Olive oil benefits and functions

Medicines for treating diseases are a necessary choice, which will be of great help in treating diseases. Different medicines have different effects on treating diseases. Therefore, the selection of medicines cannot be done arbitrarily, otherwise it will not help improve human health. How to choose medicines also needs to be determined through the disease. So what are the effects and functions of olive oil? Many people don’t know much about it.

Olive oil has many functions and effects, so before choosing it, you need to have a detailed understanding of its functions. In this way, if there are any problems during use, you will have a good understanding and know what to do.

Benefits of Olive Oil

1 Olive oil can protect the cardiovascular system in many ways:

1. By lowering homocysteine, it prevents inflammation and reduces damage to the arterial wall;

Second, it relaxes arteries and lowers blood pressure by increasing the amount of nitric oxide in the body;

Olive oil can further prevent arteriosclerosis and its complications, high blood pressure, heart disease, heart failure, kidney failure, and cerebral hemorrhage.

2 The monounsaturated fatty acids in olive oil can reduce the oxidation of LDA cholesterol. Eating olive oil can effectively reduce the occurrence of cholecystitis and gallstones.

3. Olive oil can improve and enhance the function of the endocrine system, and has certain effects on preventing diabetes and beauty.

The role of olive oil

1. Promote blood circulation

Olive oil can prevent arteriosclerosis and its complications, high blood pressure, heart disease, heart failure, kidney failure, and cerebral hemorrhage. In the book "Omega Health: The Simple and Easy Plan for Longevity" written by Dr. Artemis Simopoulos, it is mentioned that the omega-6 fatty acids in cooking oil can cause arteries to constrict, thereby forcing the heart to work overload and causing high blood pressure. The omega-3 fatty acids in olive oil increase the amount of nitric oxide, an important chemical that relaxes your arteries, thereby preventing arterial damage caused by high blood pressure. In addition, omega-3 fatty acids can prevent the formation of blood clots in two ways. First, it can reduce the viscosity of platelets, making it difficult for platelets and fibrinogen to entangle together; secondly, omega-3 fatty acids can reduce the amount of fibrinogen, which greatly reduces the chance of thrombosis.

Improve digestive system function

Olive oil contains more unsaturated fatty acids than any other vegetable oil, rich vitamins A, D, E, F, K and fat-soluble vitamins such as carotene and antioxidants, and does not contain cholesterol, so its digestion and absorption rate by the human body is extremely high. It has the function of reducing gastric acid, preventing the occurrence of diseases such as gastritis and duodenal ulcers; it can also stimulate bile secretion, activate the activity of pancreatic enzymes, degrade fats and be absorbed by the intestinal mucosa, so as to reduce the occurrence of cholecystitis and gallstones. It also has a laxative effect, and long-term consumption can effectively relieve constipation.

Protect your skin

Olive oil is rich in squalene and essential fatty acids, which have excellent affinity with the skin. It is quickly absorbed and effectively maintains skin elasticity and moisture. The rich monounsaturated fatty acids and vitamins E, K, A, D and phenolic antioxidants in olive oil can eliminate facial wrinkles, prevent skin aging, and have the effects of skin care, hair care, and preventing and treating chapped hands and feet. It is a beauty and skin care product that can be "edible". In addition, applying olive oil to the skin can fight ultraviolet rays and prevent skin cancer.

Improve endocrine system function

Olive oil can improve the metabolic function of organisms. This is because olive oil contains more than 80% monounsaturated fatty acids and omega-3 fatty acids, and the DHA in omega-3 fatty acids can increase insulin sensitivity. The higher the content of unsaturated fatty acids in the cell membrane, the more double bonds it has and the stronger its activity. DHA, which has 6 double bonds, is the least unsaturated fatty acid and therefore makes the cell membrane most active. The more active insulin receptors there are on the cell membrane, the more sensitive the cell is to insulin. When the human body consumes an appropriate proportion of fatty acids, the metabolism will be more normal and the chances of obesity and diabetes will be reduced. The latest research results show that the glucose content in healthy people can be reduced by 12% after consuming olive oil. Therefore, olive oil has become the best edible oil for preventing and controlling diabetes.

