Olive oil is vegetable fat extracted from the fruits of an olive tree. It is used mainly for cooking, but also indispensable in cosmetics, since it is extremely beneficial to the body. The Roman philosopher Pliny once said: "There are two liquids most needed for the human body. The inner is wine, the outer is olive oil. " About what olives and olive oil are useful, and will be discussed below.
A strong relationship between the olive tree and its fruits from a religious and secular point of view has been shown in several sources - writings and works of art. Since ancient times, there were rituals and many customs - the holidays of "liquid gold." Even in the Bible it was indicated that Noah sent a dove to see if there was any dry land somewhere, but he returned, carrying an olive branch in his beak. From the traditions of different peoples, descriptions of the "promised land" are also known, where grapes, figs and olive trees grew. The olive branch was a symbol of peace, and then of wealth.
During the Olympics, the olive branch began to be perceived as a symbol of victory. In ancient Rome, olives were everyday food. At that time, they were mainly brought from Spain.
Hippocrates advised people to use olive oil for personal hygiene. The Greeks invented the first soap, mixing talc, ash and a few drops of olive oil. Arabs have perfected this technology by boiling olive oil and ash. In the XI century in Marseilles, Genoa and Venice began to produce real soap based on oil. Hard soap bar was invented only in the XVIII century. And yet, the soap made with olive oil was expensive.
Hippocrates, Galen, Pliny and other ancient healers also noted the extraordinary healing properties of olive oil, they even called them magic. Numerous modern studies confirm the useful properties of olive oil. Now this pure natural product is widely used as an integral part of food and medicine for treatment.
It is known that, due to its medicinal properties, olives and olive oil are part of 473 herbal medicines. In the past, olive oil was considered the best means for massage. But the first truly scientific work related to this product, began to deal with scientists only in 1889 in France. They argued that the amber liquid increases the secretion of acid in the stomach. Half a century later, in 1938, another scientific treatise reported the ability of olives and olive oil to purify the gallbladder.
All these and other healing properties of olive oil are determined by its composition. It does not repeat itself and depends on the type of olive, the harvest of the year, the region and many other factors.
From Greece, olive oil spread throughout the Mediterranean. The Roman emperors began to plant olive trees on the territory of the empire. All of North Africa was covered with plantations. Then it was for the Spanish conquistadors. They were prikozano sure to take on board olive seedlings. Thus, in the XVI century, the olive crossed the Atlantic and settled in Mexico, Peru, Chile and Argentina.
Nutritional value of olives and olive oil
The world has long been addicted to the oil extracted from the fruits of the olive tree. Today, three countries are leaders in the supply of this "liquid gold" around the world - Spain, Italy and Turkey. In stores in the US, Japan and Russia, the best-selling are Spanish olives and olive oil. Olives grown on the Tunisian coast are of such high quality that even the Spaniards buy them. In France, olives grow mainly in the region of Nice. There are about 1500 trees growing there.
A country | Production (2009) | Consumption (2009) | Average annual per capita consumption (kg) |
Spain | 36% | 20% | 13.62 |
Italy | 25% | thirty% | 12.35 |
Greece | 18% | 9% | 23.7 |
Turkey | 5% | 2% | 1.2 |
Syria | 4% | 3% | 6th |
Tunisia | 8% | 2% | 9.1 |
Morocco | 3% | 2% | 1.8 |
Portugal | 1% | 2% | 7.1. |
USA | 8% | 0.56 | |
France | 4% | 1.34 |
Benefit for health
Olive oil is the most healthy product, so most low-fat fats are contained in it. It is rich in linoleic, oleic acid, vitamin E, phosphorus, iron, protein, minerals. Olive oil is rich in polyunsaturated fatty acids and monounsaturated rare essential fatty acids. But not only these acids give the healing properties of olive oil. The content of unsaponifiable lipids also plays an important role. In oils obtained from seeds (sunflower, corn, rapeseed), there are no unsaponifiable lipids, which led to the loss of most of the healing components of these oils. Olive oil, in its turn, has a number of positive properties due to the content of some elements:
- Sterols - block the absorption of cholesterol from the intestine;
- Tocopherols - have the properties of antioxidants;
- Terpenes, which promote the secretion of bile acids;
- carotene , which also has antioxidant properties;
- phospholipids - the main components of cell membranes, in particular, neuronal membranes;
- estrogenic hormones;
- Vitamin A , known as an antioxidant;
- Vitamin D, which increases the absorption of calcium in the intestine;
- flavonoids , which are involved in the oxidation-reduction effect on the body;
- Chlorophyll , which gives olives and olive oil a beautiful green color and stimulates the growth of cells, in particular, red blood cells and leukocytes.
