Olive oil: beneficial properties, contraindications, use for health and cosmetic purposes

The average Greek during the year consumes about 20 liters of oil made from olive. Some scientists believe that this is one of the main factors determining the high life expectancy of the population washed by the country's seven seas.

Production technology

"Liquid gold" is extracted from the fruit of an olive tree. Olives used to produce oil can be of any degree of maturity: from angry (unripe) to purplish-black (ripe). First, the fruits are released from the seeds, then crushed, and then squeezed out by means of special devices (most often centrifuges) to obtain oil. Oil can also be squeezed from the remaining mass, but of a much lower quality, which is called oilcake. With increasing temperature of oil production above 25-27 ° C, its healing and taste properties decrease.

Composition

The healing properties are determined by the composition of the product. The bitter taste of "liquid gold" is given by oleuropein. According to studies conducted by scientists from Saudi Arabia, this substance is able to prevent the development of breast cancer and Alzheimer's disease. Other useful components are described below.

• Saturated Fatty Acids. Stearic, palmitic, lauric. In limited quantities, they are needed to maintain the function of the liver, nervous, bone, and immune systems.
• Omega 9. Lower cholesterol, strengthen blood vessels, prevent thrombosis. They exhibit antioxidant properties, slowing down the aging process and preventing cardiovascular and oncological pathologies. They accelerate protein production, activate lipid metabolism.
• Omega-3, Omega-6. Normalize muscle tone and coordination. They improve the condition of body tissues, participate in the process of blood circulation, have a beneficial effect on visual function. They accelerate regeneration, contribute to better absorption of most vitamins, and suppress inflammatory processes.
• Squale. Slow down the development of tumors. Prevent the formation of cancer pathologies of the colon, lungs, skin.
• Tocopherols (vitamin e). They have an antioxidant effect. Improve the condition of the reproductive system.
• Vitamin K. Optimizes blood coagulation, improves gall bladder, liver, and kidney function. Promotes the absorption of calcium, participates in the metabolic processes of bone and connective tissue, provides the synthesis of certain proteins.
• Chromium. It supports the level of glucose in the blood, participates in the synthesis of nucleic acids. With iodine deficiency in the body can replace this element. Included in fat metabolism.
• Iron. Provides tissue respiration, improves the function of the nervous system. It is part of hemoglobin and other proteins. Supports immunity.
• Phytosterols. They optimize the concentration of cholesterol, participate in the formation of cell membranes, reduce the concentration of harmful substances in the body. Strengthen the immune system and stabilize the hormonal background.

The product also contains a small amount of potassium, calcium, sodium, phosphorus.

Indications

As can be seen from the table, "liquid gold" can be used to improve health, appearance and strengthen immunity.

Table - The main indications for the use of olive oil

Acquisition and storage

The healing properties of the oil appear only if a quality product is used. And since its cost is high enough (to produce 1 liter of "liquid gold" requires about 5 kg of olives), fakes are not uncommon.

Kinds

If only mechanical methods are involved in the production of "liquid gold", the product is called natural (virgin). There may also be two more species.

1. Refined Refined product, freed by physical and chemical methods of a specific taste and most of the fatty acids.
2. Oilcake. The chemical solvents, high temperatures, hexane (saturated hydrocarbon) are involved in the preparation of the product, and oil from cake is made.

International Olive Council (IOC) - The International Olive Council, which appeared in Madrid in the second half of the 20th century. According to the IOC, olive oil is divided into six varieties, which can be found in the table below.

Table - Varieties of Olive Oil

The choice

Experts note that the color of the product is not the indicator that should be guided by. It can vary from dark brown to greenish and depends on where the olives grow. That is why venerable “liquid gold” tasters wear darkened glasses so as not to be distracted by an insignificant criterion. And here are four factors that are really worth considering when making a purchase.

