Olive Oil: The Bottle of Benefits

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By Joy Taylor

Olive oil’s high level of monounsaturated fat may help lower blood cholesterol, and its antioxidants may help protect against some cancers and other chronic health conditions.
           
“Just 2 tablespoons of olive oil each day, when it replaces saturated fat such as butter, has beneficial effects,” says Rosie Schwartz, R.D., author of The Enlightened Eater’s Whole Foods Guide. “In your body, some antioxidants in extra virgin olive oil, known as polyphenols, boost good cholesterol and may lower triglycerides.”
           
Olive oil’s benefits were first revealed in a small 1947 study conducted on the Greek island of Crete. The island residents had little incidence of heart disease, which was credited to their diet of pasta, lean meats, seafood, fruits, vegetables, and lots of olives and olive oil. Today it is called the Mediterranean diet, and enthusiasm for it has caused an increase in the availability in the United States of olive oils from all over the world.

Find an Olive Oil You Like
Olives grow on trees, turning from green to black as they ripen. To extract their oil, olives are crushed into a mash, then pressed. Each olive oil has a unique color, flavor, and aroma, determined by where and under what conditions the olives grew, when they were harvested, the variety, and the ratio of green to black olives. In general, green olives produce an oil that is fruity and green. A grassy-smelling oil means the oil is fresher and of higher quality. The flavors of a particular oil might be described as peppery, mild, sweet, flowery, artichokelike, green, or herbaceous. If you detect a peppery or tingling sensation in the back of your throat after tasting an olive oil, it might be due to a higher antioxidant content.
           
No one olive oil is better than another. It’s a matter of personal taste, just like wine.