10 Big Health Benefits of Olive Oil…but be sure you buy the right type

You know I’m a big believer of “food as medicine” and avoiding actual medication and the unpleasant side effects whenever possible.

I love that quote from Hippocrates, the father of medicine, who said, “Let food be thy medicine, and let medicine be thy food.” 

And that’s why I’d like to talk with you today about the 10 big health benefits of olive oil.

In fact, it was Hippocrates himself who dubbed olive oil “the great therapeutic.” The ancient Greek physician identified more than 60 medicinal uses for olive oil. 

Fortunately, after two and a half millennia, modern science is beginning to catch up with the wise, old Hippocrates. Many clinical studies, including the large-scale PREDIMED trials to evaluate the effects of the Mediterranean diet, have demonstrated olive oil’s role in preventing chronic diseases.

A delicious component of a nutritious diet, olive oil and its consumption may also be considered preventive healthcare—with topical therapeutic uses, too.

Important note: In order to reap the health benefits of olive oil, it is crucial that you procure extra virgin olive oil (EVOO). It’s the only grade of olive oil that retains its natural phenols (antioxidants) and other active compounds. (EVOO is minimally processed, whereas other oil grades, such as virgin, “pure,” or “light,” have been industrially refined and the healthful phenols destroyed.)

“The Fresher, the Better” — America’s Test Kitchen

Also, remember olive oil is never more flavorful—or bursting with more super-healthy polyphenols—than when it’s fresh-pressed. This is why, as the culinary experts at America’s Test Kitchen put it, when it comes to olive oil, “the fresher, the better.”

It’s also why medical professionals recommend selecting EVOO from the most recent olive harvest as a strategy for obtaining the highest-quality, highest-phenolic oil. (Here is a source, The Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club—the only one I know of that ships independently lab-certified 100% pure EVOO direct from the harvest. It’s a great way to get farm-fresh EVOO shipped right to your door. I actually have a couple bottles in my cupboard from the last harvest.)

10 Proven Health Benefits of Olive Oil

1. Can reduce the risk of heart disease.
Two tablespoons of EVOO per day can reduce your risk of heart disease by improving blood cholesterol levels: lowering LDL (“bad”) cholesterol and increasing HDL (“good”) cholesterol.

Heart disease can affect people of all ages, although the risk increases as you get older. Rising obesity levels in the US and around the world have lowered the average age of onset of heart disease risk factors such as atherosclerosis (“hardening of the arteries”), which can start as early as childhood.

2. Can help prevent type 2 diabetes.
Several studies have shown that EVOO as part of the Mediterranean diet can help prevent type 2 diabetes. In a PREDIMED study, the group of people who ate an olive oil–rich Mediterranean diet reported 40% fewer cases of diabetes than the control group (who did not consume olive oil). In another study, which evaluated people at risk for diabetes, two tablespoons per day of EVOO, along with fiber, reduced fasting and 2-hour glucose (blood sugar) to normal, non-diabetic levels.

3. May protect against breast cancer.
A long-term PREDIMED study suggests that a Mediterranean diet enriched with EVOO (1 liter a week for participants and their families) helps protect against breast cancer. Olive oil consumption is also inversely related to breast density: women who consume greater amounts of olive oil are less likely to have high breast density, a risk factor for breast cancer.

4. Aided weight loss in breast cancer survivors.
In a study of breast cancer survivors, women who ate a plant-based, olive oil enriched diet (including 3 tablespoons of EVOO per day) lost more weight than women on a low-fat diet. In addition, women in the study overwhelmingly chose to continue with the olive oil diet for 6 months of follow-up after the initial 8-week study.

5. Can reduce high blood pressure and the need for antihypertensive medication.
In a year-long study of people with high blood pressure, people who consumed olive oil lowered their blood pressure significantly compared to those who consumed sunflower oil (which contains polyunsaturated fatty acids, or PUFAs). What’s more, a third of the people in the olive oil group experienced enough of a reduction in blood pressure that they were able to discontinue antihypertensive medication.

6. Can reduce the risk of blood clots.
The monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) in EVOO have been shown to reduce blood vessel inflammation and other factors that can lead to blood clots.

7. Reduces inflammation.
Multiple compounds in EVOO have anti-inflammatory properties—MUFAs as well as phenols. Many medical conditions can be traced to chronic inflammation, in particular autoimmune diseases, in which the immune system attacks and damages the body’s own tissues.

8. Helps relieve rheumatoid arthritis pain.
The anti-inflammatory properties of EVOO have been shown to alleviate the pain of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), an autoimmune disease affecting the joints. A diet high in EVOO may even lower the risk for developing RA.

9. Can help protect cognitive abilities.
A PREDIMED study found that older people who ate a Mediterranean diet supplemented with EVOO experienced better brain power compared to participants on a low-fat diet. Participants in the study were given about 1 liter of olive oil a week.

10. Benefits maternal and infant health.
EVOO in a breastfeeding mother’s diet helps maintain high levels in breast milk of vitamin E, which is vital to an infant’s brain and nerve development. To help nursing mothers relieve nipple soreness, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and others recommend applying EVOO to the affected area. In contrast to ointments such as lanolin, EVOO does not need to be wiped off before nursing.

Bonus cosmetic benefits.
Olive oil is also celebrated for making hair soft and shiny, whether as a leave-in conditioner or shampooed out after a warm oil wrap. Generations of women (and men too!) also swear by olive oil as a moisturizer, especially for hands, feet, and rough, dry elbows.

To experience these and other health benefits of olive oil, I recommend seeking out certified extra virgin olive oil from the latest harvest from The Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club. The freshest EVOO has a higher phenolic content—and can offer greater health benefits.

All the best,
Lisa Nelson RD

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