Olives And Its Benefits In Your Diet

The olive tree originated in Asia Minor. They may have been under domestication in different regions of the Mediterranean for as long as ten thousand years. The Spanish brought olives to North America and planted them in the Caribbean, and at the missions in California. Today olive trees are widely cultivated throughout the entire Mediterranean region, and in other locations throughout the world with a similar climate.

Olives come in hundreds of shapes and varieties. They vary widely in taste, even among fruits from the same tree, let alone all the varieties that are currently available.

In classical literature and in the holy writings, olives and olive oil are symbolic of purity, happiness, and abundance.

In Greek mythology, Athena and Poseidon contested over who would become the patron deity of the new city that would eventually become Athens. The pantheon of gods decided that whoever gave the best gift would become patron of the city. Poseidon’s gift was a horse. Athena’s gift was the olive tree, which she planted amongst the rocks of the Acropolis in Athens. Due to the superior quality of the olive tree in furthering agriculture, healing, and abundance, Athena won the contest and became the patron goddess of Athens.

Olives played a vital role in Greek culture. The Greek philosopher Thales proved that philosophy was the greatest science when he predicted that he could, and then successfully did, corner the olive oil market using principles of philosophy.

Olives are perhaps the greatest beautifying food of all. Olives and their oil are one of the highest natural sources of vitamin E. This nutrient has been known to erase fine lines on the face, repair connective tissue, heal the circulatory system, and impart its soothing properties upon the digestive tract.

Olives are one of the most perfect bodybuilding foods. They are an alkaline fat source that is also high in protein (they have a similar protein-to-fat ratio as red meat). Unlike red meat, olives are alkaline, plant-based, and free of chemical injections.

The higher the food’s acid-binding potential, the greater its ability to dissolve mucus and cooked-food residues in the body. The olive, it turns out, is the highest mucus dissolver of any fruit. It rates with a value of 30.56, with figs following behind at 27.81. No other fruit in the chart ranks above 20.00. To give you an idea of how high these values are, the orange, an excellent mucus-dissolver, ranks at 9.61.

Olives are high in polyphenols. These are a broad class of water-soluble antioxidants. They display anti-
fungal and anti-bacterial properties, which are found mostly in the complete olive. However, olive oil does retain a small amount of polyphenols.

An extraordinary beauty-enhancing substance found in olives and olive oil is squalene, which keeps the skin smooth and stimulates the immune system. Chemically, squalene is an unsaturated oil and an oxygen carrier.

A related compound called squalane is used in skin care products. Squalane is derived from squalene but is more stable against oxidation.

Consider the power and benefits of the olive,

1. The highest fruit in minerals
2. The highest fruit in calcium: olives contain twice as much calcium as oranges by weight
3. High in magnesium
4. High in amino acids, including leucine, aspartic acid, and glutaminic acid
5. An alkaline fruit
6. A fatty fruit (mostly monounsaturated fat)
7. An alkaline fat source
8. Loaded with beneficial omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids
9. High in vitamins A and E
10. In possession of many antioxidant properties: Antioxidants deactivate free radicals, allowing us to live longer, overcome illness, and maintain more acute mental and muscular faculties.
11. Available in different varieties, which fruit throughout the year
12. Pressable into a powerful oil, usable in a limitless number of ways all year around
13. Able to soothe the mucous membranes with its oil