Put Nutrition At The Healthy Heart Of Your Wellness Agenda
Wellness With Extra Virgin Olive Oil
National wellness month in August is a great time to focus on good nutrition and making healthy choices and including the best extra virgin olive oil in your diet is a great way to start. One simple way to do this is by incorporating extra virgin olive oil into your diet. This delicious oil is packed with nutrients and offers a host of health benefits. For example, it can help to reduce inflammation, lower cholesterol levels, and improve blood sugar control. What’s more, extra virgin olive oil is a great source of antioxidants, which are important for protecting the body against disease. So make the most of national wellness month by adding some extra virgin olive oil to your meals!
Why Celebrate National Wellness Month?
Did you know that focusing on your own self-care and wellness helps manage stress and promotes happiness? Whether you challenge yourself to a new fitness regime or book yourself in for a spa treatment, making even small changes can have a positive impact on your health.
There are numerous ways to make those small changes, too.
Add more fruits and vegetables to your meals with a diet such as The Mediterranean Diet.
Increase your water intake.
Monitor your sleep and make adjustments for better sleep habits
Join a yoga, walking, or aerobics class.
Learn to meditate.
The Mediterranean Diet For Wellness: Tell Me More!
According to a fascinating article from Everydayhealth.com, there are eight scientific health benefits of The Mediterranean Diet. So what are the hard facts?
The Mediterranean Diet May Reduce Your Risk of Heart Disease
A Mediterranean Diet May Reduce Women’s Risk of Stroke
Depression is a serious mood disorder that can significantly impact a person’s quality of life. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, an estimated 16 million adults in the United States experience depression each year. While there are many factors that can contribute to depression, research has shown that diet can play a role. In particular, the Mediterranean diet has been linked to a reduced risk of depression.
While more research is needed to confirm the link between the Mediterranean diet and depression, there is evidence to suggest that this way of eating may be beneficial for mental health.
Wellness And Nutrition: What The Scientists Say
These are some seriously impressive claims and full details of the science behind each health benefit can be found at Everydayhealth.com
Jo Ann Carson, PhD, a former professor of clinical nutrition at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas and a former chair of the nutrition committee for the American Heart Association puts the science in to a wider context:
“Whether you’re thinking of diabetes or cancer or heart disease, we want people to be at a healthy weight and not to be gaining weight unnecessarily. As you’re following the Mediterranean pattern, make sure that you’re doing it in a way that helps you control calories, which is very doable,” she says.
Jo Ann Carson, PhD
This well-rounded approach to good nutrition emphasizes fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, and nuts. It also allows for moderate amounts of dairy, lean protein, and red wine. One of the key components of the Mediterranean diet is extra virgin olive oil. This healthy fat has been shown to lower blood pressure and LDL cholesterol levels. It can also reduce the risk of stroke and heart disease. In addition, olive oil is a great source of antioxidants and vitamins E and K. So next time you’re looking for a way to improve your health, consider giving the Mediterranean diet a try.
How To Enjoy The Health Benefits Of The Mediterranean Diet With Comfort!
Comfort Food And The Mediterranean Diet
If you think that the health benefits of The Mediterranean Diet and enjoying your favourite comfort food wouldn’t go together, we are here to tell you otherwise!
When most people think of comfort food, they think of unhealthy dishes that are high in calories and low in nutrition. However, it is possible to find comfort foods that are both delicious and good for you. The Mediterranean diet is a prime example. This way of eating has been shown to provide a host of health benefits, including reduced risk of heart disease, cancer, and Alzheimer’s disease. And while the Mediterranean diet may not sound like comfort food at first, it can actually be quite satisfying. Dishes such as roasted vegetables, whole-grain pasta, and fresh fruit salad can all be prepared in a way that is both comforting and healthy. Best of all, the Mediterranean diet is flexible enough to accommodate your favorite comfort foods. So if you’re looking for a way to eat healthier without sacrificing taste, the Mediterranean diet might be right for you.
We loved this article from Eatingwell.com which walks you through some simple ways to incorporate comfort foods in to your Mediterranean diet – or is it the other way around?
In the 7-day plan from Eatingwell.com, you’re given a full week of comfort-food favorites, like warm soups and stews, curries and pasta dishes while sticking to the principles of this healthy lifestyle.
You’ll find plenty of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, high-fiber legumes, fish and healthy fats (nuts, avocado and olive oil) while skipping refined grains, excess sugars, red meats and processed foods. Because many people follow meal plans to lose weight, we set this plan at 1,500 calories per day and included modifications for 1,200 and 2,000 calories, depending on your calorie needs.
Among the delicious and comforting favourites for the week are;
Wholewheat English Muffin with almond butter and blueberries, Moroccan spiced chicken stew and Baked blueberry and bananna-nut oatmeal cups. All sounds pretty comforting and health to me!
Extra Virgin Olive Oil And The Mediterranean Diet
We all crave comfort food from time to time. And while there’s nothing wrong with indulging in your favorite dish, you might be surprised to learn that you can actually make it healthier – without sacrificing flavor. One simple swap is to use extra virgin olive oil instead of other oils or butter. Extra virgin olive oil is packed with healthy fats and antioxidants, and has been shown to have numerous health benefits. Plus, it adds a delicious depth of flavor to your food.
The Mediterranean Diet is not a fad diet or a weight loss program. It’s actually a way of eating that has been practiced for centuries in countries around the Mediterranean Sea. The diet is based on healthy, whole foods like vegetables, fruits, seafood, beans, and whole grains. Olive oil is a key component of the diet, and it’s healthy for your heart and your overall health. Including extra virgin olive oil in your Mediterranean Diet can be easy and delicious. You can cook with it, use it as a dipping sauce for bread, or drizzle it over salads and vegetables. The important thing is to choose healthy, high-quality olive oil that is cold-pressed and has a high smoke point. Extra virgin olive oil is a healthy comfort food that can help you live a long and healthy life.
Extra virgin olive oil is an integral part of the Mediterranean diet. A healthy diet that is associated with sensible tasty portions and slower, more enjoyable eating. People who eat a Mediterranean diet have been shown to have a remarkable variety of health benefits. The extra virgin olive oil in the Mediterranean diet can quickly satisfy hunger. It can lead to fewer total calories ingested at mealtime.
So next time you’re in the mood for some comforting fare, reach for the extra virgin olive oil and enjoy healthy comfort food that’s both delicious and good for you.
For hundreds more ideas on how to incorporate The Mediterranean Diet in to your diet without sacrificing the foods you love, take a look at our comprehensive selection of recipes at Morocco Gold.
Extra virgin olive oil is a good source of monounsaturated fats, which have been linked with reduced inflammation and a lower risk of heart disease. Canola oil, on the other hand, is a good source of omega-3 fatty acids, which are important for brain health. So which one is better for your health?
Ultimately, it depends on your individual needs and preferences. For example, if you’re looking to reduce inflammation, extra virgin olive oil may be a better choice. If you’re interested in boosting your daily intake of vitamins E and K, then canola oil may be a good option.
How To Choose Between Canola Oil and Olive Oil For Cooking
When it comes to cooking oils, there are a lot of choices on the market. Two of the most popular options are extra virgin olive oil and canola oil. So, which is the best oil for cooking?
Extra virgin olive oil is made from pure, cold-pressed olives. It has a slightly fruity flavor and a strong aroma. Premium, cold pressed single sourced extra virgin olive oils, like Morocco Gold, also have a high concentrations of polyphenols – a powerful antioxidant. Canola oil, on the other hand, is made from a hybrid plant that is part of the rapeseed family. It has a milder flavor and can often be less expensive than extra virgin olive oil.
Cooking with Olive Oil Or Canola: The Pros and Cons
So, with so many benefits to choose from in both products, which oil is the best for cooking? The answer may depend on what you’re cooking. If you’re looking for a healthy option, extra virgin olive oil is the better choice. It’s lower in saturated fat than canola oil and contains antioxidants that can help to protect against heart disease and cancer. However, if you’re cooking at high temperatures, canola oil can have a higher smoke point than some extra virgin olive oil, so it won’t break down as easily when heated. Ultimately, the best oil for cooking depends on your personal preferences and what you’re making.