It turned out that olive oil has a good therapeutic effect in the treatment and prevention of cardiovascular diseases. It can significantly reduce the level of "bad" and increase "good" cholesterol, reduce the intensity of oxidation of free radicals, normalize blood pressure, increase the elasticity of the walls of the arteries and reduce the risk of thrombosis. Olive oil slows down the course of aging in the body. Experiments have shown that mice that were fed with olive oil lived longer than those. Whom they fed or corn oil or sunflower oil. The same is observed in people: on the island of Crete, where the locals used mainly olive oil, the standard of living is one of the highest in the world. American scientists have proved that if you drink a tablespoon of olive oil a day, reducing the consumption of other fats at a time, the risk of breast cancer will decrease by 45%. Studies have been done for 4 years. They were attended by more than 60,000 women aged 40 to 76 years. Greek scientists found that when using 3 tablespoons of olive oil daily, the risk of rheumatoid arthritis is reduced by 2.5 times.
Only some of the benefits of olives and olive oil
- It is useful in heart diseases, improves digestion, normalizes liver function.
- Positively affects the skin.
- Helps treat open, bleeding wounds on the skin.
- Can reduce the formation of scars. Ulcers spread every night as soon as they peel.
- For infections of the ear, tonsils and throat, heat the olive oil in an enamel bath with water and mix with linseed oil (1: 3). The mixture is poured into a bag wrapped in cotton cloth and placed on the neck area. Bandages and hold 15 minutes.
- To cleanse the gastrointestinal tract, it is recommended to drink 1 tablespoon of olive oil on an empty stomach.
- If you walked a lot during the day, and your legs are tired - make a foot massage with olive oil mixed with lemon juice.
- To remove the callus on your feet, use chopped garlic and olive oil.
- Against insect bites and burns, mix 2 teaspoons of olive oil with one egg whites and oil the affected area.
- Patients with hepatitis C need a long time every morning to take one teaspoon of olive oil and rinse your mouth with a slice of lemon.
Although it is tasty and healthy, olive oil should be used with caution. If you use it for cooking, the frying pan or saucepan should not be heated more, because the oil loses its useful qualities and becomes bitter.
Cosmetic recipes with olives and olive oil
Beautiful Egyptian queen bathing in the water with olive oil. Some cosmetic recommendations can be realized today:
- To keep a beautiful bronze tan skin mask of 4 spoons of suntan lotion, flour, 1/2 cup of milk, a spoonful of honey and a spoonful of olive oil. The mask is made on the face and neck, while it is still warm. Remove it after 10 minutes and rinse face with warm water.
- Shine hair: 1 fresh egg yolk mixed with a little lemon juice, then add drops of olive oil. This mask is suitable for dry hair.
- For brilliant teeth whitening: prepare a mixture of several drops of olive oil and sea salt. Teeth rub this mixture and rinse well.
- The bath with the addition of a few drops of olive oil nourishes the skin of the body, strengthens the nails, which easily break.
- With visible scars on the skin after pregnancy, stretch regularly wipe with olive oil, wrap the body with a warm towel and rinse after 10 minutes.
- For beautiful hands: cover them for 10 minutes with freshly chopped potatoes, and then rinse with warm water, then gently massage them with olive oil.
- To avoid drying out the skin , soak your hands in half an hour in warm olive oil, and then compress from clay and olive oil.
- If you have dry skin , mix the kernel of the avocado with the olive oil and make a mask on the face. After 20 minutes rinse with warm water.
- When wrinkles - mix the juice of one lemon with two tablespoons of olive oil and gently massage the face twice a week before going to bed.
- To always have a soft skin , grease it with olive oil before bathing.
- Against dandruff: mix a little olive and castor oil, then spread the whole mixture onto your hair and after 20 minutes rinse.
- For beautiful, shiny hair: mix one yolk, juice of one lemon, half a glass of beer and one tablespoon of olive oil. Do a five-minute hair wipe before applying the shampoo.