Olives Are A “Wonder” Of Nature
Olives are a “wonder” of nature that deserve special attention.
Olives are a fruit, Olives belong to the group of “drupes,” which are fruits with a pit or stone. Other drupes include peaches, mangos, cherries, nectarines, almonds and pistachios.
There are hundreds of varieties of Olives, which grow on trees that are mostly native to the Mediterranean, areas of Asia and Africa.
The Olive trees are remarkable, in nature as they tend to live to be several hundred years old. There is at least one record of an Olive tree that is 2,000 years old.
In the US, 5 Olive varieties make up the majority of the market: Manzanillo, Sevillano, Mission, Ascolano and Barouni. They are grown mostly in California.
It is possible to become a connoisseur of Olives, as each variety has its own unique flavor. Olive bars have even become popular at specialty stores, which allow you to taste different olives and curing methods.
If you love Olives, like I do, you are in luck.
This is one snack or meal ingredient you can feel good about eating. Many people have shunned Olives because of their high fat content, but this is the Key reason that makes them so very good for you.
Most of the fat (75%) in Olives is oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat known for lowering your risk of heart disease.
As reported by the George Mateljan Foundation: “When diets low in monounsaturated fat are altered to increase the monounsaturated fat content, without becoming too high in total fat, research study participants typically experience a decrease in their blood cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and LDL:HDL ratio.
All of these changes lower the risk of heart disease. Recent research studies have also shown that the monounsaturated fat found in Olives and Olive Oil can help to decrease blood pressure.
The oleic acid found in Olives, once absorbed up into the body and transported to our cells can change signaling patterns at a cell membrane level specifically, altering G-protein associated cascades.
These changes at a cell membrane level result in decreased blood pressure.”
Research published in the journal BMC Medicine further concluded, “Olive Oil consumption, specifically the extra-virgin variety, is associated with reduced risks of cardiovascular disease and mortality in individuals at high cardiovascular risk.”
Olives contain antioxidants “in abundance,” according to research published in the European Journal of Cancer Prevention.
This includes phenol (hydroxytyrosol, tyrosol), polyphenols (oleuropein glucoside) and other compounds. The antioxidant properties of olives have been shown to be stronger than those of Vitamin E.
Olives also contain some unique antioxidants, like oleuropein, which in nature is only found in Olives. It reduces the oxidation of LDL cholesterol in your body and may lower markers of oxidative stress.
Oleuropein also helps to decrease the activity of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), which is associated with inflammation.
Oleocanthal, a phenolic compound found in Virgin Olive Oil, even shows similar anti-inflammatory properties to the drug ibuprofen.
The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties in Olives, as well as other anti-cancer compounds, make them useful for cancer prevention.
Compounds in Olive have been found to activate the tumor suppressor gene and apoptotic gene, which induces programmed cell death. Research published in the International Journal of Clinical and Experimental Medicine reported: “Several studies have shown that the incidence of coronary heart disease and cancers is lowest in the Mediterranean basin as compared to other parts of the world because of the diet … rich in Olives and Olive products.
… Oleic acid, a monounsaturated fatty acid plays an important role in cancer prevention, while squalene showed anticancer effect …
Olive Oil shows a role in the prevention of the development of carcinomas and Olive Oil may have chemopreventive properties against colon carcinogenesis …
Oleuropein is a powerful antioxidant and anti-angiogenic agent and shows a potent anti-tumor agent and cancer-protective effects.”
The antioxidants in Olives likely yield anti-aging benefits.
Tyrosol, a phenol found in EVO, has been found to increase lifespan and resistance to stress in roundworms, for instance. In lab studies, oleuropein-treated cultures had their lifespan extended by 15%.
Oleuropein, hydroxytyrosol, another antioxidant, and squalene in Olives may also help protect your skin against the radiation in UV light; oleuropein in particular has been found to act as a skin protector and has direct antioxidant action on your skin.
And, according to research published in the journal Rejuvenation Research:“The health benefits of the Mediterranean diet can be largely ascribed to the nutraceutical properties of Extra-virgin Olive Oil (EVO).
Mono-unsaturated fatty acids and various phenolic compounds, such as oleocanthal, oleuropein, hydroxytyrosol, and tyrosol, are the main nutraceutical substances of EVO.
These substances have been suggested to have the ability to modulate aging-associated processes. In experimental models, it has been shown that EVOO with high concentrations of polyphenols has anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties.”
Consumption of Olive Oil and Olives has been shown to prevent the loss of bone mass in animal studies of aging-related osteoporosis. Oleuropein may be responsible for this beneficial effect.
In a study of 127 elderly men, consumption of a Mediterranean diet enriched with EVO for 2 years was associated with increased serum osteocalcin (a bone matrix protein) and procollagen I N-terminal propeptide (PINP, another measure of bone health), which suggests olives may have protective effects on bone.
Phenolic compounds in EVO have been found to stimulate human osteoblastic cell proliferation. Osteoblasts are bone-forming cells, so this study suggests that Olives contain compounds that may benefit bone health.
Eat healthy, Be healthy, Live lively.
HeffX-LTN
Paul Ebeling
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