According to a great report from registered dietician Isabel Smith talking to WellandGood, Canola Oil is high in omega-6 fatty acids – which may not be as good as it sounds.
“The problem with canola oil is that it is extremely high in omega-6 polyunsaturated fats (PUFA). A diet high in these omega-6 fats will cause systemic inflammation in the body, which is an underlying commonality with all modern chronic diseases, including heart disease and diabetes,” she says. The key is to consume more omega-3 fatty acids than omega-6 fatty acids, so consuming too much canola oil can actually work against you, in terms of heart health.”
However, she also pointed out that canola oil is high in phytosterols, which helps absorb cholesterol in the body, therefore reducing overall cholesterol levels.
Extra Virgin Olive And Lowered Inflammation
When discussing the case for extra virgin olive oil, Smith had many positives to consider.
Olive oil is an anti-inflammatory oil, while canola oil is known to be pro-inflammatory,” Smith says. This is because, she explains, olive oil is high in antioxidants, which fights off free radicals in the body. “Olive oil contains strong antioxidants, mainly oleocanthal and oleic acid, which can help reduce inflammatory markers in the body like CRP (C-reactive protein),” she says.
The report from WellandGood also points out that olive oil is good for your heart and could help improve memory.
Olive oil is high in monounsaturated fats, which support heart health, and because its polyunsaturated fat content is quite low, it’s less controversial of a heart healthy oil than canola.
Canola Oil Versus Olive Oil: The Verdict
Buying The Best Olive Oil
According to Healthline, evoo is healthier than canola, as it provides many disease-fighting antioxidants and is good for your heart.
The report goes on to say that research links quality olive oil – especially extra virgin olive oil – to health benefits, including benefits to your heart. It is less refined and boasts more antioxidants than canola oil, which makes it a better choice.
When it comes to making a final decision on whether to cook with either oil, Smith’s verdict suggests that, although it may be worth stocking both in your kitchen, her chosen favourite is undoubtedly olive oil.
“I would advise choosing olive oil almost every time,” she says. “Canola oil has a high smoke point, which is why it’s often used when frying or cooking foods at high heat, but there are much better options, like avocado oil. Canola oil is also always the cheaper option, but spending the little bit of extra money on something like olive oil is always a recommendation of mine.”
How To Tackle Menopausal Weight Gain With The Mediterranean Diet
Mediterranean Diet For Weight Loss In Menopause
Around the time of menopause, many women find that they start to gain weight but did you know that The Mediterranean Diet can help reduce weight gain? Storing a few extra pounds around the time of the menopause is often due to the hormonal changes happening in the body. However, there are things you can do to help manage this weight gain. One of those things is following a healthy diet like the Mediterranean diet. In this blog post, we’ll consider recent findings of Dr Michael Mosley and discuss how the Mediterranean diet can help with menopause weight gain.
Speaking on The Dr Louise Newson Podcast about how women can lose stubborn belly fat during perimenopause, Dr Michael Mosley explained that, while Type 2 diabetes is relatively rare for women before they hit menopause, it becomes “increasingly common” during this stage of life.
This is down to their greater risk of putting on more “high-risk fat”, which sits around the abdominal area.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil And Weight Loss During Menopause
Extra virgin olive oil has been shown to be beneficial for weight loss, especially in women going through menopause. The oil helps to increase metabolism and burn fat, while also reducing inflammation. In one study, menopausal women who consumed extra virgin olive oil for sixteen weeks lost more weight and body fat than those who didn’t consume the oil. In addition, the women who consumed extra virgin olive oil also had lower levels of bad cholesterol and higher levels of good cholesterol. These results suggest that extra virgin olive oil can be an effective tool for weight loss, especially in menopausal women.
Dr Michael believes that a “rapid weight loss, lowish carb, Mediterranean style diet” is the way to go.
Dr Claire Bailey added that while some may be scared of olive oil because of some weight loss myths, this is a great source of healthy fat for those who want to lose weight.
She explained: “People find it terrifying that, you know, they buy some decent olive oil and they’re scared that they’re going to have a heart attack by the time they’ve finished the bottle.
“With olive oil, we know it has anti-inflammatory properties, reduces certain cancers, lots and lots of benefits.
A Mediterranean diet is one filled with healthy fats such as olive oil, fatty fish, nuts, seeds and pulses. Speaking about a Mediterranean diet index, Dr Michael provided some top tips for adhering to this type of diet.
Eating at least three portions of legumes – for example chickpeas, black beans, kidney beans and green beans is important. Slimmers should also try to consume oily fish three times a week as a “good number”, according to Dr Michael.
Eating at least two portions of fruit and vegetables a day is also key.
“Plain yoghurt again seems to be a necessary ingredient of Mediterranean diet,” Dr Michael added.
And the benefits of a Mediterranean diet are not limited to far loss, according to the expert.
Practical Ways To Use Extra Virgin Olive Oil For Weight Loss
Extra virgin olive oil is the perfect companion for all kinds of food and you can add it in any culinary preparation. But if you are interested in losing a few extra kilos, here’s a reminder of some ways to use extra virgin olive oil to lose weight.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil With Lemon One way to use extra virgin olive oil to lose weight is to combine it with lemon. One of the most powerful remedies that exist to purify and eliminate toxins from your body. Lemon contains, in addition to vitamin C, hesperidin. A flavonoid that contributes to improve the function of lymphatic drainage and, with it, the retention of liquids. Take some extra virgin olive oil with half a lemon at breakfast and you will see how your figure is improving little by little.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil With Ginger Ginger is a root that, when ingested, produces a thermogenic effect in the body. Ginger is able to activate your nervous system and, as a consequence, activate all processes that produce energy (which also supplies fat). That is, ginger is a natural fat burner. Another excellent way to use extra virgin olive oil for weight loss. Add some ginger and extra virgin olive oil to dress your salads.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil With Cucumber Good weather is synonymous with lots of fruit and vegetables. And among them are the cucumbers. Delicious and very refreshing. A food that helps you lose those extra pounds. Its high-water content makes it have a low amount of calories. In addition, cucumber contains a lot of fibre that helps eliminate toxins from the body. Add extra virgin olive oil to a couple of cucumbers and you will get a great starter that will help you lose weight.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil With Cayenne Pepper Although it may not seem like it, cayenne pepper is a digestive stimulant. This spice stimulates the production of juices and gastric enzymes that digest the food you eat, eliminating the toxins that are generated in your body. It also speeds up metabolism and fat burning. A trick to add some cayenne pepper to a daily ‘shot’ of extra virgin olive oil.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil In Smoothies Detoxifying green shakes to reduce weight have become fashionable. And with good reason. They are a time bomb against the body’s fat and toxins. Full of vitamins, minerals, fibre and other nutrients that help keep your weight at bay. But you can enhance its power much more, and especially the flavour of these shakes, adding a little extra virgin olive oil.
Extra Virgin Olive oil is well known for its many health benefits, and there is a wealth of evidence to show this most versatile of foods can help reduce chronic illnesses like heart disease, stroke and diabetes.
For centuries, we’ve known that high quality extra virgin olive oil is good for your health and wellbeing and has been lauded across many cultures.
The difference now is – following extensive scientific research, we now know exactly what is in high-quality olive oils that are so good for you – it’s antioxidant polyphenols.
Morocco Gold is an exceptionally high-quality extra virgin olive oil from a unique new source, a raised valley in the foothills of the Atlas mountains that creates its own micro-climate, geology and soil nutrients, providing the perfect conditions for the Picholine Marocaine, the only type of olive used in Morocco Gold.
Using only traditional, sustainable growing and harvesting methods, oil from this olive is recognized for its longevity. What makes it so special, however, is it is teeming with health-enhancing polyphenols, the antioxidants that provide protection against a wide range of chronic diseases. This makes Morocco Gold particularly attractive to health-conscious food lovers – worldwide.
