humz.eu.org - Despite its name, olive oil is a fat concentrate obtained from the pressing process of olives. The olives that have been harvested before will be washed and then crushed to be used as oil. The most traditional method is to destroy the fruit between two large stones, as is the kneading technique. However, nowadays, olive oil producing factories often use steel knives to finely grind the fruit so that it can make more oil. The paste produced from the fruit is then ground to remove the oil droplets in a process called maceration. After that, the olive paste will be pressed in a special blender machine, called a centrifuge to separate the oil and juice (water). After the water is drained from the olive extract, what remains is pure olive oil. This is what is then packaged and traded on the market.
Olive oil has been known as one of the ingredients with a
million benefits. Not only for beauty, but olive oil also has many other
benefits for the body's health. From the name alone, we already know that olive
oil is the oil obtained from grinding olives. This oil, which comes from native
Mediterranean plants, contains many useful health compounds, including vitamins
E, K, fats (omega 9, omega 6, omega three, and saturated fats), phenolic, and
iron. Here are the health benefits of olive oil that you need to know.
1. Maintain heart health
Olive oil is an integral part of the Mediterranean diet,
proven to be healthy for the heart. Heart disease patients on a Mediterranean
diet are also associated with a lower risk of dying from the disease. Reporting
from Medical News Today, Maria-Isabel Covas, a researcher at the Parc de
Recerca Biomèdica de Barcelona, Spain, conducted an extensive study of
studies that focus on the biological and clinical effects of olive fruit oil.
Covas found that people who regularly consume this oil tend to be protected
from the risk of developing cardiovascular disease, including hypertension,
stroke, and hyperlipidemia (high cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the
blood). Covas also found that consuming this oil regularly can help reduce
inflammation, endothelial dysfunction (problems with the walls of the lining of
blood vessels), thrombosis, and carbohydrate metabolism in the body. Death
rates from heart disease are reported to be low in European Southern
Mediterranean countries (Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Jordan, Syria,
Lebanon, and Turkey) compared to other western countries. However, their
coronary heart disease cases are higher.
2. Reducing the risk of Alzheimer's
In countries in the Mediterranean region where olive oil
consumption is very high, such as Greece, the total cases of Alzheimer's
disease are found to be lower than anywhere else in the world. This is because
olive fruit oil contains unique oleocanthal phenolic compounds and MCTs, a
"family" of essential fatty acids, which have been reported to have
the potential to reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease or dementia associated
with neurodegenerative conditions.
3. Blood flow
The omega 9.6 and 3 fat content will improve blood vessels'
endothelial function, so that blood flow becomes smoother.
4. Combating acute pancreatitis
Researchers at the University of Granada in Spain conducted
in vitro experiments on olive fruit oil. The researchers found that specific
components in olive fruit oil can protect the body from acute infections. This
is because olive fruit oil is rich in oleic acid and hydroxytyrosol, which
influences sensitive pancreatitis development.
5. Maintain liver health
Many studies related to olive oil benefits have also found
that this oil can protect liver health from oxidative stress, a significant
risk factor for heart disease, cancer, and immune system disorders. Oxidative
stress refers to cell damage associated with chemical reactions between free
radicals and other molecules in the body.
6. Protect against chronic intestinal inflammation
Ulcerative colitis is a relatively common type of chronic
intestinal inflammation. Scientists at the University of East Anglia in the UK
say that increasing olive oil consumption can help ward off this disease.
Researchers estimate that nearly half of ulcerative colitis cases could be
avoided if the body received more oleic acid, which is found in olive oil.
Oleic acid works to block the active compounds in the intestines that
exacerbate inflammation caused by this disease.
7. Reducing the risk of depression
People who eat many foods high in trans fats, such as fast
food and packaged snacks, are believed to have a higher risk of developing
depression than people whose diets are healthier (rich in monounsaturated fat).
