Health
At Kingston Olive Oil Company, we think that olive oil is in a class of its own when compared to other various products that positively impact a healthy lifestyle. Don’t get us wrong, healthy amounts of water and other essential vitamin and mineral rich foods are necessary, but we have found through numerous well-documented studies from around the world, proof of the many health benefits of olive oil, making it one of the most indispensable ingredients of a healthy diet.
We have shared with you a summary of those well documented studies in the following pages to further support what we firmly believe about our olive oils; why it is good for you and how you can make it a part of a healthy diet each and every day. Even the FDA suggests that replacing just two tablespoons of saturated fat with extra virgin olive oil in your daily diet can have measurable positive effects. Please read on to better understand why.
What is Olive Oil
Think of olive oil as a fruit juice with all the water removed. It is a mixture of several different chemical components. We have listed below the three primary components that primarily contribute to the healthiness of olive oil and why medical research has endorsed adding olive oil to your daily diet as a smart nutritional idea.
- Anti-inflammatory agents. Olive oil contains these agents that actually act like ibuprofen would to your body, but naturally. (oleocanthal)
- Antioxidants. Olive oil, especially high quality extra virgin olive oil, provides a high content of anitoxidants such as carotenoids, chlorophyll, polyphenols and vitamins E & K. They are critical to strengthening the body’s immune system while protecting it from the damage that can be caused by free-radical molecules.
- Monounsaturated fatty acids. As the primary ingredient in Olive oil, it is the healthiest type of fat there is. Monounsaturated fats reduce the low-density lipoprotein (commonly known as LDL’s) cholesterol levels in the bloodstream, while increasing the high-density lipoprotein (commonly known as HDL’s). LDL’s are the ‘bad’ cholesterol levels while HDL’s are the "good" cholesterol levels.
Virtually all medical research focusing on monounsaturated fats, antioxidants and anti-inflammatory agents concludes with the direct measurable health benefits these three components provide. Here at Kingston Olive Oil Company we have identified eight key health benefits of these components, and why we highly suggest everyone incorporates our fine extra virgin olive oils into their daily diet.
Before we go through each of these areas in detail, it is important to point out that not all olive oils are created equal. Extra virgin olive oil is considered the best grade of olive oil and provides the most health benefits. Why? because it is the least-processed of all olive oils. Olive oil is extracted by pressing or crushing olives. Extra virgin olive oil is the least processed, because it is comprised of the oil from the first pressing of the olives. There is no additional pressing or further mechanical processing like excessive heat or chemicals that would change its makeup. Because of that, extra virgin olive oil maintains the highest levels of these healthy components.
