5 Reasons Why Olives Are Healthy For You
Olives are small fruits from olive trees. They are a wonderfully tasty low-calorie snack and great added ingredient to pasta, salads, and pizza. Even though there are many varieties of olives, they all have a similar nutritional value. So, are olives healthy and what are their health benefits?
They are mostly known for making versatile, beneficial olive oil. But what really makes olives healthy is because they are:
- Bursting with rich phytonutrients
- Provide antioxidants
- Boost heart health
- Relieve pain
- Lower cholesterol
- Lower high blood pressure
- Treat and prevent cancer
- Work as a natural probiotic
- Lower risk for diabetes
- Help fight infections
- Lower the risk of obesity and
- Prevent osteoporosis.
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5 More Reasons Why Are Olives Healthy
Olives Are A Great Cure For Modern Illnesses
Olives can help to tamp down inflammation. Include them in your regular diet and you’ll get more access to polyphenols. In particular, olives contain high levels of polyphenol known as oleuropein. It is a chemical compound that has powerful antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiatherogenic, antifungal, anticancer, and antimicrobial properties. Even better, they help cut oxidative stress in the brain and can help boost memory. (1)
Olives Are Great For Your Heart  And Cardiovascular System
Because olives are rich in monosaturated or “good” fats they don’t damage arteries as other kinds of fats do. They even reduce the risk of hardening of the arteries and help boost good cholesterol. This is proven by studies which also show that it has the ability to lower blood pressure too. It is due to the oleic acid that olives contain. (2)
Some studies also show that consumption of olives and olive oil, along with the other food items in the Mediterranean diet significantly lowers the blood pressure and overall cardiovascular inflammation. (3)
Olives Are Great For Your Skin and Eyes
Olives are rich in vitamin A, that’s an antioxidant essential for maintaining eye health and protecting the cornea. It can help ward off age-related eye problems such as cataracts, macular degeneration, and glaucoma. Additionally, olives contain vitamin E as well as the antioxidant compounds zeaxanthin and lutein which also offer eye and skin health support.
When it comes to skin, olives are beneficial because they are high in antioxidants and vitamin A. Antioxidants protect from harmful free radicals that can lead to skin diseases and cancers. On the other hand, vitamin A helps your skin maintain the proper neutral pH. This is essential for maintaining a healthy and radiant skin and also helps reduce wrinkles.
You can use olive oil to the skin as a neutral moisturizer or as an alternative cleanser.
- If you want to use olive oil as a moisturizer, put two drops of the oil onto your palm. Then rub your hands together and pat the oil over your skin.
- If you want to use it as a cleanser, first massage 1 teaspoon of olive oil onto your skin for two minutes. Next, place a steaming washcloth on your face. (to open the pores). After the washcloth cools, wipe off the olive oil.
Olives Can Boost Your Energy
According to several studies if you eat olives you’ll have high levels of glutathione in the blood. Glutathione is essential to energy production. Additionally, black olives contain a nice dose of iron which is important for immune system function and for energy production.
Olives Can Help In Your Weight Loss
Yes, olives can help you to shed a few pounds. This is due to the content of monounsaturated fats, which are linked to better insulin sensitivity and belly fat loss. 
To help control appetite in a healthy way, try snacking on a small serving of olives before sitting down to lunch or dinner. Fibers from the olives plus the monounsaturated fatty acids will stimulate satiety hormones and help aid digestion.
Olives Nutrition Facts
An average olive weighs about four grams, so the following nutritional information is for a serving of around 40 olives.
| 100 grams of green olives, pickled or canned have: | |
| % Daily Value | |
| 145 calories | |
| 3.8 gr carbohydrates | |
| 1 gr protein | |
| 15.3 gr fat | |
| 3.3 gr fiber | |
| 1,556 mg sodium | 65 % |
| 3.8 mg vitamin E | 19 % |
| 393 IU vitamin A | 8 % |
| 0.1 mg copper | 6 % |
| 52 mg calcium | 5 % |
| 0.5 mg iron | 3 % |
| 11 mg magnesium | 3 % |
DISCLAIMER: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.
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This article appeared first at Health Tips Now and appears here with permission. Like on Facebook!
