by Katerina Nikolas

Created on: June 13, 2010   Last Updated: February 20, 2011

The olive fruit holds some amazing attributes. Researchers across the world are increasingly discovering more health benefits than originally known, both from the olives and the oil they produce.  Studies are conducted which raise new excitement as its cancer suppressant qualities are revealed further. Scientists began studying the potential health benefits of olives and olive oil when it was discovered that the levels of disease in general was lower in the Mediterranean countries which produced and consumed olives and olive oil than the in the rest of the Western world.

Greece and its island Crete were singled out as having the lowest incidence of heart disease and this was linked to the quality of the Mediterranean diet there. Of course no one needed to tell the Greek population that their olive oil was healthy as they’d known it for centuries.

I live in an area of Greece which produces the highest standard of extra virgin olive oil anywhere, even having my own olive trees, and when we talk about olive oil we mean only extra virgin oil. Unlike other olive oil producing countries the oil produced in the Peloponnese is not mixed with other oils, and Greeks consume more extra virgin olive oil than any other nation.

When the olives are harvested they go straight from the trees to the olive press and liquid ambrosia is produced in rich green hues. Everyone proclaims their olive oil to be the finest and the first bottles are poured into glasses to be tasted in the manner of fine wines.

The local olives are the famous Kalamata variety, large, black and tasty. They are more recognized outside of Greece than the oil is, even though much of the commercial Italian olive oil which is exported contains the second pressings from Greek olives. Once Greek olives are pressed the residual husks are sold to other countries to make up their oil production as second pressings, but do not produce extra virgin oil.

Olive oil contains monounsaturated fats which are so essential in a healthy diet. As olive oil is comprised of a large percentage of oleic acid it makes it the healthiest type of any oil. Research has already proven that the compound DHPEA-EDA which comprises half the antioxidant level of olive oil is primarily responsible in protecting against heart disease.

Studies began when it was discovered that the Greek population had the lowest mortality rate due to cardiovascular illness in the world, but further studies have revealed

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