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HEALTH
BENEFITS
For
centuries the benefits of olive oil nutritionally, cosmetically
and medicinally have been recognised by the people of the Mediterranean.
Recent
research has now provided firm proof that a Mediterranean-style
diet, which includes olive oil, is not only generally healthy,
but that consuming olive oil can actually reduce cholesterol levels.
If
you are looking for a food that will protect you against the risk
of heart disease and cancer; replace fats detrimental to your
health; improve your cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar
levels; overcome digestion, gallbladder and constipation problems;
contribute to brain, nervous system and bone development; as well
as help treat arthritis and diabetes, then the simple solution
could be to incorporate olive oil into your daily diet.
Researchers
agree that the Mediterranean diet is one of the healthiest in
the world, leading to lower rates of cardiovascular disease and
cancer and a decreased incidence of degenerative disease. Olive
oil is known to be a major contributory factor to the success
of this diet.
Fats
or lipids are essential in a well balanced diet. They divide into
saturates and unsaturates, depending on whether they have simple
or double bonds between their carbon groups. Fatty acids that
have one double bond are monounsaturates. Polyunsaturates have
several double bonds. Olive oil and other vegetable oils contain
unsaturated fatty acids. Oleic acid and linoleic acid are two
unsaturated fatty acids. Olive oil is 80 % oleic acid, placing
it at the top of the list of monounsaturated fats. The two main
polyunsaturated fatty acids are linoleic and linolenic acid, and
these are found in large quantities in sunflower and corn oils.
Saturated fatty acids, on the other hand, are found in animal
fats, such as butter and lard.
Low
fat diets have long been recommended to reduce cholesterol. This
meant cutting down on the intake of animal fats and using polyunsaturated
fats in the form of vegetable oil.
Polyunsaturated
fats have been heavily promoted over the last few years as the
answer to a balanced fat intake, but in 1986 the results of research
into monounsaturated fatty acids came up with some startling new
evidence about the nature of cholesterol. There are two types,
low density (LDL) and high density (HDL). Low density lipoproteins
(LDL) transport and deposit cholesterol in the tissues and arteries.
LDL increases with a high intake of saturated fatty acids and
is therefore harmful, because it will deposit more cholesterol.
High-density lipoproteins (HDL) eliminate cholesterol from the
cells, and carry it to the liver where it is passed out through
the bile ducts. While polyunsaturates reduce both LDL and HDL,
monounsaturates reduce LDL while increasing HDL. An increase in
the level of HDL will not only provide protection against cholesterol
deposits, but it will actually reduce cholesterol levels in the
body.
Finally,
as if this combination of attributes was not enough, olive oil
has also been shown to prevent the wear and tear of age on the
functioning of the brain and on the ageing of the tissues and
organs in general.
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