What’s all the buzz about olive oil?
We are what we eat. We’ve all heard this, and in the case of olive oil, it is really true. Olive oil is good for your heart health and is a great example to show why it is important for us to choose what we eat wisely.
Why is olive oil good for your heart?
To start with, olive oil has a good balance of mono saturate fats, which promote an increase in the levels of HDL (“good” cholesterol) and a decrease in the levels of LDL (“bad” cholesterol) for a healthier ratio of “good” to “bad” cholesterol. In addition, olive oil contains important bio active components that are good for your heart health. These compounds include naturally occurring vitamin E, omega 3 (healthy essential fatty acids), and most importantly, polyphenols. The polyphenols are a large class, there are over 100 of them in olive oil, and they all share a similar effect: they are intensely anti-inflammatory agents. Why do they exist? One thing with nature is, “to everything there is a purpose”. The purpose of polyphenols in the olive is to protect the fruit from environmental stress of oxidation and the attendant inflammation that results. The very oxygen we all rely on to live has another side, oxygen free radicals. These free radical molecules are intensely reactive with biological tissues, causing an inflammatory response and resultant micro-tissue damage. The polyphenols help neutralize these free radicals, preventing this damage. When we ingest an olive oil brimming with polyphneols, we get the same protection conferred on our tissues that the olive has for theirs. Voila! A great tasting food that is incredibly good for us. What could be better?
How do I choose an olive oil?
To take advantage of the phenomenally beneficial medicinal quality of olive oil, one has to choose the right oil. Any old oil won’t do. The oil must be well made, milled properly, stored properly, and as fresh as possible.
To ensure one gets the right product, look for a domestic oil – in our country, most is from California. More specifically, an oil bearing the certification seal of the California Olive Oil Council ensures the consumer of a high quality extra virgin olive oil, this certification is the strictest in the world. At the Quail and Olive, that’s what we specialize in, high quality, certified California extra virgin olive oils. We work directly with the millers and growers to source out the best tasting, most health-brimming domestic oils available.
So remember, we are what we eat, and it behooves us to choose wisely what we consume. California Olive Oil Council certified oil, made and stored properly, can be brimming with health promoting properties. So remember, choose wisely.
