Olive Oil - for your cardiovascular health

  It is not liquor, It is liquid gold

The Liquid Gold, some people name it because of many reasons. For a very long time, Olive oil is recognized as a health keeper, especially human heart. But still nobody knows the exact amount required to optimize our health condition.  By the latest discovery, it is believed that consuming 2 table spoon of olive oil daily for a long time range, will at least cut the mortality risk caused by Heart Diseases into 50%, while consuming only 1 table spoon will reduce the risk up to 28%. 

 Olive Fruits

Olive oil actually is a fat substance obtained from olive fruit (Fruit of Olea europaea, Family: Oleaceae), a traditional and ancient tree of the Mediterranean Basin.  It is produced by pressing the olive fruit.  Its general usage is quite simple, such as in cooking, cosmetics, medication, soaps, fuel for oil lamps, etc.  Olive oil is also used throughout the world, but the most is in Mediterranean countries, particularly in Greece.

OO is composed mainly of mixed triglyceride esters of oleic acid, Linoleic acid, α-Linolenic acid, palmitic acid and of other fatty acids, along with traces of squalene (up to 0.7%) and sterols (0.2% phytosterol and tocosterols). The composition varies by cultivar, region, altitude, time of harvest, and extraction process. There are many more substance attached to Olive oil composition, but the other one, Oleochantal has been suggested for a long term consumption, because it has responsibility to lower the incidence of heart disease associated with a Mediterranean Diet.-- source : wikipedia.  

Potential Heath effects

Preliminary clinical research shows that consumption of olive oil may lower risk of heart disease risk factors such as to lower cholesterol in blood stream, reducing LDL cholesterol, and also possibly influencing inflammatory, thrombotic, hypertensive, and vasodilatory mechanism.  Anyway scientists need more scientific evidence, that higher portion of mono-unsaturated fats in the diet program will reduce the risk of coronary heart disease. 

Information : In USA, olive oil manufacturers may place the a restricted health claim on their product labels, which mentioned about a suggestion of consuming 2 tablespoon of olive oil (approximately 23 grams) daily, will reduce the risk of any coronary heart illness. It is caused by the content of mono-saturated fat in it. So that, replacing the same amount of saturated fat with olive oil and maintaining the same number of total calories we eat everyday, or even reducing it, will gradually lower the risk significantly.   

Anyway, this label was announced in November 1, 2004 by the FDA after application was made by producers of Olive oil.  Further more, the similar label are permitted for foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids.

Finally among all of the confusing terms and substances we hardly remember,  I underline the main contain and usage of olive oil, such as mono-unsaturated fatty acid (oleic and linoleic acid, oleochantal, palmitic acid, vitamin E, and oleuropein) as a determinant factor to reduce LDL particle and total cholesterol, thus it will automatically reduce the clogging in artery system or even repair the damage that caused by cardiovascular disease. And the other illness that might be affected by a long term consumption are diabetes, gastric cancer, peptic ulcer, some cancers, and Alzheimer disease.   It is to simple to avoid, just 2 tablespoon of olive oil per day, controlling your diet/food consumption, and be patient and be consistent, then perhaps you have just started with the man in the mirror to change for a brighter day. :)