So far, our look at superfoods has focused upon such things that are obviously good for you. Cruciferous vegetables, carrots, tomatoes, blueberries – yeah yeah. So far, so familiar.

Now, though, we’re going to move on to those superfoods that are perhaps less obvious. The stuff you were less likely to have been told from an early age is good for you.

To begin with, olive oil.

Get Mediterranean!

We’re all familiar with those Bertolli adverts in which aged Mediterraneans live life to the fullest as if they’re half their age. They make the claim that the reason people in the Mediterranean live longer, fuller lives is because of their olive oil-enriched diet.

Whilst you’d be forgiven for fobbing this off as a dubious marketing ploy, they speak the truth: Olive oil has so many health benefits that it’s more than worthy of being considered a superfood.

Some believe that the prevalence of olive oil in Mediterranean countries has played a part in ensuring that the people of Greece, southern Italy and Crete have some of the lowest rates of chronic disease in the world.

Beyond that, though, olive oil has rather a lot of practical applications which mean that it’s not just an indispensable part of your diet, but it could also be incorporated into your health and beauty routine in a more direct capacity.

Olive Oil – High In Fat, But Where It’s At

One of the main thing which separates olive oil from the foods we’ve covered so far is that it’s got rather a high fat content. Indeed, it’s rather rare to hear food so high in fat described as healthy at all.

However, you need not worry about the fat content of olive oil for two reasons.

First of all, you’re not going to be drinking it straight from the bottle. And, when you do consume it, it’s only going to be a matter of a tablespoon or two, at the most.

Second of all, contrary to what many may believe, your body does require a dietary intake of fat in order to function properly. Not massive amounts, obviously. But a little fat never hurt anybody. And certain types of fat are even laced with marvellous health benefits.

Specifically, the monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) and polyunsaturated fats (PUFAs) as found in olive oil is a world apart from the various problems caused by saturated fats and trans fats. Whilst they will clog arteries and add to the waistline, MUFAs and PUFAs actually help to lower the risk of heart disease through improving certain related risk factors.

For example, MUFAs have been known to lower cholesterol and help normalise blood clotting. In addition, in some studies, MUFAs have been shown to benefit insulin levels and blood sugar control. This can be particularly helpful for those who have type 2 diabetes.

There’s quite a nasty condition called atheroslerosis – or hardening of the arteries. It occurs when particles of LDL cholesterol stick to the artery walls – particles which can eventually build up and form plaque – plaque which narrows the blood vessels. And, with narrower blood vessels, the heart has to work much harder in order to transport oxygenated blood to where its needed in your body. This can result in heart attack and stroke.

Yet these MUFAs as found in olive oil – along with such antioxidants as chlorophyll, carotenoids and vitamin E – all work together with a compound called oleuropein, which scientists have found can prevent LDL cholesterol from oxidising.

Now, if LDL cholesterol is prevented from oxidising, it will also be prevented from forming the awful artery-narrowing plaque. This means that olive oil can help to lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart attack – if it’s used in lieu of other fats, such as butter and cooking oil.

Olive Oil – The Great Cancer Inhibitor

It’s no coincidence that each of the superfoods we’ve looked at so far has been known to work wonders in the battle against cancer. Indeed, their effectiveness against the Big C no doubt played a part in their being labelled as superfoods in the first place.

Olive oil is no different. In a study published in the January 2005 edition of the Annals of Oncology, the oleic acid, one of the MUFAs found in olive oil, was revealed to play a part in reducing affect of an oncogene.

An oncogene is the gene which will turn a host cell into a cancer cell. This nasty little blighter is particularly associated with the growth of the tumours which make for breast cancer. The conclusion reached, then, was that oleic acid, when combined with drug therapy, encouraged the self-destruction of the harmful cancer cells usually resistant to treatment – thus destroying the cancer itself.

A diet rich in olive oil can act as a frontline defence against not just breast cancer, but also prostate and endometrial cancers. It’s no wonder the people in the Bertolli adverts are so sprightly. They’re healthy! And because they’re healthy, they’re happy.

Olive Oil – The Wonder Stuff With A Thousand Uses

Beyond the MUFAs, PUFAs and oleic acids, I believe that olive oil would be considered a superfood even if it didn’t have such wonderful health-benefits. This is because it happens to have thousands of uses beyond the kitchen.

From skincare to pet care, you’d be surprised at what can be achieved with a bottle of olive oil. You can read in depth about some of its wider-reaching uses on this very thorough website. But speaking from experience, I recently found warm olive oil to prove highly effective in unclogging my ears after a nasty bout of flu. Where I thought I’d need syringing I found salvation in the form of an ordinary kitchen bottle of olive oil.

How To Make The Most of Olive Oil

Of course, nobody’s expecting you to drink olive oil straight from the bottle. In that case, if you were able to keep it down, the fat content would prove dangerous. Rather, you should think of olive oil as an alternative to other fats – particularly in cooking.

My instinct is to stick with cooking oil, reserving olive oil only for recipes which request it specifically. However, judging by the above listed health-benefits, it might be an idea to use olive-oil exclusively. In this way, much of the potentially harmful saturated fats in your diet will be replaced by these remarkably beneficial MUFAs – and your food might just taste that little bit better, too!

Fats are commonly associated with a higher risk of colon cancer. Olive oil, though, even helps to protect the cells of the colon from carcinogens. Indeed, in a November 2003 study, it was suggested that the antioxidants in olive oil could even serve to reduce the amount of carcinogens formed when meat’s cooked. You could safely presume that olive oil serves to make food that might previously have been bad for you that little bit better for you.

Olive Oil & Weight Loss

I was prepared to conclude this hearticle with some thoughts on the high calorie content of olive oil, and how those who are looking to lose weight should take care. However, whilst undertaking my research, I discovered, much to my surprise, that the fats found within olive oil might actually help you to reduce the amount of fat in your body.

Impossible, I thought. Nonetheless, a September 2003 edition of the British Journal of Nutrition published results that suggested that a significant loss of body weight and fat mass can be achieved by just replacing the saturated fats in your diet with olive oil.

If you combine this dietary change with a rounded diet and a full, balanced exercise routine, then you’ll be well on your way to achieving your weight-loss goals in no time!

And, of course, you’ll be creating strong barriers against heart disease and cancer in the process. Not to be sniffed at, no?

But Please Do Take Care

Please remember that our articles are always to be treated as guidelines only. You must always consult a doctor before undertaking any major exercise regime, and diets are no different. We can only show you the way; only a trained dietician can give you the concrete, structured advice.