Olive oil is a liquid fat obtained from olives, they are grown on trees in the Mediterranean, produced by pressing whole olives & extracting the oil. It’s commonly used in cooking: for frying foods or as salad dressing. It’s also found in some cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, soaps, & fuels for traditional oil lamps. It has additional uses in some religions. The olive is one of three core food plants in Mediterranean cooking. Olive trees have been grown in the Mediterranean since the 8th millennium BC. This according to Wikipedia.
one-tablespoon serving of olive oil contains 126 calories & 6 grams of fat. Olive oil is also a good source of vitamin E & vitamin K. It has been said that some experts believe that a Mediterranean diet is one of the healthiest diets for human consumption. Some say that it’s not just because of the many fruits & vegetables but it likely has a lot to do with the consumption of olive oil as it is a healthier fat. Olive oil is a monounsaturated fatty acid or as I said earlier a healthier fat that can assist in lowering cholesterol making it heart healthy. These are some of the health benefits believed to come from including olive oil in your daily diet, Ant-inflammatory, Antibacterial, Skin Health, Heart Health, Brain Health, Vascular Health, Diabetes Prevention & Cancer Prevention. Just like all of the foods that are available to us we need to remember that too much of anything is never good for us & that is the same for olive oil as well.
Don’t forget that one tablespoon of olive oil equals one serving & simply adding this oil to your diet doesn’t mean that you’re now eating healthier. The Mediterranean diet while it does include olive oil & my guess is quite a bit of olive oil, it also is a diet that includes fish, sea food & is low in red meats but is high in fruits & vegetables.
A Healthy Diet makes for a Happier Healthy You!