Why Extra Virgin Olive Oil Can Boost Your Immunity
Choosing extra virgin olive oil over other oils is one of seven daily habits which can boost your immune system, according to a new report.
Accredited practising dietitian and nutritionist Susie Burrell told Good food that swapping other oils for extra virgin olive oil is one effective way to benefit your immunity.
Why Choosing The Best Olive Oil Matters For Your Immunity
Our immune system is the centre of our health, which means it’s essential to make sure we are nurturing and supporting it in every way possible. Luckily, there are simple dietary solutions available that can help boost immunity and improve overall wellness. One key solution is choosing the healthiest oil for cooking meals at home – a practice many of us overlook in favor of more convenient options like butter or margarine.
But don’t worry – this doesn’t mean sacrificing flavor! In fact, extra virgin olive oil is both tasty and comes with proven benefits for our bodies when selected carefully. This blog post will explain why selecting the right oil should be part of your 7-step immune-boosting strategy.
Why You Should Avoid Using The Wrong Oil For Cooking
According to a new report from Good Food, choosing a healthy cooking oil such as extra virgin olive oil can do wonders for your health. As Burrell explains:
Of all the dietary patterns associated with improved immune function and reduced risk of disease, the Mediterranean routinely comes out on top of the list, and one of the key components of this diet is a high intake of extra virgin olive oil, upwards of 40-50 millilitres each day. As well as being a versatile and delicious addition to your meals, extra virgin olive oil is associated with the anti-inflammatory and immune-benefiting outcomes.
Swap any oil at home for extra virgin olive oil,and aim for a couple of tablespoons with your salad or vegetables every day.
Other Immune-Boosting Changes To Make To Your Lifestyle
As well as swapping other cooking oils for extra virgin olive oil, the six other immune boosting ideas suggested in the Good Food article are:
- Avoid Binge Drinking And Have One or Two Alcohol Free Days Every Week.
- Don’t Eat Too Late At Night And Fast For 12 Hours
- Swap Caffeine And Energy Drinks For Herbal Tea And Coffee
- Avoid Too Much Ultra-Processed Food
- Spend at least five to 10 minutes in direct sunlight Every Day
- Include Plenty Of Plant-Based Meals To Your Diet
What Are The Key Immune Boosting Powers Of Extra Virgin Olive Oil?
Extra virgin olive oil is a well-known staple in many kitchens, not just for its flavor but also for its immune system boosting properties. Rich in antioxidants such as Vitamin E, it can help protect our cells from damage caused by free radicals and reduce the risk of chronic disease. Additionally, its anti-inflammatory properties have been found to improve immune function and reduce the risk of infections. Studies have shown that incorporating extra virgin olive oil into your diet can also increase the number of white blood cells in your body, helping fight off infection and illness. So, next time you reach for salad dressing or cooking oil, consider adding a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil for an added immunity boost.
Morocco Gold Extra Virgin Olive Oil And Your Immunity To Disease
One of the reasons quality extra virgin olive oils such as Morocco Gold are beneficial to your immune system is due to the presence of polyphenols.
A healthy diet, like the Mediterranean diet, including extra virgin olive oil like Morocco Gold can help combat inflammatory diseases. The polyphenols Oleouropein Aglycone and Oleocanthal within extra virgin olive oil help to combat inflammatory diseases Morocco Gold extra virgin olive oil is rich in both of these polyphenols.
The high polyphenol content of Morocco Gold extra virgin olive oil is dependent on three factors. First is the variety of the olive, secondly the climate and terroire of the growing region and thirdly the actual time in the growing season that the crop is harvested.
Morocco Gold is pressed from the Picholine Marocaine, the only type of olive to go into Morocco Gold. Oil from this variety is renowned for it’s high polyphenol count, oxidative stability and longevity.
Our olives are grown in a valley that is about 2,000 feet above sea level. This helps to create the additional climatic challenges that encourage polyphenol uptake within the olive tree. It is also an area with naturally occurring high phenols in the soil itself.
In soils, phenols are released over extended period of time from decomposing plant materials. This causes complex organic compounds to be slowly oxidized or to break down into simpler forms of sugars, amino sugars, aliphatic and phenolic organic acids. These are further transformed into microbial biomass or are reorganized, and further oxidized, into humic assemblages (fulvic and humic acids), which bind to clay minerals.