Olive Oil and Heart Disease
- Research has found that olive oil can reduce the risk of diabetes, breast cancer and heart disease
- It has also been found to reduce the risk of fatal heart attack by 50% when used as the main source of dietary fat with the Mediterranean diet (lots of vegetables with limited meat and dairy)
- Olive oil may affect the distribution of fat, reducing the amount stored around the stomach

Other Health Benefits
- Olive oil has a similar structure to fatty acids in the human body, making digestion easy
- It is also rich in Vitamin F and E, the latter of which helps reduce cardiovascular problems
- Polyphenol in olive oil helps strengthen cell walls and increase elasticity of arteries
- Other phenols present also contain anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties
- Phenolic compounds, α-tocopherol, triterpenes, squalene, sterols and oleocanthal are believed to help relieve itching, stings and bites, burns, ulcers, gastritis
- They also help activate secretion of bile and pancreatic hormones that lower the occurrence of gallstones

Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Extra Virgin is considered to be the highest quality olive oil because it must have an acidity content below 0.8% (the lower the acidity, the more flavour and aroma)
- Extra Virgin olive oil contains about 40 different antioxidant phytochemicals, which are believed to reduce bad cholesterol
- Extra Virgin olive oil is also cold pressed, unprocessed and of the highest grade of olives
- Choosing organic olive oil will ensure that it has the highest quality and quantity of nutrients, no synthetic pesticides and because organic olive oil is produced sustainably it is easier on the environment.

G SPOT
Gina's finally made her way back into the kitchen, check out her cookbook ideas on this weeks BLOG.