10 Health Benefits of Olive Oil You Never Knew About

May 27, 2022

Olive oil is the natural oil that comes from the fruit of the olive tree. The oil provides a variety of significant health benefits. For centuries, royalties, societies, and civilizations have used it in ceremonial activities. Some have also used it for medicine and food. Olive oil contains essential nutrients and vitamin that makes it suitable for consumption. It’s great for hair, skin, and other things. Here are some of the health benefits of olive oil you need to know.

1. It’s an Anti-Aging Food

Most people bother about aging too fast. They want to look young, strong, and fresh. The food we eat and our genes determine how fast we age. Olive oil is one of the most popular anti-aging foods out there. It comes packed with antioxidants that prevent damage to the skin due to oxidation. Monosaturated fats in olive oil help the cells maintain integrity (1).

2. Keeps Nails Strong and Healthy

Our nails suffer exposure to so many environmental factors that lead to damage. That’s why we need to take care of them so they can remain strong and healthy. Olive oils contain nutrients that penetrate the skin and reverse damage to nails.

That’s why many nail treatment creams and oils contain certain amounts of this oil. Because it’s natural, olive oil doesn’t cause any skin irritation. If you have issues with your nails, you can rub olive oil on them for a manicure.

3. Healthy Hair

There are many health benefits of olive oil for human hair. Like your nails, the hair also gets a beating from environmental and weather factors. Rain, sunshine, dust, and heavy winds deal with your hair all day. You can reverse all that damage by applying olive oil to your hair.

Olive oil has moisturizing properties that penetrate deep into the hair. Regular application strengthens and softens the hair to appear beautiful and attractive. Your hair also benefits from the vitamin E in olive oil by preventing breakage and hair loss.

4. It Helps To Prevent Breast Cancer

When abnormal cells grow, they infect healthy cells, which causes breast cancer. Olive oil has shown tremendous effects on the prevention of breast cancer. It contains powerful substances that slow down the growth of irregular cells. By adding olive oil to their meals, women can cut down the risks of getting breast cancer. People diagnosed should also include it in their meals to help slow down cancer cells’ growth.

5. Lose Weight

Excess blood sugar and a sedentary lifestyle are what lead to weight gain. Your body can’t store sugar, so it converts it to fat. When you eat plenty of sugar and don’t get rid of it through physical activity, you become obese. Apart from exercise, eating certain food can help you lose weight.

Olive oil contains monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA). These fats help keep your heart healthy and your blood sugar normal. Olive oil also makes you full, so it prevents you from eating more than necessary. You can replace unhealthy cooking oil with olive oil to boost your health and lose weight.

6. Promotes Strong Bones And Teeth

Your bones need a regular supply of nutrients to remain strong. One of the health benefits of olive oil is reducing bone mineral density. Olive oil contains polyphenols, naturally occurring organic compounds that prevent osteoporosis.

That’s why it’s good for people who have weak bones, especially the elderly. Since olive oil makes your bones strong, your teeth will also benefit. Apart from making teeth strong, it also helps to prevent stains. People who have developed stained teeth because of smoking and coffee can use them.

7. Olive Oil is Used For Skin Treatment

The widest use of olive oil apart from cooking is for skin treatment. Olive oil is a major ingredient in skin lotions and cream moisturizer production. It contains natural moisturizers that sink into the skin to effect healing. It’s a popular home treatment for skin redness and wrinkles. Many people suffer a lot from skin problems caused by exposure to sunlight. Olive oil can help reduce skin pigmentation and damage caused by the sun.

Many people also use olive oil on the face, which creates smoothness. In skin treatment, the oil is very useful for removing inflammation and other negative skin effects.

8. It Lowers Cholesterol

There are two types of cholesterols in the body, LDL – bad cholesterol and HDL – good cholesterol. Both of them play certain roles in helping the body’s operations. However, too much LDL may lead to heart conditions and other health issues. To have good health, you need to reduce LDL and increase HDL.

Getting rid of LDL is one of the best benefits of olive oil. The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of the oil give LDL no chance at all (2). Unlike drugs and medication, olive oil doesn’t destroy HDL along with LDL. So, you get the benefit of getting rid of the bad and retaining the good.

9. Relief For Constipation

Low fiber food, lack of exercise, and dehydration can lead to constipation. Your stomach needs fluid and fiber so food can move smoothly through the digestive tract. Consuming olive oil can help improve bowel movement and smoothen your stool.

To relieve constipation, take one tablespoon of olive oil in the morning on an empty stomach. The oil also acts like a lubricant that helps your stomach function well. You can combine it with drinking water and food with fiber to get fast results.

10. Boosts Immune System

Your body is bombarded by microorganisms and infections every minute. But your immune system is also there to protect you. That’s why we don’t fall sick every day. Your immune system needs external support to work at optimal levels. Olive oil contains antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties that boost your immunity. Get the health benefits of olive oil for immunity by adding it to your meal.

You can also drink two tablespoons each day to get the benefits of strong immunity (3). Cold-press extra virgin olive oil is the best type of olive oil for immune boosting. If you’re eating other types of olive oil, make sure it hasn’t gone through excess processing. Natural olive oil has all the nutrients intact, so they work best.

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