We’re all familiar with the concept of laying down reserves of money to live off later in life, when we’ve had enough of the office and want to sail the world or retire to grow vegetables. The same idea can be applied to our health – especially when it comes to building up our bones.
Continue reading “Build up your ‘bone bank’ with olives and their oil”
It’s beginning to feel a lot like olives and their oil are perfect for the festive season. Now that some of us are eyeing that outer notch on our belts, it’s time – as it is all year round, of course – to turn to olives. Because the news is in that olives and their oil can actually reverse some of the damage done by high-fat diets, and may even help to combat fatty liver disease.
If we eat sugary or fatty foods too much of the time, this can eventually cause our cells to tire of insulin’s knock, and instead of letting it in with its partner, glucose, which should be burned for energy, instead our cells slam the door in insulin’s face, as it were, and leave it to wander around our bloodstream with the unused glucose. This is called ‘insulin resistance’ and it causes damage to blood vessel walls and leaves us without the energy we need to get through the day. It can also lead to weight gain and, eventually, diabetes.
But experiments have shown that an antioxidant in olive oil called hydroxytyrosol can reverse signs of insulin resistance as well as the non-alcoholic fatty liver disease which can result from a high-sugar and high-fat diet. When mice were fed a high-fat diet, they showed decreased levels of liver enzymes which help to create beneficial fats required for blood vessel and organ health. But when given hydroxytyrosol, their enzymatic activity was comparable to that of mice fed a normal diet, and the negative effects on other organs was also reduced. The hydroxytyrosol also appeared to lessen the negative effects of ‘bad’ LDL cholesterol. 1
The researchers stressed that to keep hydroxytyrosol intact, olive oil should not be heated; and make sure to use extra-virgin olive oil as this is much higher in antioxidant compounds than refined oil. So if you plan to enjoy your share of rich, celebratory foods this December, don’t forget that olives and their oil can give you the gift of good health.
References
Here’s some good news for those who think they should be eating plain, undressed salads: using an olive oil-based dressing is better both for health and for staying a healthy weight.
Continue reading “Soak up your nutrients with olive oil “
When it comes to avoiding the chronic diseases associated with growing older, preventing inflammation is key, since inflammation underlies heart disease, cancer and Alzheimer’s, and is also linked with other health conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, Lyme’s, IBD and psoriasis.
Eating plenty of anti-inflammatory foods not only helps to ward off illness but effectively slows the rate of ageing. Adding olive oil to dishes is an easy way to do it, with many studies showing that olive oil is a valuable anti-inflammatory functional food. 1-4
You can’t have good health without having a healthy gut, and one way to keep your gut in great shape is by consuming good-quality olive oil regularly.
Continue reading “Olive oil – your gut’s friend”
Don’t heat your olive oil! Keeping it cool can make all the difference when it comes to your health.
Continue reading “Extra-virgin olive oil: keep it cool”