Olive Oil Nutrition – The Elixir of Youth?

If you don’t already know the great news about olive oil nutrition, you should really take the time to get familiar with the great properties of this famous oil.

Renowned for its antioxidant properties, and high content of monounsaturated fats, olive oil increases your HDL (your good cholesterol level) thus reducing overall cholesterol content in the body.

Recent studies support evidence that olive oil also protects the body against colon cancer.

Olive oil has a strong flavor, especially if you buy the extra virgin kind. You will benefit from the nutrition that olive oil brings you even if you buy the milder extra light oil, but the best benefit comes from Extra Virgin olive oil which undergoes the least amount of processing and is therefore nutritionally superior. This table shows how olive oil nutrition is affected by the amount of processing that takes place.

Grades of Olive Oil

Extra Virgin	Made from the first press of the olives, rich in antioxidants, rich source of vitamin E, least processed, best olive flavor, great source of monounsaturated fat
Virgin	Made from second press of the olives, good source of antioxidants and vitamin E
Pure	Undergoes some degree of processing, which decreases the amount of vitamin E and antioxidants, milder flavor. Pure olive is made from light oil with the addition of some amount of virgin oil.
Light or Extra Light	Undergoes the most processing, still a good source of monounsaturated fat, but reduced antioxidant power, mildest possible flavor. Is possibly mixed with other oils.

Olive oil is also soothing on the stomach. One of the lesser known olive oil nutrition facts is its medicinal properties in treating ulcers and gastritis.

Extra virgin olive oil can be very expensive, so you want to look after it properly to protect it from going rancid. The olive is actually a fruit, and like all fruits, it oxidizes when exposed to the air and to strong sunlight.

Store your oil in a glass container, preferably tinted glass, to prevent exposure to sunlight, and store in a dark cupboard away from heat. Resist the temptation to leave it out on the counter, and don’t store it too close to the stove where it will suffer from changes in temperature. It can be placed in the refrigerator but it may get cloudy when cold. If this happens, a few minutes in the warm kitchen will clear it. Refrigeration is not recommended in general, especially for the more expensive varieties of extra virgin oils.
It is best to purchase olive oil in small quantities, not in family-sized bottles. You only need a couple of spoonfuls a day to reap the benefits of olive oil nutrition. If you do buy in bulk, consider pouring some into a smaller bottle for daily use and store the rest in a cool, dark place, like the basement or a wine cellar.

Philip Kustner

We keep finding that Olive Oil has many beneficial properties

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