1. Grade. Healing properties have only unrefined oil, extracted without chemistry and elevated temperatures.
2. Supplier country. Unconditional leaders include Italy, Spain, Greece, Tunisia.
3. Manufacturing firm. Firms with a reputation have pages on the Internet, some even install webcams in olive groves so that a potential buyer can take a virtual walk in the "holy of holies." Therefore, it is worth looking for information about the company whose product you plan to purchase. Well-established brands: Terra di Bari, Monini, Hellada, Maestro de Oliva, Borges, Guillen, Altero, Terra Delicca.
4. Packaging. Give preference to a product packaged in a container of dark glass.

Conditions

The beneficial properties of olive oil are fully preserved throughout the year. Then the product gradually loses its refined taste and medicinal strength. Oil is “afraid” of sunlight and open air, so you need to keep it in a tightly closed bottle of dark glass.

It is recommended to store in a kitchen cabinet, away from the stove. They don’t put it in the refrigerator, because when the temperature drops, a white precipitate forms, which, however, does not affect the taste and medicinal properties. When heated, "liquid gold" returns to its original form.

Wellness

An integrated approach is required in the treatment of most diseases, therefore it is permissible to use the product only as an adjunct after consulting a doctor.

Diet fortification

In order to prevent, it is enough to simply enrich the diet with oil, seasoning the product with familiar dishes: salads, cereals, soups, side dishes. It is advisable not to exceed the recommended daily intake of two tablespoons.

You can even fry in olive oil: Extra virgin burns at a temperature of more than 240 ° C and almost does not oxidize.

Universal way

As a universal way of using the product, traditional medicine recommends drinking “liquid gold” in its pure form on an empty stomach. Every morning you need to consume a tablespoon of undiluted product half an hour before the first meal. Treatment should begin with a teaspoon per day, increasing the dose gradually.

Usually supporters of folk medicine advise drinking oil for a month, then resume the course if necessary after a month's break. However, the duration of therapy may vary depending on the purpose for which it was used. For example, to achieve a laxative effect, a sufficiently short course of two to three days is enough.

8 medicines for oral administration

A simple way to avoid extreme intoxication is to drink a tablespoon of “liquid gold” 30-60 minutes before the feast. How to use the product to treat existing ailments? Here are eight recipes.

1. Cough. Stir the butter (100 ml) with honey (three tablespoons) and three raw yolks of fresh homemade eggs. Drink two teaspoons in the morning and evening.
2. Diseases of the liver and biliary tract. Mix 50 ml of freshly squeezed grapefruit juice with an equal volume of oil. Drink before going to bed.
3. Toxins and toxins. It is used in combination with honey: mix a tablespoon of each component, heat in a steam bath until the honey dissolves. Take daily on an empty stomach. The duration of treatment is three to four weeks.
4. Intestinal slagging. To cleanse the intestines, you need to prepare the mixture described above, and add a tablespoon of fresh lemon juice. The duration of therapy is a week.
5. High cholesterol. Free the head of garlic from the husks and chop, pour the raw materials 100 ml of olive oil, insist for three to four days, periodically stirring. Two or three times a day before a meal, drink a teaspoon of the mixture, washing down with a teaspoon of lemon juice (or just mix them). The duration of therapy is 30 days.
6. High pressure. Every day, eat a teaspoon of chopped garlic, washed down with two tablespoons of oil. The duration of therapy is a month.
7. Dyspnea. In equal volumes combine vodka, honey and oil. Use three times a day for a quarter cup. If the cause of shortness of breath is extra pounds, the remedy will not help.
8. Ulcer. Mix juice squeezed from two lemons with 0.5 l of oil and 0.5 kg of honey. Take a tablespoon every time before eating.This mixture is useful for the stomach due to its "enveloping" properties. The duration of therapy is no more than two weeks.

6 external products

Regular rinses with this composition will help get rid of halitosis: half a teaspoon of sea salt dissolved in two tablespoons of oil. Here are six more ways to use the product externally.

