed into the skin, improves the functioning of the glands, promotes the rapid elimination of toxins.
5. Regular use of olive oil strengthens bone tissue by preventing calcium leaching - this product is very useful in childhood, during the period of growth of the musculoskeletal system.
6. The described product is used in the pharmacological industry for the manufacture of medicaments for lowering blood pressure.
7. Regular consumption of olive oil is the prevention of cardiovascular diseases - the product helps strengthen the walls of blood vessels, makes them more elastic, prevents the formation of cholesterol plaques and blood clots.
8. This product can accelerate the healing process of small and large wounds, burns of varying degrees.

But the most surprising property of olive oil lies in the ability to restrain the growth of malignant tumors, to be more precise, the antioxidants / vitamins and oleic acid included in the product under consideration actively excrete toxins, which in turn affect the mutation of healthy cells.

Harm of olive oil

Despite the huge benefits of the product in question for the health of the body, you need to know about its harmful properties.

First, it is too high-calorie and excessive consumption of food can lead to obesity.Despite this, dieticians actively recommend olive oil as a component of dieting for weight loss - the secret is very simple: you need to limit the amount of olive oil consumed per day to 2 tablespoons.

Secondly, people with diagnosed gallbladder inflammation( cholecystitis) should be extremely careful to introduce oil from olives into the diet - it has a cholagogue effect and can provoke a painful attack, exacerbation of the chronic form of the disease.

Third, do not think that the dishes cooked by roasting in olive oil are absolutely harmless.The fact is that during thermal processing all the useful properties of the product under consideration "evaporate", and harmful ones become activated.Therefore, doctors recommend using olive oil without heat treatment, fresh.

How to choose the right olive oil

To make this product really useful for the body, you need to be able to acquire it in high quality.Of course, in the shops no one will give a little oil for trial and chemical analysis - it will be necessary to follow the advice of specialists. There are a number of rules that will help you to purchase high-quality olive oil :

1. The product, like all similar ones, can be refined and unrefined.According to the research data, the useful properties of olive oil are preserved only with minimal heat treatment or in its absence at all - experts recommend giving preference to the unrefined type.
2. The packaging can be labeled as natural( virgin), pomace and refined.It is worth to buy only natural extra virgin olive oil - it will be the most qualitative and useful.
3. The label may have the inscription "mix" - this means that the product is a mixture of different types of oils.In principle, there is no danger of such a product, but here about the quality can be questioned.
4. Pay attention to the date of manufacture of the product - it is known that the beneficial properties of olive oil are retained only for 5 months.
5. The qualities of the product in question are best preserved in a glass container - do not buy olive oil in tin cans or plastic bottles.

Note: on some data up to 40% of natural extra virgin olive oil, presented on the market, is falsified.Acquire products of only well-known manufacturers and in proven retail chains!

How to store olive oil

Store olive oil only in dark containers - this will not be a problem, because the manufacturers pack it into bottles of dark glass.

Do not put the product in question in the refrigerator or too warm a place - such temperatures can reduce the level of useful substances in olive oil.

With long storage, olive oil can acquire a rancid taste - from this the product does not become less useful, but the taste will be spoiled.Therefore, do not buy oil "for future use".

Do not store olive oil in an open state - it absorbs odors perfectly.

Olive oil - unique in its composition and useful properties, the product, so it should be present in the diet of each person.