There is now extensive research that shows the positive impact of polyphenols in high-quality extra virgin olive oil on a range of chronic illnesses. New research into COVID-19 is also now demonstrating that these same chronic conditions affect a vital part of our cardiovascular system known as the endothelium. This makes sufferers of chronic conditions much more susceptible to COVID-19 and the effects of long COVID.
Research into diet has now also demonstrated that followers of a Mediterranean diet, with extra virgin olive oil as a key constituent can have a marked positive effect on Covid symptoms.
Morocco Gold is on a mission to:
Re-establish extra virgin olive oil as a healthy diet/lifestyle choice
Show health and wellness-conscious people on how this incredibly simple diet/lifestyle choice – inclusion of a high-quality extra virgin olive oil – can have a profound impact on their health and wellbeing
Show how extra virgin olive fits into a wider wellness lifestyle
2/ The Prevalence Of Chronic Illnesses
In 2016, the Milken Institute reported that the total cost for direct healthcare for chronic illnesses in the USA totalled $1.1trillion, the equivalent of 5.8% of the USA’s GDP.
(The Milken Institute is an independent economic think tank based in Santa Monica, California. It publishes research and hosts conferences that apply market-based principles and financial innovations to social issues in the US and internationally).
Total Direct Costs Of Chronic Diseases In The U.S, 2016 ($billions)
The most expensive in terms of direct health care costs are:
Cardiovascular diseases $294.3Bn
Diabetes $189.6Bn
Alzheimer’s $185.9Bn
Osteoarthritis $115.5Bn
The most common chronic health conditions were:
Dyslipidemia (cholesterol imbalance) affecting 94.7m people
Hypertension, a main contributor to heart disease and stroke affecting 78.6m people
Osteoarthritis, affecting 55.7m people
Type-2 diabetes, affecting 26.7m people
Coronary heart disease and heart failure, 23.3m people
When the total indirect cost of lost economic productivity are included, the total cost of chronic disease rises to a staggering $3.7trillio, the equivalent of 19.6% of USA GDP.
Total Costs Of Chronic Diseases In The U.S, 2016
The report went on to project the cost of these chronic illnesses is set to rise and that by 2030 an estimated 83.4m people will be suffering from 3 or more chronic illnesses compared with 30.8m in 2015.
3/ Risk Factors For Chronic Diseases
The report also highlighted obesity and being overweight as the single greatest risk factor contributing to the burden of chronic diseases. In 2016, being overweight and obesity accounted for 47.1% of the total cost of chronic illnesses in the US, $480.7Bn of direct costs and $1.24 Trillion in indirect costs related to lost productivity.
The following illustrates the rate of increase in obesity in the US.
4/ The Role Of Extra Virgin Olive Oil In Combating Chronic Illnesses
Extra virgin olive oil, sunflower oil and canola oil are high in monounsaturated fat (the healthy-for-you kind of fat). So what would put extra virgin olive oil above the others if their fat make-up so similar? It’s not just about the kind of fat molecules that they are made up of. Extra virgin olive oil has some extra magic. The biggest thing that makes extra virgin olive oil so healthy is its unique disease-fighting component.
Thanks to the recent spotlight on the Mediterranean Diet, extensive research has been done on the phytonutrient composition of olive oil. What has been discovered is an extensive list of phytonutrients; one of the most praised is its polyphenols. The amount of polyphenols found in extra virgin olive oil is truly amazing!
What Are Polyphenols?
Polyphenols are a group of over 500 phytochemicals, which are naturally occurring micronutrients in plants. These compounds give a plant its colour and can help to protect it from various dangers. When you eat plants with polyphenols, you reap the health benefits as well.
Polyphenols In Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Polyphenols are a key component in extra virgin olive oil and are considered to be one of the best health enhancing benefits within the oil. Many of the fruits and vegetables we consume contain large numbers of compounds critical for life. One such type of compound is known as antioxidants. Polyphenols are powerful antioxidants.
So how do antioxidants fit into the grand scheme of our bodies and our health? Antioxidants are chemicals known to be ‘molecular scavengers’ that help neutralize oxygen free radicals, thus preventing oxidative stress from occurring. There are hundreds of known antioxidants, some of which we consume in our daily diets:
Vitamin A
Vitamin C
Vitamin E
Selenium
Manganese
Carotenoids
And….POLYPHENOLS?
It’s also thought that polyphenols contribute to keep the body being in an anti-inflammatory state. This is also associated with a lower risk of several chronic diseases.
5/ The Additional Challenge Of Covid 19
As if combatting chronic illnesses were not challenging enough, the financial impact of the covid-19 pandemic has been huge. Official figures show that, globally, the covid-19 pandemic has so far claimed 5.8 million lives. But this is highly likely to be an underestimate, and some models indicate that the true excess death toll could be between 12 and 22 million.
Other costs of covid-19 include disruption to millions of children’s education, lost earnings, unemployment, and lost economic output. The public finance cost of covid-19 has also been enormous.
As the COVID-19 pandemic has spread around the globe and we learn more about this disease, what is becoming clearer is that elderly people and those with pre-existing chronic conditions including cardiovascular disease, cancer, hypertension, respiratory conditions and diabetes appear to be at a higher risk of developing complications and are at high risk, both of the disease itself, plus the effects of long-Covid.
6/ What We Now Know About Covid-19
All the major chronic medical condition that are simultaneously present in patients increase the risk for severe SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe COVID-19. This includes old age, obesity, diabetes, hypertension, respiratory disease, compromised immune system, coronary artery disease or heart failure. All of these chronic conditions are associated with a dysfunctional endothelium.
The endothelium is a monolayer of cells constituting the inner lining of arteries, veins, and capillaries throughout the circulatory system. Under normal conditions, it forms a semi-permeable barrier that prevents leaking of excessive plasma fluid and regulates selective delivery of nutrients and hormones to underlying tissues.
Once considered a mere physical barrier between circulating blood components and underlying tissues, the endothelium is now recognized as an important modulator of vascular function. With the growing understanding of endothelial mediators and their role, it has become increasingly clear that endothelial abnormalities may represent an early sign not only of hemodynamic diseases, but also of metabolic disturbances.
7/ The Endothelium, Blood Vessels, and Endothelial Cells
Almost all tissues depend on a blood supply, and the blood supply depends on endothelial cells which form the linings of the blood vessels. They control the flow of substances and fluid into and out of a tissue. An impaired function can lead to serious health issues throughout the body. Endothelial cells line blood vessels and lymphatic vessels, they are found exclusively in vascularized tissue.
Endothelial cells have a remarkable capacity to adjust their number and arrangement to suit local requirements. They create an adaptable life-support system, extending by cell migration into almost every region of the body.
Endothelial Cells
Endothelial cells are nearly ubiquitous throughout the body. If it were not for endothelial cells extending and remodelling the network of blood vessels, tissue growth and repair would be impossible.
8/ What Causes Endothelial Cell Dysfunction
The following are the main factors that impact endothelial cell dysfunction. Of all the risk factors, only one is non-modifiable, that is the natural progression towards old age. All other risk factors are modifiable.
Aging
Aging is one of the main risk factors for dysfunction of both endothelial and vascular smooth muscle cells. Endothelial cell injury is normally mitigated by endogenous reparative processes mediated by bone marrow-derived endothelial progenitor cells (EPC). Overtime, the endothelium ability to regenerate itself tends to decrease, partly as a consequence of reduced EPC availability and/or mobilization.
Even in the absence of specific risk factors, senescence (deterioration with age) is accompanied by several structural and functional changes occurring throughout the entire vascular system and contributing to alter endothelial barrier integrity. Moreover, the aging process may damage the balance between vasodilator and vasoconstrictor substances produced by the endothelium.
Oxidative Stress
Oxidation is a natural process our cells use to create energy from the oxygen we inhale. As energy is being produced in our cells, some oxygen molecules, known as oxygen free radicals or reactive oxygen species (ROS) are produced as a by-product of these processes. An excess of ROS can damage your cells and DNA when in high concentration.