1. Joint pain. Prepare tincture: boil 200 ml of product over low heat and combine with 20-30 g of dry inflorescences daisieslet stand 10-15 minutes, filter. Use in a warm form for rubbing a diseased joint.
2. Lumbar sciatica and sciatica. Use pure oil for rubbing diseased areas.
3. Runny nose. Chop grass rosemary and a tablespoon of raw material pour 100 ml of oil. Insist 21 days in a dark place, shaking from time to time, filter. Instill two or three drops into each nostril, then reduce the dosage to one drop. The duration of therapy is no more than a week.
4. Wounds. Mix oil and pure beeswax in a ratio of 2 to 1, bring the mixture to a boil, cool. Put the mass on gauze folded in several layers and apply a bandage to the previously washed wound.
5. Diaper rash. Rub pure olive oil in places prone to diaper rash, wait for it to dry, only after that get dressed. Use three to four times a day.
6. Hemorrhoids. Mix butter and honey (on a teaspoon). Soak the composition with a cotton swab and apply to the affected area for 10-15 minutes, repeat two to three times a day. Use before relief.

Slimming

Due to the activation of metabolic processes, the use of oil can accelerate the process of losing weight. For this purpose, the product can be used to enrich the diet, or used on an empty stomach.

However, this is not a panacea - weight loss requires proper nutrition and rational physical activity. In addition, the oil contains many calories - 884 kcal per 100 g, so you can’t exceed the daily rate, otherwise the opposite effect is provided in the form of unnecessary fat deposits.

beauty

To improve the condition of the skin, hair and nails, it is recommended to eat a teaspoon of a special mixture daily. The composition is prepared as follows: mix a glass of honey with half a glass of lemon juice and 50 ml of oil, send it to the refrigerator for storage. However, for cosmetic purposes, "liquid gold" is often used externally.

Hair

The product is used to improve the structure and appearance of curls, prevent and treat excessive hair loss and accelerate their growth.

• Mask. Heat in a steam bath two tablespoons of oil, mix with egg yolk, apply on curls. Wrap the head with cling film, insulate with a towel, leave for 30-40 minutes (you can leave the mask overnight), wash your hair in the usual way. Repeat once every one to two weeks.
• Scrub. A tablespoon of finely ground sea salt is poured with oil until a consistency characteristic of the scrub is obtained. Lightly moisturize the scalp. Apply the composition to the skin with massaging movements, leave for five to ten minutes, rinse with warm water, wash your hair in the usual way. Repeat every three to four weeks.
• Remedy for split ends. In a steam bath, heat a tablespoon of coconut oil, introduce an equal volume of olive oil, apply the mixture to the ends of the hair for 30-40 minutes. Can be used before every shampoo.

Face and neck

It is not recommended to use the product for the face in its pure form due to the dense texture. You should mix “liquid gold” with lighter oils in texture (apricot, almond, peach), observing a ratio of 1 to 10. Such mixtures can be used in two ways.

1. Nutritious cream. Apply along the massage lines, after 20 minutes, absorb the non-absorbed product with a clean cloth. The procedure is carried out in the evening, two hours before going to bed. Use daily no more than a week. If necessary, the course can be repeated after a break of two to four weeks.
2. Mask. Heat the composition in a steam bath and moisten gauze folded in several layers. To put matter on the face for 15-20 minutes, wash with warm running water. Repeat no more than once every 10-14 days.

Owners of oily and problem skin should be careful: the use of the product may aggravate the situation.

Hands and nails

Pure olive oil can be used to care for cuticles by applying the product with rubbing movements. Here are three more ways for those who want to pamper their hands and nails.

1. Bath. In a steam bath, heat 200 ml of olive oil (in order to save, you can mix it with sunflower oil), add a teaspoon of sea salt and lemon juice. Immerse in the hands for 15-20 minutes, rinse with running water, wipe dry and lubricate the skin and cuticle with a nourishing cream. Repeat every 10-14 days.
2. Mask. Boil potato in milk, crush the hot vegetable in mashed potatoes and mix with two tablespoons of butter. Apply a mass that has cooled down to a comfortable temperature (the mixture should be warm) on hands, put on cotton gloves. After 20-30 minutes, wash your hands, apply cream.
3. Cream. Melt a tablespoon of shea butter, mix with an equal volume of olive oil. Lubricate hands with massaging movements. Use in the evening, a couple of hours before bedtime.

