How Well Your Olive Oil?

By Ray Darken


Is the Mediterranean diet the best diet man has ever known? A large amount of expert diet consultants believe it is "and for a large amount of reasons. And while the health benefits created by the Mediterranean way of eating can be assigned to a lot of factors, a good part of it can be credited to the intensive use of olive oil in the conventional Mediterranean cuisine.

So , how well do you know your olive oil? Are you sure you're getting the best value for your money? And very significantly, how sure are you the bottle of olive oil in your cupboard is good for you?

To help you appreciate and get the most out of your olive oil, you must first know a lot more about it. Hence here are some fascinating facts that you need to definitely know about.

Olive Oil "The Basic Facts

- The olive tree is native to the Mediterranean basin. Traditional Mediterranean people often use it for culinary, medicinal and cosmetic purposes. It was extensively utilized for diverse religious rituals.
- Homer, the well known Greek poet of all times, referred to olive oil as "the liquid gold".
- Hippocrates, the Father of Modern Medication, referred to olive oil as "the great therapeutic".
- 75% of the planet's supply of olive oil comes from Spain, Italy and Greece. Other leading producers of olive oil include Australia, South Africa, Argentina and Chile.
- There are about 700 categories of olive oil in the world "every one with its own unique taste.
- For the record, olive oil is the only plant oil that can be produced by physically or mechanically pressing the basis. The less processing involved, the bigger the quality of the ensuing product. As such, virgin olive oil is believed to be the very best.
- Olive oil is about 80% monounsaturated trans acids "the sort of fats that keeps your high density lipoproteins (HDL) or good cholesterol levels up while keeping your low density lipoproteins (LDL) or bad cholesterol in control.

The Health Benefits of Olive Oil

Did you know how good olive oil can be for your wellbeing? Here is what you get from making it the most important source of fat in your daily diet:

- It promotes better heart health.
- It aids in maintaining blood pressure inside healthy ranges.
- It assists in controlling and even stops the onset of diabetes.
- It can decrease the risk of colon and breast cancer.
- It can often help reduce the scale of arthritis, asthma, ulcers and gastritis.
- It promotes gorgeous skin.

The Concealed Facts

Due to the acceptance of the supposed Mediterranean diet, olive oil is now now much in demand in most nations. In reality according to Tom Mueller, writer of Additional Virginity: The Sublime and Shameful Arena of Olive Oil, the United States now ranks as the third biggest market for olive oil.

But there's a piece of bad news. There is a chance you are not getting the full benefits from that bottle of olive oil you just purchased from your favourite superstore. The heavy demand for olive oil worldwide is pushing some producers to make more of it at low cost so as to gain higher profits.

According to a collaborative research conducted by the UC Davis Olive Oil Chemistry Laboratory and the Australian Oils Research Laboratory, most olive oil products sold in varied California retail shops failed to meet the sensory standards set by the IOC/USDA sensory standards. This was observed in 69% of the 14 imported brands and 10% of the 5 California brands employed in the study. In addition, 83% of the imported samples that failed the IOC/USDA test also failed the German/Australian DAGs sensory standards. The complete details are documented in the July 2010 issue of the UC Davis Olive Center Report.

Therefore what should you do in order to make sure you're getting the best quality olive oil for your money? Easy - look for a seal of quality (like California's Olive Oil Council or Italy's DOP or Protected Designation of Origin) when buying. It's also sensible for you to test the production date (or the date when the fruits were picked) "the fresher, the better. Do these and you'll certainly bring home the best bottle that can do great things for your well-being!




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