Attractive oblong appearance, variety of color and taste make olives regular "guests" on the festive tables.
Options use of olives with benefits for the body a lot.
They are added to dishes to give a unique taste, the benefits of olives are also manifested in a unique oil.
On the basis of olive oil, both culinary delights and effective cosmetics are prepared. How olives are used, their benefits, harm and caloricity are described in detail below.
Olives: composition, calorie
Olives are removed from an evergreen olive tree from the Mediterranean. The first target cultivation of olives for eating was carried out by the Greeks. And now Greece remains the main supplier of olive fruits throughout the world.
The size, composition and taste of olives depend on the region of growth. Today olives are massively grown in the following areas:
• Greek Islands;
• Spain;
• Italy;
• Portugal;
• France;
• China;
• California;
• Australia.
More and more countries are trying to grow olives, and not always unsuccessfully.
The size Olives can be up to 4 centimeters in length, and up to 2 in diameter. It is believed that the color of olives and the composition of black and green fruits are the same, and black olives are only pickled greens. This is not quite true. In nature black olives - these are ripened fruits of evergreen olive tree. But for giving a different taste, pickling or fermentation is also used. Harvested green fruit is placed in a pickle and waiting for some time.
Olives: Calorie Benefits
People believe that olives are a fat and very high-calorie product, therefore they are excluded from the diet. In fact, in one large olive only 7 kcal. They will be the perfect snack for losing weight, or add variety to a tasteless dietary meal. The ripe black olives have a slightly higher caloric content than the green, 51 kcal per 100 grams, but it is only 166 kcal, which makes it possible to classify olives as dietary products.
The benefits of fat in the composition of olives
A serving of four large olives contains only 2.5 grams of fat. In this case, the fat in olives is of great benefit and it is completely absorbed by the body. Plus fruit is also in a balanced supplement of proteins and carbohydrates.
Fatty acids in the fruit are monounsaturated. This composition can reduce the level of "bad" cholesterol. which damages the arteries, and increase the percentage of cholesterol needed by the human body. This is partly why olive oil is so appreciated.
How to use olives with health benefits
For a long time, the fruits of the olive tree could not be eaten until they learned how to eliminate their bitterness. To do this, use different methods.
Pickled olives
The most common of these methods is soaking. Use alternating pure water with saline. The production uses a not very useful way - the processing of chemicals. Such olives have a blue tint, and they do not find pits.
That bone is a confirmation of the benefits of olives. The bones indicate the full ripening of the fruit, because it is impossible to remove a stone from a ripe olive, while maintaining the integrity of the fruit. This does not apply to unripe, greenish, olives. Such instances retain their elasticity.
Sun-dried and dried olives
Dried and dried olives are also used as food. The most useful olives are dried in the sun in a natural way. Unscrupulous manufacturers often neglect the technology of long-term curing and sell dried olives or "dried" using chemicals. The benefits of these fruits are very doubtful, and the taste is not particularly pleasant.
Olives are a universal product, they can be eaten either alone, with bread, or as an ingredient in a dish or side dish. Meat, fish, rice, pasta, and even potatoes blend perfectly with properly prepared natural olives.
Olive oil
The oil extracted from olives has conquered the whole world with its benefit. It is wrung out from ripened fruits. Cookery, medicine, cosmetology - all these industries are actively applying the beneficial properties of olive oil to their products.
Olive leaves
Not only is the fruit of the tree used in cooking - its place here is firmly occupied by tea from the leaves of the olive tree, which the Israelis were the first to prepare. The leaves are collected during the flowering period and dried in the open air in the shade or indoors with excellent ventilation.
Scientists are discovering the new beneficial properties of olive tea, and it is spreading faster around the planet. Now there is evidence that tea from olive leaves is even more useful than the usual green tea.
Olives: what is the benefit for the body?
The optimal balance of nutrients, vitamins and minerals makes olives a very useful fruit, which produces a unique oil.
The main advantage of olive oil over other vegetable oils at elevated combustion temperatures. That is, even with intensive frying at high temperatures, olive oil does not fade, does not evaporate, highlighting carcinogens, but also retains its great benefits.
Nutritionists recommend olive oil for the prevention and treatment of many cardiovascular, skin pathologies and diseases of the gastrointestinal tract.