Body

When losing weight, “liquid gold” can also be used to care for body skin. Its use increases the firmness and elasticity of the epidermis, which contributes to a more effective fight against cellulite and prevents the appearance of stretch marks. The three methods described below are also suitable for those who just want to make the skin soft and beautiful.

1. Massage. Heat the oil in a steam bath and inject any citrus essential oil (two to three drops for every two tablespoons of “liquid gold”). Use to massage problem areas (stomach, buttocks, chest, hips, arms, legs). To enhance the effectiveness of stretch marks, you can add juice to the composition aloemixing the component with olive oil in a ratio of 1: 1.
2. Scrub. Dilute two tablespoons of cane sugar to a paste-like consistency with oil, add two to three drops of citrus essential oil. Moisturize the skin of the body and apply the composition to the problem areas in a circular motion, after two to three minutes rinse with running water. Lubricate the body with a moisturizer or anti-cellulite. Repeat no more than once a week.
3. Body wrap. Scrape the body. Heat the oil in a steam bath, add citrus essential oil (two to three drops in two tablespoons). Apply to problem areas, wrap with cling film, put on loose clothing and lie down for 15-20 minutes, rinse with running water, apply a moisturizing or anti-cellulite cream to the body. If a severe burning sensation occurs, immediately rinse off the composition.

"Liquid gold" can be used to prevent stretch marks during pregnancy. For this, the undiluted product should be applied to areas prone to striae formation (abdomen, chest, shoulders, hips and buttocks), one to two times a day from the first months.

Contraindications

Direct contraindications to the use of oil are diseases of the gallbladder and individual intolerance. Caution and mandatory consultation with a doctor requires the use of the product for diseases of the stomach and intestines, diabetes mellitus, therapy with drugs prescribed for diabetes and hypertension. Reception of "liquid gold" is recommended to be stopped two weeks before the upcoming surgery.

Excessive consumption is fraught with side effects:

• excess weight;
• lowering blood pressure;
• mild diarrhea.

Before external use, an allergotest is recommended. Apply a small amount of the product to the bend of the elbow, wait a day: if the skin does not respond with undesirable manifestations (itching, rash, burning), you can use the product.

Comparison with sunflower oil

It is believed that oil made from olive fruit is much preferable to a product created from sunflower seeds. To dispel this myth, we analyze their compositions using the table below.

Table - Comparison of olive and sunflower oils

It turns out that these are two complementary products. That is, it is not necessary to completely replace the more affordable sunflower oil with olive. Especially considering that the latter is of high cost and there is a risk of buying a fake.

Reviews

I drank olive oil on an empty stomach every day for a month, although before that there were problems with digestion, but I drank to improve the skin, and so the skin really got better, it was velvety, healthy, there were no problems with digestion and liver. but when I started drinking and then the effect disappeared, I bought the same oil, then I learned that I need to take a break, eat a month, a month not, otherwise the body gets used to it and there is no effect.

Yana http://www.woman.ru/health/medley7/thread/3894432/3/

Do you think your liver is clean and healthy? You don’t eat sweets, fatty foods, processed foods, don’t drink alcohol, aren’t you worried about skin rashes and acne? If it doesn’t hurt you and you feel great, it doesn’t mean that it is “pure”.

Let's check. We go to the store and buy extra virgin olive oil. We wake up in the morning and, on an empty stomach 1 hour before a meal, swallow 1 tablespoon of this oil (yes, it tastes nasty, just swallow it as quickly as possible, or drink vitamin C or plain water with a little lemon juice to make it better).

After 1 hour, you rush headlong into the toilet and you will be carried through as it should. What appears before your eyes (clumps of dark green color for example) is a secret that your liver has kept for a very long time, and all this garbage comes out of you. But this does not happen in 1 time, the procedure must be carried out until the laxative effect disappears.

Nastya is evil http://irecommend.ru/content/otlichno-pochistit-vashu-pechen

And I love olive oil, I drink it on an empty stomach with lemon juice and tsp honey - great benefit! I add to salads, but my husband does not like him) By the way, I still smear them with hair and leave it for the night — girls, believe me, my hair has become much less sect !!! This is an amazing product!

Irina, https://www.baby.ru/blogs/post/43425564-12019924/