Olive oil: earth's greatest treasure

Olive tree Symbolism: Beyond mythology

In ancient Greece, the olive tree is considered to be the symbol of peaceand friendship as early as the fifth century. This sacred tree is one of themost beloved and worshipped trees in the Greek methodology. In Greece, Zeuscalled for a contest between Athena (Goddess of wisdom) and Poseidon (God ofthe sea) for the occupation of Athens. Athena produced an Olive tree with itssilvery like leaves full of fresh greenish fruits. To win the hearts and mindsof the city, Poseidon smashed his three-pronged trident on a rock and a saltyspring was unleashed to impress his surroundings. The citizens were veryimpressed by the marvelous tree as it was represented as a source of food,fuel, and shade provider. From that moment on, the city was named Athens. The Olivetree has remained a symbol of healing, victory, richness, light, and above alla source of peace.

Olive trees live for thousands of years. Olives mean longevity, prosperity,and fertility. The life span of olive trees ranges from 300 to 600 years.

Yet, some Greek olive trees lived for more than 3000yearsas it is estimatedby historians. The olive trees give their first fruits at the age of 7 andreach maturity between 30 and 70. The Mediterranean basin seems to be the Olivetree's best friend. Under the Sunny days and next to the beautiful sea, Olivetrees found their favorite soil to grow and start giving their first fruits.Surprisingly enough, Olive trees can grow even on rocky soils and enduredrought weather conditions. The Island of Vouves which is located in the southof Crete embraces the oldest trees in the world. For more than 3000years ago,those Greek olive trees have been bearing fruits and produce the most expensiveOlive oil in the world. Greece is the first country in the world to grow, cultivate,and produce olives because of its miraculous fruits.

According to Greek mythology, the Olive tree is a gift from Gods inassociation with the renaissance and the light. For this reason, Both theMediterranean and Greek civilizations have developed strong ties with thecultivation of Olive trees. The olive Tree was taken as a symbol of Olympicideals.

“Kotinos” was the only prize given to the Winners of the Olympic games. Itwas a wreath made of an olive branch. The olive tree is taken also as a ritualin Greek weddings. The Ancient brides used to wear olive branch wreaths duringthe wedding ceremony which symbolized purity. The famous dove carrying a branchis one of the most universal symbols of peace.

There are references in the Holy Bible to the use of Olive oil in healingand cleansing at times of need and despair. Some Biblical verses state thatolive oil is used as a cure to heal the sick (Mark 6:13). To light up the lampsin the tabernacle, Olive oil is used as a fuel. According to the New Testament,Jesus is seen as “the Light of the World”, and olive oil is associated with thesame metaphor. Back to Greek mythology, Olive oil means to shine.

The olive oil found its merits in Christianity as a sign of hope and a newbeginning for mankind. These facts date back to the famous story of Noah’s ark.Following the terrible floods, Noah spent forty days and forty nights in hisark. He sent a dove and it returned with a branch of olive. Noah knew thatthere was land again. Olive became a symbol of hope and new beginnings. Yet,Christians, Jews, and Muslims share the same holistic reading of Olive due toits numerous benefits to humankind.

The olive tree is native to the Mediterranean countries. It was estimatedthat olive oil was first produced around 4000 BC. Food, medicine, lamp fuel,soap, and skincare are made from olive oil. The European countries are amongthe top producers of Olive Oil. Spain is being the largest producer of Oliveoil worldwide followed by Greece and Italy.

Olive oil production starts with harvesting the fruits. Some countries likeTunisia for instance still uses traditional means of production.

Tunisians prefer to celebrate this harvest as a family celebration whereall the family members gather happily to handpick their olives. According tothe Tunisian culture, people enjoy going for Olive holidays in winter tocherish the holistic benefits of olive oil. According to their mythology, onlyrich people can own olive trees, and the luckiest is the one who produces hisolive oil. After harvesting, the hand-picked olives should be washed to removedirt, twigs, and leaves. After the process of filtration, the fruit is ready toproduce the long-awaited marvelous oil.

Tunisia: A rising star in the world of olive oil

Throughout history, the olive branch is considered to be the universalsymbol of peace, and the olive tree is seen as a ''blessed tree''. Whether inmyths, cultures, or religions, the growing interest and admiration over thetherapeutic fruit have never seemed to an end. The sign of being from a holyfamily, according to ancient Greeks, ''is to be born under an olive tree''. Inthe bible and Quran, the Olive tree held a very important place and it wasfrequently depicted as ‘’ A green olive tree, beautiful with good fruit’’(Jeremiah11:16) and ''blessed olive tree''(Quran).

