OLIVE OIL AND HEALTH

The beneficial health effects derived from the consumption of olive oil are supported by a large number of scientific investigations.
Olive oil has a series of components that are beneficial for different functions of the human body

olive oil and health

All animal fats and vegetable oils have the same energy power, 9 calories per gram, but the metabolism of each of them differs greatly from the rest.

The fatty acid composition of olive oil is very balanced. It is very rich in monounsaturated fatty acids, mainly oleic acid, which gives it greater stability against oxidation than other oils.

polyunsaturated fatty acids, linoleic and linolenic, essential fatty acids that our body cannot synthesize, are found in olive oil in an ideal proportion for the body.

Virgin olive oil and olive oil have exactly the same composition of fatty acids and in this sense both have the same beneficial effects for our health.

Other beneficial properties of olive oil are derived from its minor components. Fundamentally the tocopherols, As the alpha-tocopherol, which acts like vitamin E, and the carotene, What provitamin A. and the polyphenols. Both of them, tocopherols Y polyphenols They have great antioxidant power. These antioxidants are especially associated with virgin olive oils.

The olive oil lowers bad cholesterol levels ( LDL cholesterol) Y raises levels of good cholesterol (HDL cholesterol), which helps prevent arteriosclerosis.

Due to its high content of oleic acid, it is also the oil best tolerated by the stomach. Since ancient times it has been considered that olive oil had a beneficial effect on hyperchloridic gastritis and gastric ulcers, although obviously in this case olive oil cannot replace medications. Two small tablespoons of olive oil on an empty stomach have a positive effect on chronic constipation.

olive oil is highly recommended during childhood, its proportion of essential fatty acids, linoleic Y linolenicIt is similar to that which occurs in breast milk. In addition, it influences the mineralization and development of bones.

Olive oil is also highly recommended in the diet of the elderly, its high content of natural antioxidants provide a defense mechanism against oxidative processes. In addition, the oil seems to have a positive effect on bone calcification, which is why it is especially recommended both in old age and in growth.

Author: Santiago Boots

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