Olives: Benefits for the Body with Diabetes
For about 20 years, American and Spanish scientists have studied the relationship of olive oil with the development of diabetes. Researched people from hospitals of America and their diet. The results were staggering: regular consumption of olive oil reduced the risk of diabetes by 20%. The same applies to the complete replacement of all animal fats in the diet with olive oil: all other things being equal, this diet correction reduces the chance of getting diabetes by 5 times.
Useful properties of olives in the fight against cancer
Thanks to squalene contained in olives, they are endowed with the effect of reducing "bad" cholesterol, improving brain activity, and also prevents the multiplication of cancer cells. The polyphenols contained in olive oil destroy the cells of certain types of breast cancer, and the acid in the peel of olives fights against colon cancer.
Cardiovascular Health
Every day using only two tablespoons of high-quality cold-pressed olive oil, a person is protected from atherosclerosis, thrombosis and various cardiovascular diseases. The effect is provided by a large amount of polyphenols and monounsaturated fatty acids.
Full functioning of the gastrointestinal tract
The mild laxative effect, perfect digestibility and very low acidity make olives an ideal product for regulating the digestive system.
Olive oil reduces the acidity of gastric juice, prevents the formation of gastritis and gastroduodenitis. Simultaneously, the production of bile is stimulated, the food is fully digested and problems in the intestinal activity disappear.
The benefits of olives for healthy skin, hair and nails
Not for nothing vitamin E is called beauty vitamin - it prevents aging and wilting of the skin and favorably affects the condition of the hair. Olives contain a large amount of vitamins E and A, which in the complex should be present in the daily diet. Lubricating the skin and hair with olive oil, making masks with its addition will help maintain the elasticity and softness of the skin, shine and elasticity of the hair.
An interesting fact is the prevention of skin cancer with the help of olives. The Mediterranean population, despite the abundance of ultraviolet radiation due to the hot climate, has a much lower percentage of cancer of skin diseases than in less sunny countries. Scientists say that olive oil plays a significant role in preventing skin cancer.
To moisturize, nourish and protect the skin from sunburns, use natural “tanning milk”: 500 grams of high-quality oil should be mixed well with the juice of half a lemon. Apply to the skin before sun exposure.
Solar and thermal burns, cuts and bruises can also be lubricated with olive oil - linoleic acid will accelerate healing and relieve swelling.
Help with joint problems
Powerful antioxidants in the form of vitamins C and E, as well as polyunsaturated fatty acids, polyphenols and trace elements have a healing effect on the state of the musculoskeletal system. With regular use of olives and oil from them, the inflammation of the joints is reduced, the conditions are improved in case of arthritis, osteochondrosis, gout, and other diseases, and the functioning of muscle and joint tissue is improved.
Olives: what is the harm to health?
Proper moderate use of natural olives and oil from them will bring the body only benefit. Olives can be harmful only to people with cholecystitis, since they have a choleretic effect. The rest of the dangers of natural olives can not speak.
Another thing - chemically processed, harvested in an immature state, olives. They are bright red, green or bluish-black. Such olives can cause harm to the most diverse - from mild allergic reactions to severe poisoning. Check the composition of the product on the package and purchase only high-quality olives from a reliable manufacturer.
Excessive consumption of olive oil may cause indigestion, nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Poor quality, spoiled or expired olive oil is harmful in the form of heartburn.
For pregnant and lactating mothers: the benefits of olives
Olives for pregnant women are not a contraindication, unless there is an allergic reaction. Olive oil during pregnancy and lactation, if taken internally and applied topically to the skin, will prevent skin lesions and stretch marks on the abdomen and chest.
The consumption of pregnant olives replenishes the deficiency of mineral substances and supports the salt balance during pregnancy.
Fatty acids in the composition of olive oil are used for babies on artificial feeding. They are close in their chemical composition to a number of substances in breast milk. It is necessary to add olive oil to the diet of the child only after permission of the pediatrician.
Olives for children: useful or harmful
From early childhood, you can use olives. For children, the big role of olives is in the regulation of calcium absorption and the formation of bones, muscle and joint tissue. Olives are useful for children as a source of vitamin E and A for maintaining the organs of vision and elasticity of the skin.
Olive oil can replace the baby cream, but there is a suitable organic cosmetics based on olives.
As olives, and oil from them for children is not contraindicated, unless there is no individual intolerance. Contrary to the claims of manufacturers, "baby olive oil" does not exist - it is identical to high-quality "adult" types of product.
All the beneficial properties of olives for the body manifest themselves only with regular daily use..