Continuous damage by ROS, most often termed oxidative stress, can lead to various conditions including:
Various forms of cancer
Cardiovascular disease
Diabetes
Osteoporosis
Alzheimer’s Disease
Dementia
Wrinkles associated with age
Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are produced in a limited amount in endothelial cells under normal physiological conditions. The balance between oxidant and antioxidant processes regulates the amount of ROS generated by endothelial cells.
Oxidative stress may be generated by several pathological conditions, such as; Dyslipidemia, Smoking, Hypertension, Diabetes and Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs). All these factors are able to produce ROS. Increased ROS generation decreases the ability of free radical scavengers and increases the susceptibility to free radical damage to the endothelium.
Dyslipidemia : Cholesterol Imbalance
High levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL – or ‘bad’ cholesterol) or low levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL – or ‘good’ cholesterol). Oxidized low-density lipoprotein (Ox-LDL) can induce endothelial dysfunction by several mechanisms including: binding to scavenger receptors such as receptor-A1, -A2, and lectin-like oxidized low-density lipoprotein receptor (SR-A1, SR-A2, and LOX-1); upregulating the expression of its own receptor LOX-1 on endothelial cells and activating endothelial cells; promoting the growth and migration of smooth muscle cells, monocytes/macrophages and fibroblasts; and leading to oxidative stress through the generation of excessive ROS amounts.
Smoking
Exposure to cigarette smoke increases the rate of cardiovascular diseases by inducing morphological alterations and functional exchanges in endothelial and smooth muscle cells. Smoking causes a progressive downregulation of the endothelial functions, leading to adhesion of platelets and leukocytes and promoting thrombosis.
Hypertension
Studies have shown that in patients with essential hypertension, the decreased bioavailability in endothelial cells results from increased oxidative stress and subsequent activation of signalling pathways related to inflammation and contraction in vascular smooth muscle cells.
Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs)
Advanced glycation end products are modifications of proteins or lipids that become nonenzymatically glycated and oxidized after contact with aldose sugars. AGEs are compounds formed in the body fat and protein combine with sugar. When they accumulate in high levels they unleash the risk of many diseases including diabetes, heart disease, kidney failure and Alzheimers. Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs) – Healthline
Chronic exposure to high AGE-rich diets can lead to and/or accelerate endothelial dysfunction and vascular disease over time.
Endothelial dysfunction represents an early, pivotal, and common denominator of vascular and metabolic diseases, including obesity and diabetes, both of which are major risk factors for severe COVID-19 infection.
In patients with type 2 diabetes, a high-AGE meal induces a more pronounced acute impairment of vascular function than does an otherwise identical low-AGE meal.
Obesity
The obesity condition is associated with worsening of the microvascular endothelial function as shown by flow-mediated dilation in the brachial arteries of obese individuals. Obese individuals are highly susceptible to severe SARS-CoV-2 infection and severe COVID-19 development through several mechanisms including chronic inflammation, endothelium imbalance, dysregulated immune response, metabolic dysfunction, and dysfunctional mesenchymal stem cells/adipose-derived mesenchymal stem cell.
9/ How The Immune System Fights Back
Emerging scientific knowledge research suggests that Covid-19 attacks the body by causing inflammation and oxidative stress in the endothelial cells.
Cytokines are small proteins that are crucial in controlling the growth and activity of other immune system cells and blood cells. When released, they signal the immune system to do its job. Cytokines affect the growth of all blood cells and other cells that help the body’s immune and inflammation responses.
Although cytokines are an important component of our immune system, too many of these can lead to what is known as a ‘cytokine storm’. This is essentially an overreaction of our immune system which can have a seriously detrimental impact on COVID-19 sufferers and, in some cases, lead to fatality. This is because cytokine storms reduce the amount of oxygen circulating in our blood, causing fluid build-up in the lungs and lead to life-threatening breathing difficulties.
10/ Polyphenols In Morocco Gold Extra Virgin Olive Oil
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.
There has been a long debate about the ability of plants to uptake humic substances through their root systems and to metabolize them. There is now a consensus about how humus plays a hormonal role rather than simply a nutritional role in plant physiology. Olive trees grown in ‘challenging’ conditions encourage the uptake of naturally occurring phenols in the soil. This in turn aids the circulatory system within the olive tree, with the phenols eventually finding their way to the olive fruit itself.
Thirdly, our olives are picked when the fruit is young and green. As the olives age on the tree, the colour of the olive changes to red and then black, the size of the olive increases thus producing more oil, but the polyphenol level decreases. There is a great deal of expertise within the farming community where we source our oil to ensure that the harvest is collected at the optimum time to maximise the polyphenol level.
The Polyphenols Present In Morocco Gold Extra Virgin Olive Oil
We are delighted to say that this year’s harvest continues to provide a low acidity level of 0.28% together with the continuing highest level of polyphenols seen in our extra virgin olive oil. To find out more about these the polyphenols in our extra virgin olive oil and their related health benefits – follow the links below.
Polyphenol content in Morocco Gold Extra Virgin Olive Oil
The following illustrates the range of chronic conditions where research into these polyphenols oil has demonstrated positive effects.
Health Benefits And Polyphenols
In fact the European Food Safety Authority has now approved health claims for extra virgin olive oils with polyphenol content of more than 250mg / kg. Morocco Gold contains polyphenols well above this level.
11/ Olive Oil and Endothelial Function
Olive oil is to the Mediterranean diet what soybean is to the Japanese diet. It is omnipresent in meals and consumed in high amounts. The oil contains several bioactive compounds including oleic acid, oleanolic acid, oleuropein, oleocanthal, taxifolin, hydroxytyrosol, homovanillyl alcohol, caffeic and ferulic acid.
Several in vivo studies involving small and large numbers of participants have investigated the health benefits of olive oil, and several of these studies have confirmed the beneficial effects of consuming olive oil.
In a study at Mayo Clinic, designed to investigate the long-term effect of olive oil and/or green tea supplementation on endothelial function, participants (n = 82 started and n = 52 completed the study) with early atherosclerosis and presence of endothelial dysfunction (EndoPAT score < 2.0) were randomized to receive 30 mL of polyphenol-rich olive oil alone or in association with green tea EGCG for 4 months.
To determine the effect of olive oil or olive oil and EGCG on endothelial function, Endo-PAT and inflammatory biomarkers including hsCRP, IL-6, sICAM-1 and sVCAM-1, and oxidative stress biomarkers including oxLDL and 8-isoprostane, were measured in the 52 patients who completed this study. The results showed that the consumption of olive oil alone significantly improved endothelial function in patients with low to intermediate risk of atherosclerosis, with no additional beneficial effects associated with EGCG.
Several olive oil constituents have potent anti-inflammatory activities and can restrict the progression of various inflammation-linked diseases ranging from endothelial dysfunction to arthritis, cancer, and the severity of COVID-19.
12/ What Is Long COVID?
While most people recover quickly from coronavirus, some people may have ongoing symptoms. These can last for a few weeks or longer. This has been referred to as long COVID. These symptoms are not limited to people who were seriously unwell or hospitalised with coronavirus.
Most people’s symptoms of coronavirus get better within 4 weeks. But for some people, symptoms can last longer, or new ones can develop. Symptoms can also change over time and can affect anywhere in the body.
Healthcare professionals may refer to long COVID as: ongoing symptomatic COVID-19 (4 to 12 weeks); post-COVID-19 syndrome (over 12 weeks)
As this is a new condition, understanding is developing all the time. Experts are learning more about how long symptoms will last, and it will vary from person to person. There can be different symptoms which often overlap. It can’t be said exactly how long coronavirus symptoms will last. The reassuring evidence is that symptoms improve over time in most cases.
