OLIVE OIL AND HEALTH

“from Hippocrates to the Mediterranean diet”


Hippocrates was foremost in recognizing the beneficial qualities of olive oil and introduced it as a therapy to heal wounds, muscular pains and other ailments. Olive oil has the properties to reduce “bad” cholesterol LDL (low density lipoproteins that cause arteriosclerosis). Varied research has proven the role and importance of olive oil in the prevention and reduction of different types of cancer and heart disease and in the reduction of cholesterol.
 
Suffice it is to say that the people of Crete have the highest longevity in Europe, and correspondingly the least incidence of heart disease and other related illnesses, and in addition, a significantly lesser number of Greek women suffer from breast cancer. This is largely attributed to the consumption of olive oil and to the local diet in general.