Benefits to the skeletal system

The natural antioxidants and omega-3 fatty acids in olive oil help the body absorb minerals such as calcium, phosphorus, zinc, etc., which can promote bone growth. In addition, omega-3 fatty acids help maintain bone density and reduce osteoporosis caused by free radicals (highly active molecules).

Anti-cancer effect

Because olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids, the omega-3 fatty acids in the polyunsaturated fatty acids can reduce the amount of linoleic acid extracted by cancer from the blood, depriving the cancer of a very necessary nutrient. Omega-3 fatty acids can also compete with omega-6 fatty acids for the enzymes needed by cancer cells in their metabolism, making the cell membranes of cancer cells more unsaturated and easier to destroy, thereby inhibiting the growth of tumor cells and reducing the incidence of tumors. Therefore, it can prevent certain cancers (breast cancer, prostate cancer, colon cancer, uterine cancer): In addition, omega-3 fatty acids (polyunsaturated fatty acids) can also increase the effectiveness of radiotherapy and chemotherapy, which kill cells by attacking cell membranes through bursts of free radicals (highly active molecules). When enough damage is done to the cell membrane, the cancer cell will self-destruct. Omega-3 fatty acids make cell membranes more vulnerable to attack by free radicals, thereby increasing the effectiveness of chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

Radiation protection

Because olive oil contains polyphenols and lipopolysaccharides, it also has anti-radiation properties, so olive oil is often used to make food for astronauts. People who frequently use computers regard it as an excellent product for health and skin care. Before using the computer for a long time, you can massage your face and eyes with olive oil. You can also achieve the same effect by using bath products rich in olive oil. Please note that due to the different content of olive oil and laurel oil, the radiation protection effect achieved is also different.

Making baby food

Olive oil is the best oil for babies based on its composition and digestibility. Half of a baby's calories come from the fat in breast milk. After weaning, the required calories must be obtained through the fat in the diet. The ratio of linolenic acid and linoleic acid in olive oil, which cannot be synthesized by the human body, is similar to that in breast milk and is easily absorbed. It can promote the growth and development of the nerves and bones of infants and young children. It is an excellent nutritional supplement and fetal growth agent for pregnant women, and a good tonic for postpartum and lactation periods.

Anti-aging

Among the many components of olive oil, carotene and chlorophyll give olive oil its yellow-green color, while chlorophyll plays a role in metabolism, promoting cell growth and accelerating wound healing. It also helps to beautify your appearance and reduce the appearance of wrinkles. Experiments have shown that the antioxidants in olive oil can eliminate free radicals in the body, restore the health of human organs, prevent brain aging, and prolong life.

Prevent cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases

Olive oil can protect the cardiovascular system in many ways. ① It prevents inflammation and reduces damage to the arterial walls by lowering homocysteine ​​(an amino acid that can damage the walls of coronary arteries). ② Relax arteries and lower blood pressure by increasing the level of nitric oxide in the body. ③The monounsaturated fatty acids in olive oil can reduce the oxidation of LDA cholesterol. ④ Olive oil contains a substance called squalene, which can increase the content of HDL (good cholesterol) in the body and reduce the content of LDL (bad cholesterol). The more HDL cholesterol in the body, the less oxidized LDL cholesterol in the arteries. The latest research proves. After taking olive oil, middle-aged men's average cholesterol dropped by 13%, and the dangerous "bad" cholesterol dropped by 21%. ⑤ Olive oil can reduce the rate of blood clot formation by increasing the content of ω-3 fatty acids in the body.

Olive Oil and Blood Pressure

Hypertension refers to high blood pressure in the arteries. When a person's blood pressure readings consistently remain above 140/90 mmHg, it is considered hypertension. Hypertension is one of the major risk factors for the development of atherosclerosis. It ranks alongside high cholesterol, smoking, obesity, and diabetes as a major health problem in developed countries. Like other risk factors, lifestyle has a direct impact on high blood pressure. One in four adults has high blood pressure. Because of the damage it causes to the body's arteries, especially those that supply blood to the heart, kidneys, brain, and eyes, high blood pressure increases the risk of premature death.

Through the above introduction, we have some understanding of the effects and functions of olive oil. Therefore, when choosing it, we should also choose according to our own needs. At the same time, when using it, we should also pay attention to our diet and cannot match it with food at will, otherwise it will cause great harm to our health. This is something we should pay attention to.