Signs And Symptoms Of Long COVID
Signs and symptoms after coronavirus can be different from person to person. The most common ones include:
Scientists at the University of Cambridge and Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, have been recruiting individuals who test positive for SARS-CoV-2 to the COVID-19 cohort of the NIHR BioResource. They want to better understand the relationship between the immune response and COVID-19 symptoms. The study also provides clues to the biology underlying cases of long COVID. In long COVID patients report experiencing symptoms of the disease, including fatigue, for several months after infection, even when they no longer test positive for SARS-CoV-2.
The team found that profound alterations in many immune cell types often persisted for weeks or even months after SARS-CoV-2 infection. These problems resolved themselves very differently depending on the type of immune cell. Some recover while some remain markedly abnormal, or show only limited recovery, even after systemic inflammation has resolved and patients have been discharged from hospital.
Dr Laura Bergamaschi, the study’s first author, said:
“It’s these populations of immune cells that still show abnormalities even when everything else seems to have resolved itself that might be of importance in long COVID. For some cell types, it may be that they are just slow to regenerate, but for others, including some types of T and B cells, it appears something is continuing to drive their activity.
The more we understand about this, the more likely we will be able to better treat patients whose lives continue to be blighted by the after-effects of COVID-19”.
13/ The Crucial Importance Of Diet
As the Milken Institute reported, the single most significant risk factor contributing towards chronic illnesses is being overweight and obese.
As well as measuring the waistline and stepping on the scales, we are also now beginning to better understand exactly what is going on – on the inside – at a cellular level and the role that polyphenols in high quality extra virgin olive oil can play in protecting our bodies against a wide range of chronic diseases.
The ever-popular diet, with its emphasis on quality extra virgin olive oil, fresh fruit, vegetables and fish continues to out rank its rivals on this key barometer for wellness and nutrition. It was named best diet overall for 2022, in addition to best diet for healthy eating, best heart-healthy diet, best diet for diabetes, best plant-based diet and easiest diet to follow. That’s a lot of wins!
Speaking to Good Morning America, managing editor of U.S. News and World Report said: “There’s no real surprise why that is […] It’s healthy. It’s delicious. It’s nutritious, and it’s really easy to follow.”
The Mediterranean Diet is followed in the list by other popular dietary choices near the top of the hit parade: namely DASH, Flexitarian, MIND, TLC, Mayo Clinic, WW and Volumetrics.
14/ Extra Virgin Olive Oil and The Mediterranean Diet For Wellness
It is generally accepted that the folks in countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea live longer and suffer less than most Americans from cancer and cardiovascular ailments. The not-so-surprising secret is an active lifestyle, weight control, and a diet low in red meat, sugar and saturated fat and high in produce, nuts and other healthful foods, with extra virgin olive oil at its heart.
The Mediterranean Diet including extra virgin olive oil offers a host of health benefits, particularly including weight loss, heart and brain health, cancer prevention, and diabetes prevention and control. By following the Mediterranean Diet, you could also keep that weight off while avoiding chronic disease.
There is not a single Mediterranean diet. Greeks eat differently from Italians, who eat differently from the French and Spanish. But they share many of the same principles and all include extra virgin olive oil as a key constituent.
U.S. News Best Diet Rankings
A recent review of 35 diets by U.S. News’ with inputs from a panel of health experts ranked the Mediterranean Diet #1 in Best Diets Overall.
Mediterranean Diet is ranked:
Best Diets Overall
Best Plant-Based Diets
Best Diabetes Diets
Best Diets for Healthy Eating
Easiest Diets to Follow
Best Heart-Healthy Diets
Olive Oil And The Mediterranean Diet
Olive oil is an integral part of the Mediterranean diet. The people will eat slower and in a more enjoyable eating. People who eat a Mediterranean diet have a variety of health benefits. The olive oil in the Mediterranean diet can quickly satisfy hunger and lead to fewer total calories ingested at mealtime. It is unclear if any single component of this diet is responsible for these health benefits or if it is a combination of olive oil and a diet high in vegetables, fruit and fish.
Extra virgin olive oil has no chemical processing. (Nearly every other vegetable oil has been detoxified and refined with steam and solvents). Fresh pressed extra virgin olive oil can be eaten immediately and retains the natural flavours, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and other healthy products of the ripe olive fruit.
Most doctors advocate lowering total fat and calories in your diet, and substituting butter, margarine and tropical oils with healthy fats like olive oil.
Health Benefits Of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
The village of Pioppi, Italy became notorious as the home of the Mediterranean diet. As the villagers have no supermarket, their diet consists largely of vegetables, olive oil and fish. They also eat cheese, but other dairy products aren’t available. Pasta and bread eaten in small quantities. In addition to sugar, their diet is low in meat and refined carbohydrates. Many of its residents live past the age of 100.
Picture what it would be like to enjoy one’s golden years without dementia or type 2 diabetes, maladies that are an integral part of aging in the rest of the world. After hearing about Pioppi, cardiologist Aseem Malhotra became fascinated with discovering what diet kept the residents so healthy and what lessons could be learned from them.
After studying the village, Malhotra developed a formula for optimal health. For starters, the Pioppians have a very low sugar intake, eating it only once per week. It is this dietary practice that the doctor considers essential for their good health. He contends that western society’s fear of fat is to blame for the high consumption of sugar and refined carbohydrates. Malhotra attributes these foods as the cause of the widespread incidence of heart disease, type 2 diabetes and obesity.
Other lifestyle practices aside from a healthful diet play a role. The villagers get seven hours of sleep per night and experience freedom from much stress. Although it isn’t intentional, intermittent fasting is a natural part of their lives. They don’t engage in exercise per se, but they’re very active.
Components Of The Mediterranean Diet And Risk Of Covid-19
The positive effects of a healthy diet on Covid-19 are now being confirmed in studies.
From March to December 2020, 9,699 participants of the “Seguimiento Universidad de Navarra” (SUN) cohort answered a COVID-19 questionnaire. After excluding doctors and nurses, 5,194 participants were included in the main statistical analyses. Among them, they observed 382 cases of COVID-19 based on symptoms and clinical diagnosis; 167 of them with test confirmation.
For the two COVID-19 definitions used, the study found a significant decrease in risk for a higher adherence to the Mediterranean diet. A protective effect was also found for symptomatic COVID-19.
Among the different individual food groups, only the consumption of whole dairy products showed a harmful direct association. The study concluded ‘The Mediterranean diet as a whole seems more important than each of its components in preventing the infection and symptoms of COVID-19’.
…the Mediterranean diet – with high quality extra virgin olive oil as a key component, is a simple lifestyle choice that could well have a profound impact on you overall health and wellbeing and lead to a more fulfilling, longer, pain free life.
Wimbledon is here and, as we watch the top tennis stars battle it out in SW19, we wanted to look at why extra virgin olive oil is an excellent addition to the diet of high-performance athletes.
One of Wimbledon’s superstars, Rafael Nadal, has recently described extra virgin olive oil as an “essential” element of his diet. And he’s not alone.
Wherever I am, I always look for olives or extra virgin olive oil. Extra virgin olive oil is an essential food for me. Every morning I make croutons with olive oil for breakfast, and at lunch and dinner I usually eat salad or fish, always with a splash of extra virgin olive oil.
“It is an immovable part of my diet and my way of eating. Combining a balanced diet with sports makes you a better person, makes you feel better“, He added.
Rafael Nadal
Wimbledon Great Rafael Nadal
Why Extra Virgin Olive Oil Is Beneficial For Athletes
Extra virgin olive oil is rich in antioxidants, which help protect the body from free radicals. It’s also a good source of healthy fat, which can provide energy and support muscle growth. In addition, olive oil has anti-inflammatory properties that can help reduce inflammation and pain after exercise. Researchers are now investigating whether consuming extra virgin olive oil before or during exercise can improve athletic performance. So far, the evidence suggests that it can help improve endurance and strength, as well as reduce the risk of injuries.
