Why do we love olive oil?

Because it's tasty, and healthy!

Olive oil is the primary oil of the "Mediterranean diet," which includes a high proportion of vegetables, fruit and fish, and the tradition of slower, convivial, conversational meals. Scientific studies show that people around the world who eat a "Mediterranean diet" enjoy a remarkable variety of health benefits.

One of the few oils that can be eaten without chemical processing (most other oils must be detoxified and refined with steam and solvents), extra virgin olive oil can be consumed immediately after pressing and retains the natural flavors, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other healthy compounds of the ripe olive fruit. Comprised primarily of essential fatty acids (EFAs), it is classed as a monounsaturated fat because its primary EFA is oleic acid, which, depending on water content, makes up 55-85 percent of its body. (Its second primary essential fatty acid is a polyunsaturated EFA, linoleic acid, which makes up about 9 percent.) Monounsaturated fat tends to reduce low-density lipoproteins (LDL cholesterol-the so-called "bad" cholesterol) and therefore lowers the risk of heart disease, makes the clotting components in the blood (platelets) less sticky and less likely to form clots, reducing the risk of heart attack and stroke, and may help to dissolve clots if they do form. Monounsaturated fat also seem to help people with Type II diabetes improve control of blood cholesterol and the rise of triglycerides in people resistant to insulin and eating a high-carbohydrate diet.

In addition to being a "heart healthy" monounsaturated fat, olive oil contains antioxidant flavenoid polyphenols, as many as 5 mg of polyphenols in every 10 grams of olive oil. Most nut and seed oils have none. As natural antioxidants, polyphenols help the body in amazing ways. They inhibit the rate of growth of bacteria such as salmonella, cholera, staphylococcus, pseudomonas, and influenza in vitro; discourage cancers associated with inflammatory conditions, especially colon and breast pathologies, by limiting the effect of reactive oxygen in the body; and reduce harm caused by exposure to passive smoke and similar environmental assaults to the respiratory system. Polyphenols are the best "free-radical scavengers," beating traditional antioxidants, such as tocopherols, in reducing skin damage caused by overexposure to the sun.

Olive oil promotes wellness, used in healthful amounts. The American Heart Association recommends limiting total fat consumption to no more than 30 percent of daily calories and recommends monounsaturated fat highly over saturated fat (from meat and dairy sources), which should be limited to 8-10 percent of total calories. Olive oil is a wise choice as a life-long preference as your primary source of fat calories. Of course, there is also the pure delight of choosing cooking oil so delicious many chefs consider it a spice!

Olive oil provides 120 calories per tablespoon and 8 percent (1.6mg or 2.3 IU) of the RDA for Vitamin E (a natural antioxidant). It is also a second best source for Vitamin K (green, leafy vegetables are the best source).