Olive Oil is a fruit oil obtained from the olive tree (olea europaea) which habitually grows in the countries bordering the Mediterranean.  It is thought that the first cultivation of olive trees took place on the island of Crete and the production of oil is assumed to have started before 4,000BC.

Olive oil is greenish with a distinctive, slightly bitter taste, obtained from crushing  the olives and is the only vegetable oil that can be consumed straight after pressing the fruit.

Over 750 million olive trees are cultivate worldwide today, 95% of which are in the Mediterranean region….Spain, Italy and Greece are the largest producers, although Latin American countries, such as Argentina are have wonderful olive oil.

For thousands of years olive oil has been used in cooking, soaps, pharmaceuticals and as a fuel for traditional oil lamps.  The Spartans used the oil to smear over the bodies of their favoured athletes to accentuate the beauty of the male body; olive oil also has religious symbolism for healing and strength.

The most traditional way of making the oil is to grind the olives. The exact ripeness of the olive fruit is of paramount importance for making the oil…too green and the oil tastes bitter, too ripe and the oil will taste rancid.  This can also occur if oil is kept too long…after a year the oil should only be used for cooking and not be eaten cold in salads.

Initially the olives are ground into paste using large millstones – the paste says under the stones for around 40 minutes and the oil collected is called virgin oil.  Thereafter, addiitonal pressing will produce more, but lower grade oil.

Types of oil:
Extra virgin - considered the best, least processed, comesl from the first pressing of the olives.
Virgin - from the second pressing.
Pure - undergoes some processing, such as filtering and refining.
Extra light - undergoes considerable processing and only retains a very mild olive flavour.

Olive oil has many benefits.,..culinary and otherwise:

Totally natural – the oil does not have to be processed but can be consumed straight after pressing the fruit.

Flavour – some people don’t like the slightly bitter taste, others are connoisseurs when it comes to their olive oil, much like choosing a good wine!

Nutritional Value - olive oil contains vitamins E, K, and A as well as polyphenols, squalene, oleocanthol, triterpenes and hundreds more micronutrients.

Oleic Acid - oleic acid (omega 9) makes up 55 - 85 percent of the fatty acids in olive oil. It's great for your skin – mix pure olive oil with another base oil and use to clean and moisturize.

Heart Health and Cholesterol - extra virgin olive oil is high in polyphenols (a powerful antioxidant) and monounsaturated fat which contributes to lowering bad cholesterol. Studies have shown that olive oil offers protection against heart disease by controlling LDL ("bad") cholesterol levels while raising HDL (the "good" cholesterol) level.

Cancer - researchers at the University of Oxford believe that olive oil may be effective in the prevention of colon cancer. A diet rich in olive oil has been shown to reduce the incidence of breast and skin cancers.

Blood Pressure - Studies now indicate that extra virgin olive oil may help to lower blood pressure - some patients, when they consumed olive oil regularly, were able to reduce or even eliminate the use of medication.

Alzheimers -  is associated with the clogging of arteries caused by cholesterol and saturated fat. The risk can be reduced by eplacing other fats with olive oil.

Gallstones - Olive oil promotes the secretion of bile and pancreatic hormones naturally and lowers the incidence of gallstones

Diabetes - Diabetics are advised to combine a low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet with olive oil. Studies show that the inclusion of olive oil is better at controlling blood sugar levels compared to a diet that consists entirely of low-fat meals.

Ant- inflammatory -Your body will use the healthy, monounsaturated fats in olive oil to produce natural anti-inflammatory agents, effectively lowering the severity of arthritis and asthma.

Ibuprofen - is a common analgesic and anti-inflammatory drug, used for relieving  headaches and arthritis by blocking enzymes which cause this pain and inflammation. Scientists agree that extra virgin olive oils contain the same inflammation-fighting compound (oleocanthal) as Ibuprofen.

Ear Wax - olive oil can prevent and buildup and dissolve ear wax build up. Warm olive oil dropped into the eat can alleviate ear pain also

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