Health Benefits Of Olive Oil

Olive oil is obtained from the tree crop Olea europea that grows in the Mediterranean basin. The oil is extracted from the olive that grows on the tree crop. Olive oil finds use in our foods, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, and oil lamp. The importance of olive oil is evidenced by the presence of an International Olive Oil Council (IOC) http://www.internationaloliveoil.org/. For details about the varieties of olive oil, its regulation and production, refer to the IOC website or to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Olive_oil

Olive oil undoubtedly has numerous health benefits, otherwise there wouldn't be so many uses for olive and olive oil in pharmaceutical industries, food, cosmetics and other fields. Personally, we like to use olive oil in cooking for our kid. Because even a small bottle of olive oil is more expensive than a gallon of other oils on the market, we don't tend to use it in our own foods but that of our little princess.

Olive oil contains monounsaturated fat and can lower low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol levels in the body. LDL are the so-called "bad cholesterol"; olive oil can therefore lower the risk of heart attack by lowering LDL levels in the body. According to Mayo Clinic, "extra-virgin" or "virgin" olive oils are the most heart healthy because they are the least processed (http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/food-and-nutrition/AN01037).
A recent study by Saleh Nk & Saleh HA [BMC Complement Altern Med 2011, 11(1):10] suggests that "olive oil...is a promising candidate for the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis". That is to say, olive oil can mitigate bone calcium loss in postmenopausal women. Another study by Oi-Kano et al. [2007, 18(10):685-692] suggests that extra virgin olive oil enhances heat generation in adipose tissues.

Olive oil is reportedly rich in antioxidants and other studies have found an inverse relationship between olive oil consumption and the incidence of certain cancers{[Menendez et al., Eur Journal of Cancer, 2006:42(15);2425-32], [Brinkman et al., Eur Journal of Cancer, 2011:47(3);436-42], [Owen et al., 2000:36(10);1235-47]}. If possible, chose to use olive oil in your foods. It is evidently healthy.