Extra virgin olive oil has several benefits that help you take care of your health in the long term. In addition, it can also fight inflammation and oxidative stress. This is largely due to the number of vitamins, such as K and D that protect bones, and minerals than the rest. .of oils
Athletes like cyclists, long distance runners, tennis players and other high-performance sports and exercise enthusiasts stress their heart out more than the average person, so it’s beneficial to add nutrients to your diet that protect it. While blood clotting is a natural and healthy process required for the healing of wounds and prevention of excessive bleeding, clotting in the arteries can ultimately result in a heart attack or stroke.
One risk factor for unwanted clotting in our arteries is excessive clumping together of our platelet blood cells. This clumping process is also called “aggregation.” Regular incorporation of Extra Virgin Olive Oil into a meal plan has been shown to lessen the risk of this excessive aggregation, and the reason that researchers refer to Extra Virgin Olive Oil as an “anti-aggregatory” oil.
The other broad area of cardiovascular benefits involves improved levels of circulating fats in our bloodstream, as well as protection of those fats from oxygen-related damage. Decreased levels of total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol following consumption of Extra Virgin Olive Oil are findings are the vast majority of studies that have analysed this relationship.
Yet equally important, the cholesterol molecules that remain in our blood also appear to be better protected from oxygen-related damage (oxidation). Since fats and cholesterol belong to a broader technical category called “lipids,” damage to the fats and cholesterol in our blood stream is typically referred to as “lipid peroxidation.” And it is precisely this lipid peroxidation process that gets reduced through incorporation of Extra Virgin Olive Oil into a meal plan.
It is crucial that the organs and tissues of the body receive proper blood supply. Lack of oxygen means death, therefore having a healthy cardiovascular system is vital for life. In most cases, cardiovascular disease can be prevented or greatly diminished through behavioural modifications. Individuals wishing to improve cardiovascular health should consume a healthy diet, exercise regularly, and abstain from smoking.
Imagine your body as a highly complex, high-performance engine. High quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil like Morocco Gold is natures highest performance engine oil, to keep your body well- tuned and running smoothly over a lifetime.
Anti-Inflammatory Properties Of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Muscle Recovery From Polyphenols
Monounsaturated fats are also anti-inflammatory, which helps with muscle recovery. Working out can cause micro-tears in your muscles, which can lead to inflammation, muscle pain, and soreness, but anti-inflammatories can help calm that reaction.
Plus, vitamin E is an antioxidant that many of us don’t get enough of. This nutrient helps boost your immune system and protect your body against heart disease and certain types of cancer. In addition, antioxidants protect your cells against damage, especially those in your muscles and lungs, which are extremely important when it comes to your athletic performance.
Vitamin K is important for absorbing fats like the monounsaturated ones in olive oil. If you don’t get enough of this vitamin, your body will have trouble using it effectively.
So, imagine your body is a high-performance engine. Keeping it topped up with natures highest performing ‘engine oil’ will ensure smooth performance for decades to come.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil And Muscle recovery
Muscles have a hard time during athletic training and need immediate recovery, which includes repair, strengthening and muscle building. EVOO is better than other fat sources in helping cells absorb cholesterol and convert it to testosterone. This is critical to the body’s muscle building process. Moreover, its combination of oleic acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids work together to build bone tissue and allow the body to regenerate.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Improved Bone Health
Decreased risk of bone fracture and better overall bone health is another area of increasing interest in Extra Virgin Olive Oil research.
One recent study compared the number of bone fractures in a group of 870 study participants over a period of seven years to see if intake of Extra Virgin Olive Oil was associated with the number of reported bone fractures. Results allowed the researchers to divide this large group into three categories.
In terms of their Extra Virgin Olive Oil intake, the lowest third of the study participants averaged 38 grams of Extra Virgin Olive Oil per day, approximately 3 tablespoons. The middle third averaged nearly 4 tablespoons (48 grams), and the top third averaged about 4.5 tablespoons (57 grams).
Participants in the highest category of Extra Virgin Olive Oil intake reported 51% fewer fractures than participants in the lowest category of Extra Virgin Olive Oil intake. Bone health or healthy bones is a serious modern condition. Anyone experiencing or at risk of the effects of osteoporosis should talk to their doctor. And determine the appropriate course of treatment.
Report Lists Extra Virgin Olive Oil As Top Swap To Reduce Inflammation
The report, from Clean Plates, credits swapping vegetable oil for extra virgin olive oil as having the potential to reduce inflammation in the body due to the powerful antioxidants it contains. As the article states:
Enhance your cooking oil of choice by substituting vegetable oils such as corn, soybean, and sunflower oils with extra virgin olive oil. Unlike vegetable oils, which have the potential to promote inflammation, extra virgin olive oil is a nutrient-rich option that offers numerous benefits for your health.
“Extra virgin olive oil stands out for its abundance of health benefits, including its impact on inflammation,” says Pam Hartnett, MPH, RDN, cancer coach, nutrition writer, owner of The Vitality Dietitians. “It is rich in monounsaturated fats, which are heart-healthy fats that help reduce inflammation in the body. What sets extra virgin olive oil apart is its powerful antioxidants, such as oleocanthal. This unique compound has been shown to possess strong anti-inflammatory properties similar to ibuprofen, according to this 2014 study in the International Journal of Molecular Science. Consuming extra virgin olive oil regularly has been linked to a decrease in markers of inflammation within the body, promoting better overall health.”
The article goes on to list the additional foods as also having the most effective anti-inflammatory properties:
Swap pretzels for nuts
Swap your second coffee for tea
Swap soda for smoothies
Swap your smoothie filler with kefir
Swap grilled meats for fish
Swap refined grains for whole grains
Swap iceberg lettuce for spinach
Swap mayo for avocado
Making dietary choices that support an anti-inflammatory effect, engaging in regular exercise, and effectively managing stress are all important steps. By reducing inflammation, we can potentially lower the risk of heart disease, enhance memory function, and improve digestion.
Anti-Inflammatory Qualities Of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Extra virgin olive oil is well-known for its numerous health benefits, and its anti-inflammatory properties top the list. Research has found that the oleic acid in extra virgin olive oil works against inflammation, which is linked to several chronic diseases such as cancer, heart disease, arthritis, and obesity. In addition, extra virgin olive oil contains a host of antioxidants, which neutralize free radicals and prevent oxidative stress in the body. These antioxidants include polyphenols, tocopherols, and carotenoids, which are associated with reduced inflammation and improved immune function. Incorporating extra virgin olive oil into your diet can be an easy way to support overall health and well-being.
Can Olive Oil Reduce Disease Progression?
Olive oil consumption may be advantageous for various chronic non-communicable diseases, as well as COVID-19, according to recent research.
Evidence suggests that olive oil’s constituents are having potent anti-inflammatory activities and could restrict the progression of various inflammation-linked diseases ranging from arthritis to cancer.
According to a study reported on Pubmed, the consumption of olive oil stands out as the key feature of The Mediterranean Diet linked with the prevention of degenerative diseases and extended longevity.
The Study states:
Olive oil rich in various bioactive compounds like oleanolic acid, oleuropein, oleocanthal, and hydroxytyrosol is known for its anti-inflammatory as well as cardioprotective property.
Pubmed
It goes on to say:
Olive oil consumption was found to be advantageous for various chronic non-communicable diseases. Olive oil’s constituents are having potent anti-inflammatory activities and thus restrict the progression of various inflammation-linked diseases ranging from arthritis to cancer.
Pubmed
Why Polyphenols In Extra Virgin Olive Oil Are Important
Polyphenol rich olive oil fights inflammation in the body and can regulate muscle damage or chemicals that cause inflammation. As inflammation is related to various other diseases, polyphenols in extra virgin olive oil help to fight these diseases including cardiovascular problems.
According to the study, the presence of polyphenols in olive oil are a vital contributing factor to its potential for disease prevention.
It states: the simple way of processing olive oil is to maintain the polyphenol constituents, whichprovide the protection against noncommunicable diseases and SARS-CoV-2.
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.
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.
Mediterranean Diet And Lower Covid-19 Risk Says New Study
Mediterranean Diet And Covid 19
New Research has further supported the understanding that anti-inflammatory diets such as The Mediterranean Diet can reduce the severity of Coronovirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). According to a review of research published in the journal Diseases , anti-inflammatory diets – such as the olive oil rich Mediterranean Diet– are understood to prevent hyperactivation of the immune system, known as a cytokine storm.