As far back as 3000 BC, the commercial growth of olives has increased. Theoil production in the surrounding countries of the Mediterranean Sea, the northern part of the region of Europe, the southeastern part, and thesouthwestern portion has flourished. Indeed, Romans encouraged the maritimetrade of oil olive with the Mediterranean basin which they called (MareNostrum) ‘’our sea’’. The green gold was perceived as an asset to the economythat’s why they developed several advanced techniques to enlarge theproduction. (Environment and Ecology in the Mediterranean Region)

The climate is suitable to grow and extend olive crops. Many historiansassumed that before the arrival of Romans, Berbers had developed treeplantations.

In Tunisia, a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa, the olive treehas left its deep mark on the country's nature as well as culture. For theinhabitants, the tree represents an essential source of the economy as itsupports people’s income especially farmers. Its presence is remarkable in ourtables, kitchens, medicines, and cosmetics.

Just as the oldest mosque Zaytuna or ‘’olive tree’’ is located in the heartof Tunis’medina olive tree lies at the core of Tunisia’s history and life.(Olive Oil Times)

Olive Production in Tunisia:

• Tunisia is the world’s third-largest exporter of olive oil

• Producers earned prestigious awards at the 2020 NYIOOC World Olive OilCompetition. Olivko, a Tunisian company that produces extra virgin olive oil,received three gold awards for its excellent and high-quality olive oil. Apartfrom Olivko Tunisia received seven gold medals and seven silver ones.

• In 2018, olive oil producers won over seventy awards at internationalcompetitions.

• In 1962, many commercial policies were adopted to organize the exportstrategy.

• The country’s oil is being exported from bulk to bottles under Tunisianbrands.

• The Tunisian olive oil exportations are mainly directed to the Europeanmarket.

• 30% of the Tunisian cultivated land is allotted to olive growing (1.68million ha).

• Ninety-five percent of Tunisian ‘’liquid gold’’ is purely organic.

• It produces ‘’three times more organic olive oil than Spain, the world’slargest olive oil producer

• The country has over 65 million olive trees.

• There are 100 olive trees /ha in the North, 60 trees/ha in the center,and 20 trees/ha in the South.

• Source of income for 260.000 means 57% of the country’s farmers.

• Oil trade represents 50% of the total agriculture exports.

• It represents the fifth source of foreign currency earnings of thenation.

• Until the 2000s Tunisia produced over 100 000 tons of olive oil a year.

• In 2003, the production reached a peak of 280 000 tons.

• During 2014/2015 the country’s production crossed 340 000 tons.

• In 2019, Tunisia witnessed a successful unprecedented olive oilproduction which made it the second-largest producer after Spain. Tunisia’sproduction has been estimated between 280.000 to 300.000 tons.

• Tunisia has an oil olive storage of 365 000 tons, 41% of which is ownedby the National Office of Oil. (ONH,2017)

Challenges

The North African state is threatened because of climate change. Heavyrains can cause damage to the trees.

Frequent droughts and rising temperatures can destroy the crop.

Lack of control analysis laboratories. The only equipped laboratory is theONH (National Olive Oil Office).

How to extract olive oil in Tunisia

• Olive oil extraction is the process of’’ separating the oil from theother fruit content’’. Current scientific studies have many concerns aboutimproving the quality and reducing the duration of the process of extraction.

• While in Europe olive oil production is modernized, the process of makingolive oil in Tunisia from picking olives to packing them to mills is still arural activity. The lives of many families in rural communities are based onit. The event of picking olives from the tree is seen as treasure. Tunisianfamilies throughout the country spend several months working on trees with barehands and they never take rest except for eating. In such a harmonic scene,they ended the journey by pouring the olives into traditional mills. Berbers inthe south, for instance, keep olives in the cave and press the fruit bythemselves whenever they need oil. For many people, these traditional ways aretaking the country back while others are depicted as ''blessing and unique''.This process protects olives from bruising. It uses little pesticides whicheventually makes the country famous for its organic oil.

• Olive presses have existed since Greek and Roman times and some of themare still in use to our present time. These traditional means are widely usedto press the olive paste to ultimately separate the liquid oil and thevegetation water. This process is still used for producing high-quality oliveoil. The extraction technique has many advantages first on the quality of theoil because the release of oxidation enzymes is reduced. Second, the wateradded is minimal when compared to other methods that minimize the washing ofthe polyphenols. However, the usage of the old technique is difficult to cleanand requires time, more labor force when compared to modern ways.

