Health has become an increasingly important aspect of our everyday lives as we learn more and more about what we eat, what it is comprised of and how it affects our short and long-term well-being. Though many people in America do not realize this, olives and olive oil are an extremely healthy food that can help guard against a variety of potential illnesses. In the Mediterranean region, the common diet consists of a variety of olive recipes and has proven to be a great boon for the health of people living in the Mediterranean countries. The greatest health benefit of olives and olive oil comes from the monounsaturated fat that is natural found in this fruit. The content of this "good fat" has been proven to raise the amount of good cholesterol in your body (HDL's), while lowering the amount of bad cholesterol (LDL's). It has been shown that no other naturally produced oil contains as much monounsaturated fats than this kind of oil.
Monounsaturated fats are proven to help reduce the risk of getting heart disease; studies have shown that those who took two tablespoons of olive oil from freshly-pressed olives for a whole week saw significant decrease of LDL's in their body, along with a large raise in the amount of antioxidants present. The key resides in the type of oil made from olives consumed by a person; for example, extra virgin olive oil is what one should use to get the most benefit from their healthy properties. Extra virgin is the oil created from the very first pressing of the olives and goes through the least amount of processing. This olive oil makes a fantastic bread dip and can significantly help increase the health of your body and prevention against forms of cancer. Altogether, this food should become a steady part of our everyday diet, as it has been proven to be healthy on a variety of different levels; studying olive's nutrition has proven to benefit everyone who consumes it; let it become a part of your daily diet today.