When it comes to healthy eating, oil has always had a bad reputation. Cooking with oil daily has been linked to unhealthy issues such as obesity and heart problems. Even if you are trying your best to eat a healthier diet, cooking without oil is bland.
Olive oil has gained a tremendous amount of popularity over the last decade because not only does it contain less fat than standard cooking oils, but it is also linked to reducing quite a few health problems. It tastes good too, which is why it has even become a popular substitute for butter on bread.
Hearing about this popular oil might have you wondering what is the benefits of olive oil, so we’re going to go over the top 5 reasons you should know more to be cooking with olive oil.
1: Olive Oil Is A Healthy Fat
Healthy fats are essential to everyone’s diet. Olive oil is an all natural oil extracted straight from olives fresh from the tree, it doesn’t get much healthier than that. Since it is a monounsaturated fat, olive oil is resistant to high heat. You won’t loose any of the nutritional value by cooking with it.
Olive oil is made up of three different types of fat:
- 14% Saturated fats
- 11% Polyunsaturated fats
- 73% Olecic acids
- 2% Other
Olecic acid is a natural acid found in many vegetable and animal fats. It has been known to help reduce inflammation, which makes it one of the top things to look for when choosing a healthy oil to cook with.
2: The Oil With The Highest Amount Of Antioxidants
If you want to make sure you get the healthiest type of oil, reach for a bottle of extra-virgin olive oil. Olive oil is rich in vitamin E ; K. This helps reduce inflammation and promote healthy skin. Since this oil is loaded with healthy antioxidants, it helps your body reduce the risk of many chronic diseases.
3: Olive Oil Has Been Scientifically Proven To Reduce The Effects Of Many Diseases
You need to keep your health in mind when you’re doing your grocery shopping. Choosing extra-virgin olive oil is a smart choice because it can help your body stay strong against many unwanted health problems. Some of the diseases that olive oil has been linked to reducing are:
- Cardiovascular diseases
- Cancer
- Dementia
- Alzheimer’s disease
- Strokes
- Rheumatoid arthritis
- Type-2 diabetes
Including olive oil into a diet of other healthy foods can help keep you healthy and prevent many of these diseases from affecting you. The best way of preventing them is to start making healthy choices before a problem occurs.
4: Smart People Eat Olive Oil, That’s A Fact
Olive oil can also help you become more intelligent. It contains a healthy does of polyphenols, which help keep your memory in great shape. This can help keep you focused when studying for exams.
To make olive oil even more essential for your brain, it has been linked to helping with your mental health as well. Studies show that including 2 tablespoons of olive oil a day in your diet can help reduce depression and anxiety within two weeks.
5: Stay Fit
Olive Oil is a staple in a Mediterranean diet. Mediterraneans are known for being healthy and always in great shape. Since oil is normally linked to causing weight gain, scientists wanted to test if it was the same case with olive oil.
After a 30-month period on over 7,000 students, there was no sign of weight gain associated to the daily use of olive oil. The decided to further this study and after an additional 3 years found out that olive oil can help increase the level of antioxidants in the blood and help with weight loss.
Olive oil is the healthiest choice you can make when you’re choosing a cooking oil.
I’m a 20-something stay-at-home mother and wife. I have an amazing husband, a beautiful daughter, two loving dogs, and a lazy cat. I wouldn’t change my life for anything! I love to read, listen to music, cook and blog!
Indeed. Could not agree more with what you said. I have started using olive oil in my diet and in my evening skin care routine. It has made my food healthier and my skin more moisturized.