• Traditional techniques in extra virgin olive oil extraction have notwitnessed a notable change in recent years. The process goes through fourimportant steps washing, crushing, malaxation, and centrifugation. Olive fruitsare cleaned and removed from stems, leaves, or anything left in the olives.Following this step, olives should be carefully washed with water. Then it iscrushing the olives to tear the flesh cells using destoning machines. Last, itis themalaxation process which consists of mixing milled olives for at leastforty minutes.

• Oil mills are mainly concentrated in the most productive regions namely:Sfax and the Sahel (Sousse, Monastir, and Mahdia) However, the Northern regionsconsist of 23%to 18%. Other regions reach to 8% are located mainly inGabes and Medenine.

• There are 10 units of extraction for olive oil

• 15 refining units to seed oil

• 40 packaging units (source: ONH, 2017)

The Virgin Olive Oil

The International Olive oil Council ( IOC) defines Virgin Olive Oil as anoil derived from olive only by ''mechanical processes'' under some specificconditions that protect the oil from alteration.

Types of Virgin Olive Oil

Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Virgin Olive Oil with a free acidity,oleic acid, not exceeding 0.8g per 100g.

Virgin Olive Oil: Virgin Olive Oil with a free acidity,oleic acid, not exceeding 2g per 100g.

Ordinary Virgin Olive Oil: Virgin Olive Oil with a free acidity,expressed as oleic acid, not exceeding 3.3g per 100g. (source: IOC, Tunisian Olive Oil)

Refined Olive oil

This specific oil is solely obtained from virgin olive oil by refiningtechniques without any changes in the initial glyceride structure. Its freeoleic acid does not exceed 0.3g per 100g.

Olive Oil

It is made up of a piece of refined olive oil and virgin olive oilssuitable for consumption. Its free oleic acid does not exceed 1g per 100g.(source: IOC, Tunisian Olive Oil)

Pomace Olive Oil

This type of oil is derived from olive pulp just after the first press. Itis obtained by ‘’ treatment with solvents or other physical processes’’. Itsfree oleic acid is at a maximum of 1g per 100 g. According to ONH Olive OilCentre 2017, there are three different types of Pomace Olive Oil:

·Crude olive-pomace oil: It is dedicated to human use or for technical purposes.

·The Refined olive-pomace oil: It is obtained by’’ refining techniques’’ and does not contain any modifications to the initial glycemic structure.

·Olive Pomace Oil: It is a mixture of the cutting of the refined olive-pomace oil and virgin olive oil.

Types of olive in Tunisia

Chemlali: (BIOL Gold Medal winner 2019) organic extra virgin olive oil withgolden color. It is very famous thanks to its fruity and ''sweet mild to mediumintensity ''flavor.

·It occupies nearly 85% of the olive harvest and resulted in more than 80% of the Tunisian production of the golden oil. This type has flourished to the east coast of the country and itis known for its great ability to endure drought and arid lands. For instance, the oldest tree produced over 2.000.000 olives. Chemlali olive tree of Sfax also called Sahali is characterized by its resistance to droughts with very low annual rainfall and richness in linoleic. In Sfax, the Extra Virgin Sahali olive oil has a very fruity flavor with little bitterness at the end.Its price can reach 40 £/liter in the European market.

·Chétoui: is the second most common variety of olive in Tunisia. It has a darker color than the Chemlali olive. It is a mixture of fruity and peppery flavors. Its high phenolic property makes it stable against oxidation. This kind of olives is grown in the coastal region and highlands of the North and grown in almost 15% of the country’s olive production.

·Oueslati: cultivated in the center regions of Kairouan (Ouesletia, Hafouz, Nassrallah), and Siliana (Makther, Kessra, Bargou).

·Zarazi: is grown in four regions in the south (Sfax, Tataouine, Matmata, and Medenine). A recent study has shown that the geographic area, soil characteristics, and climatic conditions, play a significant role in the quality of the oil since it affects the chemical composition of the olive fruit. The oil of Sfax and Matmata for example have the best quality and the highest nutritional values.

·Jerboui: grown in Beja, Jendouba, and Kef. This variety is praised for its harmonic sweet, bitter, and slightly spicy taste.