According to a report in news-medical.net, the studies selected in the review focused on some critical anti-inflammatory dietary components, including vitamins C and D, zinc and omega-3 fatty acids, as well as the Mediterranean diet.
The Role Of The Best Olive Oil In Anti-Inflammatory Mediterranean Diet
The Mediterranean diet, comprised of vegetables and fruits, legumes, fish, and extra virgin olive oil, is known to have potent anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, antioxidant, and anti-thrombotic properties. It is well-documented that the Mediterranean diet is highly effective in managing cardiovascular, pulmonary, and metabolic diseases.
Mediterranean Diet And Covid-19
People who follow a Mediterranean-style diet have a reduced risk of contracting Covid-19 and are less likely to suffer a sever case if infected, a major new study has claimed.
According to research from Harvard, King’s College London and research company ZOE, participants who ate the highest quality diets, full of vegetables, grains, nuts and extra virgin olive oil, were 10% less likely to get COVID-19.
And, of the 592,571 adults involved in the study, those following the healthiest diets were shown to be 40% less likely to become severely ill from the disease than people who followed less nutritional eating habits.
According to the COVID Symptom Study, a high quality, plant-based diet (including oily fish and fewer highly processed foods) is associated with a healthier gut microbiome and overall heart and metabolic health.
The report offers 7 key tips to improve your diet and reduce your chance of becoming ill from COVID-19. Among those is;
Choose healthier fats
Fat has a bad reputation, but it is an important part of a healthy diet. Omega-3 fats, found in fish and other seafood, nuts, seed and plant oils, support the immune system and heart health. “Oily fish, such as salmon and trout, are some of the best sources of omega-3 fats,” Emily explains. “If you don’t eat fish, you can also get omega-3 from plant sources like flax seeds and walnuts, although they’re slightly harder for our bodies to take up.”
Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Polyphenols and Long Covid
Polyphenols In Extra Virgin Olive Oil
The research comes hot on the heels of a new clinical trial, which will explore links between the polyphenols in Extra Virgin Olive Oil and the easing of long Covid symptoms.
The clinical trial, which is being conducted by the Regional University of Malaga, will explore how polyphenols – present in extra virgin olive oil – could alleviate the symptoms of Long Covid – due to their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.
According to a report in Olive Oil Times, The Endothelyx 45 supplement will be given to patients who have passed the acute phase of the disease but continue to struggle with symptoms such as chronic fatigue, joint pain and memory loss.
Polyphenols in Morocco Gold Extra Virgin Olive Oil
As reported, the research aims to study the effects of the supplement on endothelial cells, which are found in the inner lining of the arteries and play a key role in cardiovascular health.
Emerging scientific knowledge research suggests that Covid-19 attacks the body by causing inflammation and oxidative stress in the endothelial cells. Polyphenols – which are powerful compounds present in high numbers in quality extra virgin olive oils such as Morocco Gold – act as an antioxidant, minimizing free radicals in the body. Antioxidants affect the human health in various way from improving body functions and digestion to skincare. Antioxidants can also fight off cell damage in the body, enhancing the body’s capability to fight off any diseases.
The have been linked with helping to prevent the development of several diseases including cancer, cardiovascular disease, and neurodegenerative diseases.
The Olive Oil Times also reports a separate trial being carried out by the University Hospital of Jaén, in which another food supplement containing polyphenols from olives is being administered to patients with mild or moderate Covid-19 symptoms to study its efficacy in preventing the illness from progressing to the acute stages.
Morocco Gold Extra Virgin Olive Oil, Cytokines and Covid- 19
Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Cytokines
As reported in the Olive Oil Times , extra virgin olive oil has been shown to reduce levels of cytokine in the body, which in turn can reduce both the symptoms associated with COVID-19 and their severity. Cytokines are small proteins that are crucial in controlling the growth and activity of other immune system cells and blood cells. When released, they signal the immune system to do its job. Cytokines affect the growth of all blood cells and other cells that help the body’s immune and inflammation responses.
Although cytokines are an important component of our immune system, too many of these can lead to what is known as a ‘cytokine storm’. This is essentially an overreaction of our immune system which can have a seriously detrimental impact on COVID-19 sufferers and, in some cases, lead to fatality. This is because cytokine storms reduce the amount of oxygen circulating in our blood, causing fluid build-up in the lungs and lead to life-threatening breathing difficulties.
According to Ahmad Alkhatib, a researcher at Teesside University Center for Public Health:
“Olive oil, especially extra virgin olive oil, contains monounsaturated fatty acids and several polyphenols including oleuropein and hydroxytyrosol. These have several antioxidative and anti-inflammatory properties, which can be linked with significant antiviral and antibacterial potential.”
“Oleuropein has shown potential antiviral activity against the respiratory syncytial virus, a common upper respiratory infection virus. This effect has been attributed to the antioxidative property of elenolic acid, the main fragment in oleuropein.”
Ahmad Alkhatib
Extra virgin olive oil is identified as one of the key foods in the Mediterranean diet with excellent antiviral superpowers. Vegetables, fish, nuts, herbs and seeds are all known to produce similar effects. This is due to the presence of polyphenols, flavonoids, sterols and unsaturated fatty acids – all of which contribute to these powerful properties.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil To Fight Inflammation
Morocco Gold Extra Virgin Olive Oil For Inflammation
Polyphenol rich olive oil fights inflammation in the body and can regulate muscle damage or chemicals that cause inflammation. As inflammation is related to various other diseases, polyphenols in extra virgin olive oil help to fight these diseases including cardiovascular problems.
Inflammation is a natural response to potential dangers and damage to organs in our body, however it can become self-perpetuating leading to long-term problems.
There are 2 types of inflammatory diseases, acute and chronic.
Poor diet can contribute to long-term chronic inflammatory diseases.
A healthy diet, like the Mediterranean diet, including extra virgin olive oil like Morocco Gold can help combat inflammatory diseases.
Inflammation is a critical response to potential danger signals and damage in organs in our body. In diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, ulcerative colitis, Crohn’s disease and others, the immune system turns against the bodies’ organs. These painful and, in some cases, progressively debilitating conditions can take a toll on people’s quality of life and create both societal and economic burdens.
The inflammatory process in the body serves an important function in the control and repair of injury. Commonly referred to as the inflammatory cascade, or simply inflammation, it can take two basic forms, acute and chronic. Acute inflammation, part of the immune response, is the body’s immediate response to injury or assault due to physical trauma, infection, stress, or a combination of all three. Acute inflammation helps to prevent further injury and facilitates the healing and recovery process.
When inflammation becomes self-perpetuating however, it can result in chronic or long-term inflammation. This is known as chronic inflammation, and lasts beyond the actual injury, sometimes for months or even years. It can become a problem itself and require medical intervention to control or stop further inflammation-mediated damage.
Chronic inflammation can affect any and all parts of the body. Inflammation can also be a secondary component of many diseases. For example, in atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries where, chronic inflammation of blood vessel walls can result in plaque build-up in the arteries, arterial or vascular blockages, and heart disease. Chronic inflammation also plays a significant role in other diseases and conditions including chronic pain, poor sleep quality, obesity, physical impairment, and overall decreased quality of life.
Easy Wellness Plan Wins With The Mediterranean Diet
Mediterranean Diet With Olive Oil
When it comes to perfecting your own Wellness Plan, incorporating the principles of The Mediterranean Diet is a great way to start. And a quality extra virgin olive oil is a core part of The Mediterranean Diet. But what are some of the most important things to remember to get the most from extra virgin olive oil on The Mediterranean Diet?
Be careful with how much you use. According to an excellent rundown of top tips for using olive oil in the Mediterranean Diet from Dummies.com, keeping an eye on quantity is essential. Although the oils typically associated with the Mediterranean diet are healthier than other oils, they can turn your healthy strategy into an unhealthy one quickly if you aren’t careful. As with any fat, you don’t want to consume large amounts.
