Nine Amazing Benefits of Eating Olives

People have been using olives for medicine, food, cosmetics, and other uses for nearly 8000 years. Olive trees are one of the oldest cultivated trees in our world. Olives are actually fruits with a stone or pit in the middle. Most olives produced in our world are used to make oil. These delicacies of nature although bitter tasting are rich in healthy fats and antioxidant and anti-inflammatory phytonutrients. According to research data compiled by Green Med Info, olives may play a role in reducing nearly 200 diseases.

Whether you eat them whole or use them as an oil, here are nine amazing benefits of eating olives and making olives a part of your diet. It’s widely known that olives and olive oil:

Protect heart health – It’s no secret that those following a Mediterranean diet which generally contains daily use of olive oil have reduced issues with heart disease. The polyphonic compounds found in olives are cardioprotective and support heart health by increasing HDL, improving endothelial function which supports healthy blood pressure, and lowering inflammation. According to the Cleveland Clinic, eating olives provides a healthy dose of vitamin E which plays a role in preventing atherosclerosis when arteries harden and narrow.

Reduce oxidative stress – Oxidative stress ages our bodies. Anything we can do to lower or neutralize oxidative stress only increases our health and longevity. Olives contain oleuropein which is a powerful antioxidant that scavenges free radicals and reduces oxidative stress and damage to tissues. Olive fruit extract also lowers oxidative stress. With so many chemicals and toxins in our environment today, we need antioxidants more than ever before.

Prevent type 2 diabetes – Hydroxytyrosol, one of the primary polyphenols in olive oil, is known to improve lipid profile and insulin sensitivity while reducing oxidative and inflammatory processes. Olive oil also improves glucose metabolism which is a huge problem in our American culture today.

Provide high nutrients yet low calories – One olive provides many nutrients and antioxidants, but only 7 calories. Eating olives is considered a healthy snack because you burn more calories digesting an olive than you gain eating one. But as always, practice moderation.

Improve your skin – Because olives contain vitamins E and A and contain antioxidants that combat free radicals, eating olives keeps your skin soft, healthy, and younger-looking. Vitamin E nourishes your scalp and increases blood flow while vitamin A balances the skin’s PH and keeps your skin supple and reduces aging.

Reduce risk of cancer – Chronic oxidative stress and chronic inflammation are linked to the development of cancer. But as we’ve already learned, olives provide a rich supply of both antioxidants and anti-inflammatory nutrients which reduce oxidative stress and inflammation. Oleuropein has significant anticancer effects and has been found to inhibit the proliferation of cancer cells and induce apoptosis or programmed cell death by modifying important epigenetic factors in breast cancer. And that’s great news for a breast cancer survivor.

Improve the microbiome – The nourishment of our microbiome is key to our overall health with 70-80 percent of our immune system being located in our gut lining. Olives provide dietary fiber of 1.5 grams per 10 olives. They also take the edge off your appetite because the fatty acids in olives slow down the digestion process and stimulate the hormone cholecystokinin, which sends a message of fullness to the brain thereby regulating appetite control.

Lowers histamine in the body – Olive oil contains phenolic compounds like hydroxytyrosol and oleuropein, which may act as mast cell stabilizers. Olive oil is a low-histamine fat that may act as an antihistamine. One word of caution, because olives contain 60 mg of sodium per olive, practice moderation, especially for those with blood pressure issues.

May shorten upper respiratory infections – Have you ever heard of olive leaf extract? Well, many have used it to lessen symptoms when those pesty respiratory illnesses come our way including me. Oleuropein and hydroxytyrosol, both found in olives, have antiviral and antibacterial properties in addition to anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.

Who knew that olives could be so beneficial for our health with these nine amazing benefits? God knew and provided these tasty delicacies for our good health. When I was a child, I avoided olives. But not today. Now I never pass one up. I eat green ones, black ones, and even fermented ones which provide probiotics for the gut. My mother-in-law loved olives. So every time my husband and I eat one, we raise the olives in a toast in remembrance of her.

So here’s to Mollie Brant, my mother-in-law who passed in 2010. And here’s to reducing my appetite and risk for cancer while enhancing my overall health.

Did you know that olives could be so beneficial for our health? How often do you eat them?

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Nine Amazing Benefits of Eating Olives

For Your Health,

Ginny

Ginny Dent Brant is a speaker and writer who grew up in the halls of power in Washington, DC. She has battled cancer, ministered around the world, and served on the front lines of American culture as a counselor, educator, wellness advocate, and adjunct professor. Brant’s award-winning book, Finding True Freedom: From the White House to the World, was endorsed by Chuck Colson and featured in many TV and media interviews. Unleash Your God-Given Healing: Eight Steps to Prevent and Survive Cancer was released in May 2020 after her journey with cancer and was recently awarded the First Place Golden Scrolls Award for Memoirs, a finalist in Serious Writers Book of the Decade, and Second Place in both Selah Awards for Memoirs and Director’s Choice Award for Nonfiction at the Blue Ridge Mountain Christian Writer’s Conference. It recently received the Christian Authors Network’s (CAN) Gold Award for Excellence in Marketing for reaching 62.5 million people with a message of cancer prevention and survival. It was written with commentary from an oncologist and was featured on CBN’s Healthy Living Show, Atlanta Live, and CTN’s Homekeepers along with over 75 media outlets. Learn more and cancer and wellness prevention blog and book information at www.ginnybrant.com. Ginny is on YouTube