Olives are fruits with a very bitter taste, although processing usually removes some of this bitterness. They are well-known for the oil that they produce; indeed, olive oil has been heralded as the best cooking oil that can be used as it is rich in healthy, unsaturated fats, while many other oils contain loads of fats that can lead to weight gain and poor digestibility.
High in vitamin E – Just a cup sized serving of olive oil contains about 20% of the daily value of vitamin E that the body needs. Vitamin E can boost the immune system, allows the brain to function in an optimal manner and also improves red blood cell production. What makes olives a great source of vitamin E is that the vitamin E is more easily absorbed into the body, thanks to the high content of unsaturated fat that olives have. Therefore, while other foods might provide more vitamin E than olives, they might not be absorbed as well as the vitamin E provided by just a cup of olives.
Nutritional content – About 100 grams of olives provides just 85 calories. The saturated fat content, the bad type of fat content, is incredibly low at just 0.7 grams per 100 grams. Olives are also a great food as they contain no cholesterol at all. 100 grams of olives can be a pretty good source of dietary fiber as well, providing the body with about 3 grams of fiber. Just 100 grams of olives can also provide the body with about 20% of the daily iron requirement, along with about 10% of the daily requirement of vitamin A and calcium as well. One however has to be a little careful about the high sodium content in olives, with 100 grams of olives providing almost 1,000 mg of sodium in a day, roughly half of what the body needs.
Good fats for the heart – Contrary to common public opinion, the body benefits from fats, as long as they are the good kind of fat. Good fats in the body can increase good cholesterol levels, a.k.a. HDL cholesterol levels, while also decreasing bad cholesterol levels, a.k.a. LDL cholesterol levels. Balanced cholesterol levels can then lead to better heart health as blood pressure is reduced. Reduced bad cholesterol levels also means that the chances of a heart attack, stroke or many other forms of heart disease are also significantly reduced. This is why many health websites recommend a switch to olive oil, as the good fats in olive oil can be delivered to the body on an almost everyday basis, especially as oil is used in almost every type of food preparation. Avocados are another fruit that's rich in good fats.
Prevents osteoporosis – Black olives have the ability to prevent a condition called osteoporosis, a condition where the bones lose mineral density, leading to a compromised posture along with other problems like muscle aches and bone aches. Studies have indicated that micronutrients contained in olives have specifically been able to help female patients who are at risk of suffering from osteoporosis, because of an estrogen deficiency, something that the micronutrients in olives can correct.
Prevention of colon cancer – Colon cancer is one of the most common types of cancer that currently affects millions of people around the world. Olives contain elements called oleanolic acids and maslinic that have the ability to suppress the growth of cancerous cells in the colon. Though the curative effects of olives on colon cancer are still inconclusive, the preventative benefits have been rather clearly established. The fact that the general Mediterranean population, who consume a lot of olives, enjoys a low incidence of colon cancer further supports the fact that olives can prevent the onset of colon cancer.
Since olives come in many different sizes, it can be difficult to come up with a uniform serving size, in terms of physical quantity. However, one can work around this problem by taking a serving size that will not yield more than 100 calories from olives in a day. If one consumes small olives, 100 calories worth will usually work out to about 20 small olives while 100 calories from large, jumbo sized olives can work out to just about 6 or 8 olives in a day.
Benefits of Olives
High in vitamin E – Just a cup sized serving of olive oil contains about 20% of the daily value of vitamin E that the body needs. Vitamin E can boost the immune system, allows the brain to function in an optimal manner and also improves red blood cell production. What makes olives a great source of vitamin E is that the vitamin E is more easily absorbed into the body, thanks to the high content of unsaturated fat that olives have. Therefore, while other foods might provide more vitamin E than olives, they might not be absorbed as well as the vitamin E provided by just a cup of olives.
Nutritional content – About 100 grams of olives provides just 85 calories. The saturated fat content, the bad type of fat content, is incredibly low at just 0.7 grams per 100 grams. Olives are also a great food as they contain no cholesterol at all. 100 grams of olives can be a pretty good source of dietary fiber as well, providing the body with about 3 grams of fiber. Just 100 grams of olives can also provide the body with about 20% of the daily iron requirement, along with about 10% of the daily requirement of vitamin A and calcium as well. One however has to be a little careful about the high sodium content in olives, with 100 grams of olives providing almost 1,000 mg of sodium in a day, roughly half of what the body needs.
Good fats for the heart – Contrary to common public opinion, the body benefits from fats, as long as they are the good kind of fat. Good fats in the body can increase good cholesterol levels, a.k.a. HDL cholesterol levels, while also decreasing bad cholesterol levels, a.k.a. LDL cholesterol levels. Balanced cholesterol levels can then lead to better heart health as blood pressure is reduced. Reduced bad cholesterol levels also means that the chances of a heart attack, stroke or many other forms of heart disease are also significantly reduced. This is why many health websites recommend a switch to olive oil, as the good fats in olive oil can be delivered to the body on an almost everyday basis, especially as oil is used in almost every type of food preparation. Avocados are another fruit that's rich in good fats.
Prevents osteoporosis – Black olives have the ability to prevent a condition called osteoporosis, a condition where the bones lose mineral density, leading to a compromised posture along with other problems like muscle aches and bone aches. Studies have indicated that micronutrients contained in olives have specifically been able to help female patients who are at risk of suffering from osteoporosis, because of an estrogen deficiency, something that the micronutrients in olives can correct.
Prevention of colon cancer – Colon cancer is one of the most common types of cancer that currently affects millions of people around the world. Olives contain elements called oleanolic acids and maslinic that have the ability to suppress the growth of cancerous cells in the colon. Though the curative effects of olives on colon cancer are still inconclusive, the preventative benefits have been rather clearly established. The fact that the general Mediterranean population, who consume a lot of olives, enjoys a low incidence of colon cancer further supports the fact that olives can prevent the onset of colon cancer.
Conclusion
Since olives come in many different sizes, it can be difficult to come up with a uniform serving size, in terms of physical quantity. However, one can work around this problem by taking a serving size that will not yield more than 100 calories from olives in a day. If one consumes small olives, 100 calories worth will usually work out to about 20 small olives while 100 calories from large, jumbo sized olives can work out to just about 6 or 8 olives in a day.