Research reports that the more trans fats you eat over time, the higher your
risk of developing depression. According to a study conducted at the University
of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria in Spain and published in PLoS ONE, olive oil's
properties appear to have the potential to prevent and reduce the risk of
depression. Researchers from the University of Navarra and Las Palmas de Gran
Canaria have also found that when foods rich in olive oil are combined with
healthy choices from the Mediterranean diet, such as whole-grain cereals, oily
fish, vegetables, and sun-dried tomatoes, olive oil will be better able to do
its miracle of fighting depression.
8. Reducing the risk of cancer
Olive oil's strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory
properties and also through the action of phenolics and vitamin E can prevent
and reduce the risk of cancer, especially breast and skin cancer. For skin
cancer, using olive oil as sunscreen regularly is the best way to avoid sunburn
and to protect the skin from the harmful effects of sunlight such as UVA and
UVB. By doing so, malignant melanoma, the most dangerous type of skin cancer,
can be prevented. Meanwhile, in breast cancer, breast cancer often occurs due
to consuming too much bad fat. The fat present in olive oil can play a role in
fighting the development of these tumors, which are the precursors of breast
cancer. Olive oil, rich in oleic acid, unsaturated fats, and several bioactive
compounds such as antioxidants, will be an important key to fighting tumors. A
team of researchers from the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona in Spain found
that olive oil benefits carry the potential to protect against breast cancer.
The properties of olive oil, according to the researchers, are not found in
other types of vegetable oil. For example, Corn oil has been found to have the
best effect - it increases the malignancy of tumor cells. These findings were
obtained after they conducted trials on breast cancer cell culture cells
dripped with olive oil. Olive oil reduces the activity of p21Ras type cancer
cells, prevents DNA damage, and accelerates tumor cell death.
9. Maintain a healthy weight
Eating fatty foods has long been linked to massive weight
gain and even obesity. However, although olive oil is primarily a fat
concentrate, consuming large amounts of olive oil regularly, even if it is not
fattening. In fact, you can achieve your ideal body weight at the end of the
day due to the benefits of olive oil for your health. Numerous studies have
linked the Mediterranean diet, which is rich in olive oil, with weight loss
effects that are no joke.
10. Reducing the risk of diabetes
In another study that looked at more than 180 college
students in Spain for three years, consuming large amounts of olive oil
increased levels of antioxidants in the blood and led to weight loss. 10.
Reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes Inflammation in the body is strongly
suspected as the mastermind behind various chronic diseases. These include
cancer, heart disease, metabolic syndrome, Alzheimer's, arthritis, obesity,
macular degeneration, and diabetes. Olive oil's medicinal properties for
various ailments are obtained by reducing inflammation, thanks to its
antioxidant properties - especially oleocanthal, which acts as the drug
ibuprofen. Some scientists estimate that the oleocanthal content in 3.5
tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil is as effective as 10% of the adult dose
of ibuprofen. Several studies have reported the benefits of olive oil on blood
sugar control and also better insulin sensitivity. The Mediterranean diet is
even said to reduce the risk of type 2 diabetes by more than 40 percent.
11. Treating rheumatism
Rheumatoid arthritis (rheumatoid arthritis) is an autoimmune
disease that causes recurrent joint pain symptoms. The benefits of olive oil
can help reduce joint pain and swelling due to rheumatism. The benefits of
olive oil will be doubled when combined with fish oil consumption, a source of
omega-3 fatty acids that can ward off inflammation in the body. In one study,
the combination of olive fruit oil and fish oil significantly reduced joint
pain, fist stiffness, and morning joint aches in people with rheumatism.
12. Clean the intestines
Not only does it contain antioxidants that can prevent and
reduce the risk of chronic disease, but olive oil also has antibacterial
properties that can inhibit or kill disease-causing germs. One of them is
Helicobacter pylori, a bacteria that inhabit the human gut which can cause
stomach ulcers and stomach cancer. A human study shows that 30 grams of extra
virgin olive oil can be lost. Helicobacter pylori infection in 10-40% of people
within two weeks. Test-tube studies have shown that extra virgin olive oil
effectively kills eight strains of H.pylori bacteria, three of bacteria that
are resistant to antibiotics.
