Olive Oil and Your Health

Good food and plenty of exercise are essential ingredients for achieving life-long good health and wellbeing. In recent years we have grown ever more conscious of the impact of diet on our health, and fats have tended to figure prominently.

Dietary advice often begins with an emphasis on reducing the amount of fat consumed, but can also include guidelines for replacing saturated fat with monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats. Click here for more information on fats. Olive oil is one of the best sources of monounsaturated fat - but that's not the only advantage. Olive oil also contains a high level of antioxidants, polyphenols, tocopherols and Vitamins A, B, E and K.

The health benefits of consuming olive oil include:

• Protection against heart disease. Countries in Southern Europe have lower rates of heart disease than those in Northern Europe - this is thought to be due to a diet containing plenty of fruits and vegetables, and rich in olive oil.
• Antioxidants in olive oil could help to protect against damage by free radicals in our bodies. These free radicals increase as we get older and are associated with heart disease, eye disease and neurodegeneration.
• Regulating blood cholesterol levels.
• Maintaining a healthy digestive system and helping to ensure efficient absorption of nutrients from the diet.
• Helping with the prevention and management of diabetes and 'metabolic syndrome', which are becoming increasingly common.

Healthy eating and Olive Oil make perfect partners

Olive oil has been enjoyed for thousands of years. It tastes great, it's incredibly versatile and health professionals confirm that it's good for you. It makes perfect sense that olive oil is highly recommended as part of a well-balanced, healthy diet.