Spanish Extra Virgin Olive Oil: 7 Unique Health Benefits

Looking for an ingredient that’s tasty and good for you? Discover seven unique health benefits of Spanish extra virgin olive oil. Add this food into your diet!
Spanish Extra Virgin Olive Oil: 7 Unique Health Benefits

Many of us enjoy drizzling a bit of olive oil on roasted vegetables, mixing it into a salad dressing, or alongside a dip. But no matter how you choose to eat it, everything will taste great. And olive oil doesn’t just taste great, because it’s also good for you! This article will talk about seven unique health benefits of eating Spanish extra virgin olive oil.

The Real Deal

What Is Extra Virgin Olive Oil?

Before diving into the health benefits, we want to explain extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) since the health benefits differ from regular olive oil. Unlike olive oil, EVOO contains more nutrients because it’s unrefined. In other words, extra virgin olive oil contains various vitamins and nutrients that our bodies need.

Tips for Eating EVOO

There are many ways to add this oil to your daily diet. You can use it as a substitute for butter, create salad dressings, use it for a light roasting, or even add it to a cheese platter. Your options are endless, and after checking out the health benefits, you’ll want to add EVOO to everything you cook.

Pan tostado - delicioso!

7 Health Benefits of EVOO

Not only does it taste great, but there are also various health benefits you can gain from adding EVOO into your diet. Seven of the top benefits include that it’s:

  • A healthy fat
  • Loaded with antioxidants
  • Great for heart health
  • Healthy for your brain
  • Helps reduce type 2 diabetes
  • Linked to preventing certain cancers
  • Good for bone health

Our bodies need a blend of nutrients to function, and it seems like extra virgin olive oil has a lot to offer us. One reason for all the benefits is because it has Omega 3, Vitamin E, natural fats, polyphenol, and Vitamin K. Each of these helps nourish our body in different ways, so consuming each benefit our overall health.

It’s a Great Source of Healthy Fats

Most health care professionals recommend eating three macronutrient groups: carbs, protein, and natural fats. Olive oil is a great way to sneak in those healthy fats, whether you mix it with other ingredients or enjoy dipping bread into a mixture of olive oil and parmesan cheese.

Natural fats are an important part of our diet because they give our body the energy to perform daily functions. If we want to get into specifics, extra virgin olive oil is a type of monounsaturated fat. This is important because, according to the American Heart Association, this type of fat can help reduce bad cholesterol while also fueling our body with nutrients.  

Some foods lose health benefits as you cook them due to the heat, but we can’t say the same about EVOO since it won’t lose nutritional value when you apply heat. Additionally, many health experts agree that cooking with monounsaturated fats is the healthiest option since they provide nutrients and give you the results you desire.

It’s Got Antioxidants

In addition to being a great source of natural fats, extra virgin olive oil contains antioxidants that can help improve your heart health. Antioxidants also help reduce inflammation and oxidative stress, damaging your DNA. Vitamins E and K are two key nutrients found in olive oil which add to its nutritional value.

It Lowers the Risk of Heart Disease and Stroke

Extra virgin olive oil can also help lessen the risk of two leading causes of death: heart disease and stroke. This is partially thanks to the antioxidants, but that’s not the only reason. EVOO can help lessen the risk of heart disease because the vitamins and compounds help reduce the risk of clogged arteries. Additionally, the antioxidants help lessen inflammation in the body and lower your bad cholesterol. These anti-inflammatory properties also help diminish the risk of stroke.

Pro Tip

Consider pairing your EVOO consumption with the Mediterranean diet. This will give you all sorts of extra virgin olive oil recipes, and the diet is incredibly healthy. In fact, many healthcare professionals recommend it for improving heart health.

It’s Great for Brain Heath

Looking for another unique health benefit of eating Spanish extra virgin olive oil? Many medical experts have also concluded that this natural fat is great for brain health. It’s quite possible that eating EVOO helps reduce the risk of developing age-related mental illnesses like Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. How? Because it helps break down the plaques formed on the brain due to both diseases.

It Lowers the Risk of Type 2 Diabetes

Anyone can develop type 2 diabetes, and it impacts how our bodies metabolize sugar, fruits, and sweets. EVOO contains phenolic compounds which help our body break down glucose molecules which lowers the risk of type 2 diabetes. Similarly, adding olive oil to your diet is also great if you already have diabetes since it can help you maintain a healthy lifestyle.

It Helps Prevent Some Cancers

The polyphenols found in EVOO can also help reduce your risk of developing specific types of cancer. While medical experts haven’t conducted enough studies to determine whether this is a fact, we know a few things. First, cancer appears less common in the Mediterranean, where people consume olive oil regularly. Additionally, EVOO contains antibacterial agents that can help fight off stomach cancer.

It's Good for Bone Health

Found in extra virgin olive oil, Vitamin K is excellent for bone health since it helps our body regulate our calcium intake. EVOO also helps boost bone density, lowering the risk of fractures and breaks since our bodies remain strong. Omega 3 is another vitamin that helps keep your bones strong, and it’s one found in extra virgin olive oil. Thus, by keeping EVOO a part of your regular diet, you make it easier to consume these essential nutrients.

Shop for Quality EVOO

These health benefits are great, and there’s one last thing to note before you rush out to buy extra virgin olive oil. You can’t just buy any olive oil since these advantages are solely for extra virgin olive oil, since it’s unrefined, meaning nutrients aren’t lost during manufacturing. GringoCool sells extra virgin olive oil from Spain that tastes amazing and has a smooth taste. Only buy the best quality EVOO to keep your body healthy and flourishing.

Spanish Extra Virgin Olive Oil: 7 Unique Health Benefits

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