·Zalmati: is cultivated in South East regions mainly Zarzis and Djerba. Zalmati olive oil has a medium fruity flavor and a mixture of apple, fresh grass bitterness.

·Chemchali: located in the Southwestern part of Gafsa and Tozeur. A study published in 2016 in the Journal of Chemical and Pharmaceutical Research demonstrates that Chemchali olive oil is very rich in antioxidants such as tocopherols and bisphenols. Besides, the fatty acid of this oil is very unique. The taste of the oil is not sweet but rather a bitter one.

·Meski: This variety is a specificity of the Northern regions of Bizerte, Beja, Manouba.

·Besbessi: Grown in the regions of Zaghouan, Mornag, Tébourba, Kairouan.The fruit is quite big and can reach 10 grams.

·Jemeri: is found in the southern regions particularly Matmata, Benikhdèche, Benguerdène. They share the same oil characteristics such as bright red color pulp ‘’reminiscent of embers (in Arabic jamra)’’.

·Fakhari and Toffehi: A unique variety of the region of Douirat in Tataouine. This kind of olives is threatened with extinction because of the harsh climatic conditions characterized by drought and low annual rainfall less than 50mm.

·BidhHmam: located in Sahel, Cap Bon, and the Oases of Jerid. The production of this variety is very low.

·Barouni: Grown in the regions of Grombalia and Tébourba.The fruit is big.

·Fouji: cultivated in the oasis and drylands of Ned and Guetar in Gafsa.

·El Horr: Spotted in the region of El Alaa with the Oueslati variety. It is called in Arabic ''Zeitoun Horr'' because it is not grafted as is the case with the Oueslati.

(source: ONH, Tunisian Olive Oil/ Institut de l’Olivier)

There are more than 80 million olive trees in Tunisia and each of them isgiven proper care and nourishment. The ideal soil and climate have resulted infresh, flavorful, and mouth-watering oil. The fruit is hand-picked by farmerswith pride and passion and pressed in traditional and modern mills. The“excellence quality standards” are set by a group of researchers to reach moreclients and customers all over the world.

Types of olive oil

Olive oil, one of the oldest oils known by mankind, has certainly gonethrough various metamorphic phases. Scanning historical records, I have comeacross interesting conflicting views and reviews concerning this green goldenliquid. Against all odds, however, it has survived the workings of time andproved to be adaptable to change and progress. Just like the sticky glutinoustexture specific to this oil, which challenges all cleaning products, olive oilis glued to the very existence of the human race. It has traveled a long pathfrom traditional uses to the global plantation and commercial trading.

Although it is quite tempting to scrutinize the ancient secrets of thisstill mysterious bliss, I have to turn a blind eye to this seduction for now itis highly crucial to locate olive oils’ position on the constantly shiftingtectonic plates of knowledge and modernity.

All olive oils are not created equal!! Sounds familiar? Well, this is notan Orwellian dystopian fact. This is an agreed-upon agricultural reality! Keepreading to discover what this means.

Types of olive trees

Olive trees are slow-growing, long-living plants. They maintain evergreenfoliage, providing refreshing colorful scenery almost during all seasons. Theycan be a hope-inspiring species among the destitute drylands of some MiddleEast and African countries; a reminder that no matter how harsh life can bethere will always remain a beating pulse at the core of all things.

This tree has been and is still cultivated nearly worldwide. Differentareas are suitable for different varieties. Microclimatic conditions andproductivity rates usually control which type of trees to be bred. Leavingaside the decorative fruitless varieties, we can list some of the fruit-bearingolives.

• Alfonso: from Chile, can thrive in almost desert-like conditions; itbears purple large fruits.

• Amfissa: originates in Greece, and bears brownish-purple fruits.

• Arbequina: cultivated mostly in Catalonia, Spain; has small and lightbrown fruits.

• Beldi: a small-sized Moroccan variety.

• Castelvetrano: a bright green fruit bearer from Sicily.

• Gordal: a large shabby Spanish type.

• Kalamata: a famous Greek olive with dark purple, almond-shaped shinyfruit.

• Manzanilla: a common productive Spanish tree that can, unfortunately, besusceptible to damage from cold.

• Mission: a cold-tolerant variety that is believed to originate inSpain.

• Pichonile and Niçoise: two French olive types.

