Olive oil is a wonder food which we should all have in our diet in view of its many advantages. A basic food in the popular Mediterranean diet is olive oiI and used on my abundant vegetables every day. Also, the oldest person in the world Jeanne Calment from France survived for 122 and ½ years also used olive oil at each meal and externally. She also drank port wine daily, smoked, and ate 2 pounds of chocolate each week. But she was unstressed in spite of bad sight, bad hearing, feeling bad, but never complaining. But it was the olive oil she used frequently that caught my major attention.

Some of the many advantages of olive oil as a food are as follows:

– Internally stabilizes and lowers blood sugar, hence lowers bad cholesterol (LDL)and improves good cholesterol (HDL).
– Anti- inflammatory. Inflammation is the precursor of many diseases.
– Helps moisturize skin
– Produces vitamin E
– Causes heathier colon
– Lowers risk of some cancers
– Increases collagen, hence helps cure knee injuries
– Strengthens bones
– Anti-diabetic effect by lowering the blood sugar
– Increase blood flow in all parts of the body
– Pain relief by acting as a naturally occurring NSAID like Ibuprofen.
– Enhances the immune system
– Anti-oxidant by neutralizing free radicals (see below)

Olive oil taken internally plays an important role as an antioxidant by fighting the unstable molecules called free radicals produced in the body. The free radicals are missing electrons causing oxidative stress and many health problems— and are in constant search to bind with another electron to establish themselves. This short description may sound confusing but the free radicals cause considerable damage in the body and are produced by common occurrences in the body such as smoking, alcohol, drugs, metabolism, processed foods, tap water, pollution, personal care products, pesticides, household cleaners, and many other toxins. These unstable molecules cause cancer, heart disease, arthritis, stroke, diabetes, actually 22 diseases in all. But the bottom line is; olive oil, particularly virgin olive oil, as a food is a strong antioxidant that combats the damaging free radicals. The result is many bonafide health advantages. So I go along with Jeanne Calment.

Olive oil has been used externally in many countries for thousands of years such as Egypt for healthier skin or hair, or for massage. Before using topically test on your body on a as mall spot. I do not recommend since there is a possibility of pimples, itching, rashes, or allergy for some individuals…

The great photo is by Annie Bunting at the Sacramento Worlds 2011, with my 2 late legendary friends Olga Kotelko and Ed Whitlock.