Are Olives Good For You?

There are many health benefits of olives. First is that they reduce the amount of cholesterol in the body which makes the mind, body and soul very fit and healthy. Olives are also known to have many medicinal benefits and are known to fight various diseases. An olive tree produces the fruit as well as the oil and leaves which are known to be very beneficial. People all over the world prefer frying food in olive oil rather than vegetable oil due to its low cholesterol content.

Olives are considered to be God's sacred food and people would be honour the Gods by serving them olives as a staple food. There are various types of olives that are found but the most common ones that are consumed all over the world are green olives and black olives. You will find olives all over the world ready for consumption. Spain has the maximum production of olives compared to other countries.

Olives are an important ingredient for many Italian and Middle Eastern dishes and salads. They are picked generally in September but are available in stores around the year. They constitute a vital ingredient in a variety of dishes such as salads, meat, Chicken, and pizza.

There are two different varieties of olives, green and black. The green olives have that color as they are picked before they get a chance to ripen on the trees. Some of the varieties that are allowed to ripen on the trees get the rich black colour and yet some others get the colour through processing steps such as oxidation or oil curing.

In addition to being Zesty, olives are loaded with food values that contribute to healthy living. They have mono-unsaturated fats that are good for our bodies in comparison to poly-unsaturated fats. The mono-unsaturated fats are relatively stable and hence essential components of DNA and mitochondria.

Olives are also rich in vitamin E which is a powerful antioxidant. It also has cell damage control and anti-inflammatory properties.

Do olives have a lot of calorie's

The Olive is a species of small tree in the family Oleaceae, native to coastal areas of the eastern Mediterranean region, from Lebanon and the maritime parts of Asia Minor and northern Iran at the south end of the Caspian Sea. Its use as a major agricultural product in pre-classical Greece led to its wider distribution throughout the western Mediterranean. Olive trees show a marked preference for calcareous soils, flourishing best on limestone slopes and crags, and coastal climate conditions.

In the Mediterranean countries of Europe people eat a lot of olive oil. It is common to eat bread or toast just dipped in olive oil. Because of the daily use of olive oil the people that live in these countries suffer less from heart diseases than people of other countries in Europe. The use of olive oil has a positive effect on the cholesterol level in our blood.  Because olives grow in a warm environment and the fruit has to protect itself from heat and bright sunshine, olives contain a lot of phenolic compounds, that could possibly play a role in the prevention and cure of thrombosis and arteriosclerosis. Olive oil is also easy to digest and mild for the intestines.