Olive Oil offers many health benefits – plus flavor!

What does a small city in northern California have in common with several Mediterranean countries? Olives! More specifically, olive oil.

Having lived in an olive-growing region most of our lives has allowed us to develop a certain fondness for high-quality olive oil.

Community Crush

The newspaper where I worked had several nice olive trees. Wayne and I enjoyed picking the olives. There was even one year when our daughter, who was visiting from North Carolina, joined us in our annual olive harvest.

One of the local olive producers hosted a ‘Community Crush’. They invited the public to bring their olives, which were weighed and added to the press. Once all the olives were crushed and pressed, we received back oil according to the percentage of olives we contributed. It doesn’t get much fresher than that.

Olive oil from Corning, California

On a recent trip to the West Coast to visit family, we made sure we took the time to drive a short distance south of our hometown to the city of Corning, unofficially known as the Olive Capital of the World. Our quest was to buy a few bottles of locally produced olive oil to take back home with us. Even though olive oil is readily available almost anywhere, we are sorta picky and wanted to stock up on what was familiar. 

Olive oil is something we eat every day – we use it in so many things. I’m not a huge fan of butter, so I typically substitute olive oil for food that traditionally calls for butter such as toast and baked potatoes. I also use it in making bread. By far, my favorite way to consume it is by creating a dipping sauce for a good, chewy bread using olive oil, spices, and balsamic vinegar.

Arbequina is our favorite

We specifically wanted extra virgin olive oil that was also unfiltered and cold-pressed. Arbequina (Ar-bu-keen-a) olive oil met those criteria perfectly. Arbequina is described as “Unfiltered, 1st Cold Pressed, Extra Virgin Olive Oil”. The description goes on to describe it as “A fragrant early harvest oil and has a delightfully fruity smooth taste profile and a robust peppery finish”. All I can tell you is that it tastes lovely.

Why all this interest in olive oil? As I mentioned in a recent article, MIND(full) Eating may Reduce your Risk of Dementia, olive oil plays a large part in the MIND Diet. However, lately, I have been reading about additional advantages of including olive oil in our diets. One article in particular notes a wide range of benefits – including the prevention and even reversal of many diseases. Interestingly, it isn’t just any ol’ olive oil that provides health benefits. It is specifically extra virgin olive oil because it is rich in a variety of active compounds. 

Further research provided in a PubMed report concludes that consuming olive oil reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality. 

Olive oil benefits those with dementia

And, since I’m always on the hunt to find ways and means to help reduce our risk of dementia, I was pleased to come across an article in Healthline.com titled, “Does olive oil help prevent Alzheimer’s disease?”. While not definitive, many studies are quite promising. 

The bottom line is this: Considering all the known benefits of replacing current fats with olive oil to reduce your risk of disease, a spoonful or two might be worth a try…cook with it, drizzle over meats, or dress veggies and salads. Who knows – adding some flavor to your world can make a difference.

---

---

Has your world been touched by dementia?

My book, “FinishingWell: Finding the Joy in Dementia”, is a collection of stories and tips about doing life with my Mama.  May it encourage and inspire you to find joy on your own, unique journey.