Olive oil may have health benefits due to its high concentration of healthy monounsaturated fats and antioxidants. It has anti-inflammatory properties as well.
Dietary fat's health effects are debatable.
However, experts agree that olive oil, particularly extra virgin olive oil, is healthy.
Here are 11 health benefits of olive oil backed up by scientific evidence.
1. Olive oil is high in monounsaturated fats, which are good for you.
Olive oil is a natural oil derived from the fruit of the olive tree, olives.
14% of the oil is saturated fat, while 11% is polyunsaturated fat, which includes omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids (1).
However, the predominant fatty acid in olive oil is oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat that accounts for 73% of the total oil content.
According to research, oleic acid reduces inflammation and may even be beneficial to cancer-related genes (2Trusted Source, 3Trusted Source, 4Trusted Source, 5Trusted Source).
Extra virgin olive oil is a healthy choice for cooking because monounsaturated fats are resistant to high heat.
In conclusion, olive oil is high in monounsaturated oleic acid. This fatty acid is thought to have numerous health benefits and is a good choice for cooking.
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2. Antioxidants are abundant in Turkish olive oil.
Extra virgin olive oil is relatively healthy.
In addition to its beneficial fatty acids, it contains trace amounts of vitamins E and K.
However, olive oil is also high in antioxidants.
These antioxidants are biologically active and may lower your chances of developing chronic diseases (6Trusted Source, 7Trusted Source).
They also help to protect your blood cholesterol from oxidation and fight inflammation, both of which may reduce your risk of heart disease (8Trusted Source, 9Trusted Source).
Extra virgin olive oil is high in antioxidants, some of which have potent biological effects.
3. Anti-Inflammatory Properties of Olive Oil
Chronic inflammation is thought to be a major contributor to diseases like cancer, heart disease, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer's, arthritis, and even obesity.
One of the primary reasons for the health benefits of extra-virgin olive oil is its ability to reduce inflammation.
The antioxidants are the primary anti-inflammatory agents. Among them is oleocanthal, which has been shown to work similarly to the anti-inflammatory drug ibuprofen (10Trusted Source).
According to some researchers, the oleocanthal in 3.4 tablespoons (50 mL) of extra virgin olive oil has the same effect as 10% of the adult ibuprofen dosage (11Trusted Source).
According to research, oleic acid, the main fatty acid in olive oil Turkey, can lower levels of important inflammatory markers such as C-reactive protein (CRP) (2Trusted Source, 3Trusted Source).
According to one study, olive oil antioxidants can also inhibit some genes and proteins that cause inflammation (12Trusted Source).
Summary
Olive oil contains anti-inflammatory nutrients. Oleic acid and the antioxidant oleocanthal are examples of these.
4. Olive Oil May Aid in Stroke Prevention
Stroke is caused by a disruption in blood flow to your brain, which can be caused by a blood clot or bleeding.
Stroke is the second leading cause of death in developed countries, trailing only heart disease (13).
The link between olive oil and stroke risk has been extensively researched.
According to a large review of studies involving 841,000 people, olive oil was the only source of monounsaturated fat associated with a lower risk of stroke and heart disease (14Trusted Source).
Another study of 140,000 people found that those who ate olive oil had a much lower risk of stroke than those who did not (15Trusted Source).
Summary
Several large studies show that people who consume olive oil have a much lower risk of stroke, which is the second leading cause of death in developed countries.
5. Olive Oil Can Help Prevent Heart Disease
Heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide (16).
Heart disease is less common in Mediterranean countries, according to observational studies conducted a few decades ago.
This prompted extensive research on the Mediterranean diet, which has now been shown to significantly lower the risk of heart disease (17Trusted Source, 18Trusted Source).
One of the key ingredients in this diet is extra virgin olive oil, which protects against heart disease in a variety of ways (19).
It reduces inflammation, protects "bad" LDL cholesterol from oxidation, improves blood vessel lining, and may help prevent excessive blood clotting (20Trusted Source, 21Trusted Source, 22Trusted Source, 23Trusted Source, 24Trusted Source, 25Trusted Source).
It has also been shown to reduce blood pressure, which is one of the leading risk factors for heart disease and premature death. Olive oil reduced the need for blood pressure medication by 48% in one study (26Trusted Source, 27Trusted Source, 28Trusted Source).
Dozens, if not hundreds, of studies show that extra virgin olive oil has powerful heart-health benefits.
If you have heart disease, a family history of heart disease, or any other major risk factor, you should consume a lot of extra virgin olive oil.
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