The olive plantation is not an easy endeavor; various factors have to beconsidered. Each variety adapts to occasionally different conditions such asclimate characteristics, soil, diseases…etc. More importantly, cultivationmethods might not suit all olive varieties. Traditional ways have been overrunby modern methods which try to maximize production. Super high-density olivefarming is one way towards this end. Yet, not all types are suitable for thisplantation approach. The best appropriate olive species for SHD farming areshortlisted as follows:

• Arbequina, Arbosana, Koroneiki, Maurino, Leccio del Corno, and Piantonedi Mogliano.

These varieties make the ultimate choice for SHD orchards. They alldemonstrate shared qualities such as resisting low temperature and drought aswell as high productivity and a remarkable long-life span. They also yield thebest oil qualities.

Types of olive oil:

Consumers must be aware of the standards put by experts to determine oilquality. There exist multiple types of this oil and they are all ratedaccording to their acidity, flavor, and their extraction method. These oilstake different paths and processes and that makes all the difference. Virgin oilis obtained solely from olives and undergoes zero chemical alterations. It is apure fluid resulting from cold pressing and low if any thermal conditions.While refined oil is treated as low quality or defective virgin oil. Olivepomace oil is a very low-quality variety, obtained by treating olive pomacewith chemicals and other solvents.

• Extra virgin olive oil is the best-known type. It is obtained throughcold pressing and descends from the first harvest. No heat is used during theextraction process and that’s why it maintains its inherent nutrients. EVOO isrich in antioxidant compounds like polyphenols, the source of all relatedhealth benefits. To be certified as such, EVOO needs to be organicallyextracted and contains no more than 0.8 percent of free fatty acid levels. Itmay be a bit spicy, but it is certainly the most flavorful oil.

• Virgin olive oil is the second-best variety with roughly the samecharacteristics as EVOO. It is pure with no chemical changes or additives. Theacidity level must not exceed 2 percent. It contains a slightly higher freeacid of 1.5 percent. Though it shares the same number of antioxidants withEVOO, it has more calories and a relatively elevated smoke point.

• Refined olive oils often have no olive aroma or flavor. They arechemically treated oils with little extra virgin or virgin oil addition. Thistype loses the antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties of olive oil.

• Olive oil is similar to the former type, yet a better version. It is a mixture of refined and virgin oil.

•The pulp left from all the first extraction operations holds in itstexture a few liters of oil. Those remains are chemically treated to obtain thelast grains of this liquid. Pomace olive oil is a very low-quality oil, but itstill can be used for human consumption

How to determine olive oil quality? Is it a question of origin or a matterof extraction?

One thing to highlight is that nearly all varieties of olive trees arecultivated mainly for oil extraction, though other uses will be latermentioned. Above all, we emphasize the fact that all different areascultivating this plant produce oils with varying quality degrees. The olivecrop is usually harvested manually. This remains the way used in small farmsand sometimes in larger ones because handpicked olives are always better andthe process can be selective. Other farmers prefer using machinery to reducethe time necessary for the harvest and avoid expensive manpower. Later, theharvest must be transported to oil mills as soon as possible because the soonerit is treated the better the quality. Washing the crop is obligatory toeliminate all contaminants. After being thoroughly cleaned, olives are to begrinded into a homogenous paste made up of the pulp and their stones. Malaxingtakes place next. It happens under a temperature of no more than 22 to 25degrees. Maintaining low temperature is essential in cold pressing as it helpspreserve olives’ natural properties. Last but not least, oil is separated bycentrifugation, instead of the traditional pressers. This filters oil fromother remnants including water and olive pomace. The remaining mixture ischemically treated to extract residual oil. The final stage is packaging andstoring.

The best oils are extra virgin oil, and international regulations insist oncontrolling temperature degrees during malaxation, mainly through adjusting thewater temperature. Heat is extremely damaging to beneficial nutrients.

Other olive uses:

This fruit does not only yield oil. These fruits can be sun or water curedto offer the best possible salty food additions. A First method consists ofadding salt to the quantity at hand and leaving it to dry naturally under thesun. To gain a perfect result, olives must be thoroughly ripe. The outcome,meaty wrinkled olives, can be used in a variety of dishes such as pizza, pasta,and all Mediterranean dishes. Another way is possible. You can have raw greenolives to eat even after the harvest season is long over. Olives must be pickedbefore they ripen. Simply put the green olives in a jar, add salt and eitherlemon o vinegar and leave it for a few weeks. This operation can be repeated afew times until the olives expel all their acids and bitterness. You can servethis with any dish you like for their taste adds an incredible flavor to food.

Oil production and export:

Surveys list the following top ten countries as the largest oil-producingareas:

• Spain, with a perfect combination of climate and geography, is a worldheavy oil provider.

