Olive Oil – The Secret to the Mediterranean Diet

Olive oil is one of the major components of the famed Mediterranean diet, the diet known far and wide for its abilities to extend a person’s lifespan and reduce their likelihood of obtaining chronic diseases. It is especially great at resisting degenerative diseases and health conditions, such as Alzheimer’s disease, macular degeneration, or arthritis.

The diet has also been proven to be effective at helping people to achieve weight loss and manage diseases and their symptoms, like obesity, diabetes, and high cholesterol levels. Of course, olive oil by itself is not entirely responsible for this. The Mediterranean diet incorporates a wide variety of different foods and ingredients that play a major role as well.

But the benefit of olive oil in the Mediterranean diet should not be underestimated. It does have a wealth of health benefits that are unique to it.

The Health Benefits of Olive Oil

1. Olive Oil Has Lots of Healthy Monounsaturated Fats
   Olive oil is a natural oil that is extracted from olives, the fruit of the olive tree. Olive oil is composed of several different fats: 14% saturated fats, 11% polyunsaturated fats (omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids), and 73% monounsaturated fat. These fats play a major role in reducing inflammation, which is responsible for the development of the majority of diseases.
2. Olive Oil Has Lots of Antioxidants
   Olive oil contains a large number of antioxidants which further help it to reduce a persons’ risk of developing chronic diseases. They are especially great for preventing heart disease as they help protect the blood cholesterol from oxidation.
3. Olive Oil Can Prevent Strokes
   Studies have shown that olive oil’s massive monounsaturated fat content plays a key role in preventing stroke and subsequent heart disease.

The health benefits of olive oil combined with its versatility of use makes it one of the best ingredients to keep in your kitchen.