Olives Are Ancient Greece's Best Kept Secret.

Some people hate them and some people love them. I personally love them. When I start eating them I find it hard to stop !

How Much To Eat:

One olive (no stone) weighs approximately 3g. Olives are high in salt, so people with high blood pressure should moderate their intake.  About a small handful a day is good measure. That may be approximately 6 olives. Use olive oil as a dressing or to cook with. Note that one tablespoon of olive oil is 120 calories. No more than one tablespoon with every meal !

Key Benefits:

Flavones are one of the phenolic phytochemicals in olives. Olive oil contains a range of other phenolics. Phenolics, along with vitamin E, give the olive and olive oil, its well known antioxidant power.

Maximising the Benefits:

Virgin olive oil is “pressed” from olives; “extra virgin” olive oil is richest in phenolic compounds. Raw olives are bitter due to a phenolic compound, oleuropein, and are made edible by being pickled or marinaded in salt or oil.

Cancer:

Population studies link diets high in monounsaturated fat and / or olive oil with a reduced risk of breast cancer.

Memory:

A Mediterranean diet high in extra virgin olive oil might help to protect against age-related decline in mental function.

Heart Health:

Olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fats, which have beneficial effects on the body’s cholesterol levels. Human studies investigating diets rich in olive oil also show blood pressure-lowering and anti-blood clotting effects. All benefit health and help explain the longevity of people who enjoy a Mediterranean diet.

Here are some more health benefits of eating olives: 

• Olives are a good source of fiber
• Olives act as an antioxidant, protecting cells
• Olives reduce the effects of degenerative diseases such as benign and malignant tumours, Alzheimer’s, improves varicose veins and cavities.
• Olives help prevent blood clots that could lead to a myocardial infarction or deep vein thrombosis (DVT)
• Olives offer great protection against anemia
• Olives boost fertility and help reproductive system
•  Olives play an important role in maintaining a healthy immune system, especially during oxidative stress and chronic viral diseases
• And just in case these benefits weren’t enough, they are also a great aphrodisiac.
•  Olives are nutritious and rich in mineral content as sodium, potassium, magnesium, iron, phosphorus and iodine
• Olives provide essential vitamins and amino acids.
• Olives contain polyphenols, a natural chemical that reduce oxidative stress in the brain. So by eating a daily serving of olives helps improve your memory by up to 25%.
• Just one cup of olives is a great source of iron – 4.4mg.
• Eating olives can improve the appearance of wrinkles by 20% since they contain oleic acid, which keeps skin soft and healthy.
• By eating just 10 olives before a meal, you can reduce your appetite by up to 20%. This is because the monounsaturated fatty acids contained in olives slow down the digestion process and stimulate the hormone cholecystokinin, a hormone that sends messages of fullness to the brain.
•  Not only does it do that, but it also helps your body to stimulate the production of adiponectin, a chemical that burns fat for up to five hours after ingestion.

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