• Greece preserves about 60 percent of the land for olivecultivation.

• Italy has the most revered olive farms in the southern regions.

• Tunisia, enjoying an outstanding Mediterranean climate and fertile soil,produces high-quality olive oil and keeps building an arduous reputation in thefield.

• Portugal has a standing history in olive production.

• The United States cultivates olives, especially in California.

• Morocco is recognized worldwide for the production of Picholine olives,an excellent variety yielding the best possible extra virgin oil.

• France, although having small production rates, it certainly stands out thanksto the French olive oils’ superior flavors.

• Egypt enjoys a respectable reputation mingled with unique mythologicaltales.

• Australia remarkably climbs the ladder of international success andpromises to conquer this terrain.

These countries are by de facto the largest exporting areas of oil, withminor variations. Spain occupies first place; Italy enjoys a second place onthe list; followed by Tunisia, Greece, and Portugal with relatively similarrankings. These five countries govern the global oil market.

International Olive Council:

Set up in Madrid in 1959, under the auspices of the United Nations. Thisintergovernmental entity supervises olive production, regulations, and markets.It ensures the sustainable development of this field through policymaking andtackling all related present and future challenges. This body sets thestandards for olive oil qualities and forces producers to abide by them. AUnited Nations charter identifies purity and quality criteria. And a panel ofexperts develops methods and techniques to detect possible fraud and testproduction.

Competitions and Awards:

The council launched the Mario Solinas Quality Award in 2000 toreward producers for their excellence and artistry in the production of oliveoils. while some of the international oil competitions include the New Yorkinternational oil competition, Athena, Terraolivo in Jerusalem, AVPA Paris,SIAL olive d'Or, Los Angeles… and several other contexts.

The 2019 Biolnovello organic extra virgin olive oil competition in Apulia,Italy, bestowed six awards to Greece. The year 2019 had been a great successfor Greek producers; they won a remarkable number of prizes and dominatedInternational competitions with unquestionable rankings and high-qualityrecords.

Tunisian oil, on the other hand, has won international recognition andacclaim. Few Tunisian brands reached the global stage and started to competewith long-standing oil producers. Olivko is one of these brands; it has anastonishing record of success. It is handpicked and traditionally extracted oilvariety won the 2020 NYIOOC World Olive Oil Competition award for the bestextra virgin quality. The organic Chemleli and Chetoui types contributed tothis success.

Olive oils nutrition facts:

If you are a person who believes in ancient wisdom and the mysteriouspractices of antiquity, then you already know that olive oils and theirextracts are widely used in pristine medicinal treatments and body care. Theyare still used nowadays, not only by primitive pastoral communities but also bytheir modernized educated counterparts. This should cause no wonder becausecontemporary medicine and science proved the huge utility of this element.Olive oils never cease to impress us thanks to their continuingly unfoldingbenefits. A cornerstone in our existence, olive oil presents the followingpossible gifts:

Consuming one tablespoon of good quality oil, first thing in the morning isthe perfect solution for digestion problems.It relievesdigestive disorders and eliminates constipation.

It is good for your liver, especially if you suffer from the C virus.Besides, it lowers cholesterol levels in the blood and can lead to weightloss.

Different studies conducted on oil released growing evidence for the beneficialeffects of oil’s polyphenols on the human body. Olive oil reduces the risks ofcardiovascular diseases and heart strokes, protects against type two diabetics,strengthens bones thanks to its inherent proteins, and prevents depressionincidents by 48 percent.

For all their antioxidant compounds, it is no surprise that olive oils canreduce the dangers of cancers like skin cancer. Besides, it is good nourishmentfor both hair and skin.

Vitamin H, an olive oil antioxidant found mostly in pure varieties, protectsdegenerating cells and facilitates nerve conduction. It also protects againstviruses by improving the immune system.

A 2017 research emphasized the importance of including olive oil intoddlers’ diets. It might reduce old age diseases. As for women, it isadvisable to consume olive oil during pregnancy with moderation.

One recent study showed that olive oil can minimize Alzheimer's risk, butmore scientific proof needs to be collected.

This liquid is an excellent cooking choice. Whether it is for colddressings, cooking all sorts of dishes, or even frying on low heat, olive oilis beneficial in a large range of kitchen uses. Plus, beauty products now rely heavily on olive oil which makes it an essential ingredient in homemadeskincare creams and hair treatments.