Pick Your Type Of Olive Oil Carefully. At Morocco Gold, we never get bored of answering this question as we passionately believe in the power of making the best olive oil choice you can. Olive oil is a healthy, delicious option to cook with, but not all olive oils are created equal. It’s important to choose the right type of olive oil for your needs. According to the International Olive Council, there are five different grades of olive oil, each with clearly defined standards. This at-a-glance guide from Morocco Gold takes you through the key types and what you need to know about each.
Keep your oils in a cool, dark cabinet away from sunlight and heat. So, you have gone to all the effort of researching and buying the best quality extra virgin olive oil you can find. Now you just need to look after it well! You can also store your main cooking oils, such as basic olive oil or canola oil, in the refrigerator but please don’t keep a high-quality extra-virgin olive oil in the refrigerator, If you store your olive oil in the fridge, it will eventually solidify, and condensation will promote oxidation. And oxidation is not good for extra virgin olive oil! So keep it away from the fridge to improve the olive oil use by date.
Olive Oil As Butter Substitute
You can use olive oil instead of butter. If you’re a keen baker or just fancy replacing butter with olive oil, you need to use about only three-fourths the amount of fat that the recipe calls for. For example, if the recipe calls for 2 tablespoons butter, use 1-1/2 tablespoons olive oil; if it requires 1 cup butter, use 3/4 cup olive oil, and so on.
Don’t Stress About Smoke Points When Using Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Concerns over the smoke point of extra virgin olive oil is something you read a lot online. But fear not! According to The Mediterranean Dish, Extra virgin olive oil has a smoke point of between 374 and 405 degrees F (190 to 207 degrees C). While this is a bit lower than other oils, it is still safe to cook and even bake with quality EVOO. Good quality EVOO will also have a higher smoke point than its lower-quality counterparts. And we agree. Morocco Gold is a great choice for many cooking methods as its smoke point is somewhere around 374 – 405 °F (190–207°C). As explained by the Olive Wellness Institute, Extra Virgin Olive Oil contains high levels of natural antioxidants. These antioxidants protect the naturally stable oil when heated, making Extra Virgin Olive Oil a very health option to cook with (including deep frying, pan frying, sauteing and oven baking).
EVOO Fuelled Southern European Atlantic Diet Boosts Mental And Physical Wellbeing
Atlantic Diet Boosts Wellbeing
If you care about improving your own wellbeing, there’s a high chance you will have heard about the benefits of the best olive oil and The Mediterranean Diet. But a close neighbour, both nutritionally and geographically, – the Southern European Atlantic Diet – is a great choice for lovers of extra virgin olive oil.
A fascinating new review from Advances in Nutrition claims that the Southern European Atlantic Diet can seriously boost your longevity, physical and mental health.
What Is The Southern European Atlantic Diet?
The Southern European Atlantic Diet emulates the nutritional habits and lifestyle choices adopted by people who inhabit northern Portugal and North-western Spain. It is defined both by the food choices and the way in which they are prepared.
Examples of key foods in the Southern Atlantic Diet, as listed in mindbodygreen.com are:
Daily consumption of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, extra virgin olive oil, and dairy products
Weekly consumption of seafood (especially cod and other fish), eggs, dried fruits, legumes, and lean meats (e.g., beef, pork, and poultry)
Occasional consumption of fatty meats and sweets
How The Mediterranean Diet Compares With The Atlantic Diet
Comparisons of the food pyramids of both The Mediterranean Diet and the Atlantic diet reveal similarities in the prioritization of plant-based meals with occasional inclusion of fresh fish, lean meats, eggs and dairy.
It is when we take a closer look at the lifestyle habits of the people living in this region that we get an understanding of the contribution to living long, happy and healthy lives. These lifestyle choices include:
Choosing plant-centric foods which, like extra virgin olive oil, are full of phytonutrients and antioxidants to contribute to healthy ageing.
Keeping your body well always hydrated – which boosts your detox powers and help flush out toxins.
Incorporating movement and physical activity to your daily routine.
Psychological well-being – whether it’s meeting friends and family often or enjoying the pleasure of good food, this is a great way to add years to your life – the European Atlantic way!
Olive Oil As Part Of The Mediterranean And Atlantic Diets
Keeping a bottle of the best olive oil in your store cupboard all year round is a great way to stay on track with either The Southern European Atlantic or The Mediterranean Diet.
Extra virgin olive oil is an integral part of the Mediterranean diet. A healthy diet that is associated with sensible tasty portions and slower, more enjoyable eating. People who eat a Mediterranean diet have been shown to have a remarkable variety of health benefits. The extra virgin olive oil in the Mediterranean diet can quickly satisfy hunger. It can lead to fewer total calories ingested at mealtime.
But, whichever diet you choose to follow, the key thing is to stick with it until it becomes an integral part of your lifestyle. This is especially important as we lead ourselves gently out of a global health pandemic.
Markos Klonizakis, a clinical physiologist at Sheffield Hallam University, in England, said one of the benefits of the Mediterranean diet is that there are many variations, making it adaptable across cultures. In addition, Klonizakis argues that the eating preferences of people can be shaped by many factors and the current pandemic may be one of them.
“Unhealthy food is easier to prepare. Maybe the coronavirus pandemic is a chance for us to start eating better,” he said. “Of course, eating patterns are also a matter of trend, for example, the vegan regime has many adherents even though its benefits are not widely established, but nutritional tradition usually endures through time.”
How Mediterranean Lifestyle Choices Can Benefit Your Working Life.
Workplace Wellness With Mediterranean Diet
The popular Mediterranean Diet is a great way to improve your workplace wellness. The diet is based on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts and the best extra virgin olive oil, with moderate amounts of fish and poultry. It’s been shown to reduce the risk of heart disease and other chronic conditions like cancer. Plus, it’s easy to follow, doesn’t require any special ingredients or equipment and it can help you lose weight or maintain a healthy weight.
If your employer offers a wellness program, you may want to try to incorporate the Mediterranean diet into your wellness plan. Here are some tips for getting started on the Mediterranean diet at work.
Employers save on average $5.82 in lower absenteeism costs for every dollar spent on employee wellness programs.
61% of employees agree that they have made healthier lifestyle choices because of their company’s wellness program.
89% of workers at companies that support well-being initiatives are more likely to recommend their company as a good place to work.
These are compelling statistics and worth thinking about when making your lifestyle and dietary choices at work. Whether you are office based, work from home or adopt a mix of both, there are very simple changes you can make that can benefit your long term wellness.
Four Easy Ways To Incorporate Mediterranean Wellness Into Your Workday:
1.Plan Your Meals
Whether it’s for a Mediterranean meal plan or not, writing your shopping list around a well thought out meal plan will ultimately save you time, money, and wastage. Why not take some time out on a Sunday to plan some fun work lunches or batch cook then pull something out of the fridge/freezer as you head out of the door each morning?
2.Take Your Schedule into Consideration
If you known you have a busy day ahead, opt for quick and easy dishes and leave the extra walking time for days when you have a bit more flexibility in your schedule.
3. Make It A Social Event
Involve your colleagues in some Mediterranean themed cooking. If you all bring in a dish, you could sit down to a Mezze platter at lunchtime.
4. Remember It’s About Movement Too
Wellness is not just about your nutritional choices; it’s about keeping your body physically active too. Why not try taking a walk during your lunch hour or getting off the bus a few stops early if you have the time. Alternatively, is it worth exploring the option of a standing desk at work or even just taking the stairs instead of the lift?
It has been known for centuries that high quality extra virgin olive oil is good for your health and wellbeing. It has also been lauded across many cultures.
In ancient Rome, olive oil was used for nearly everything in relation to their health. Roman medicine takes heavily from Greek doctors, who influenced European medicine for centuries.
Echoing the ambition of The Global Wellness Institute and its Ambassadors across the globe, Morocco Gold is on a mission to:
Re-establish extra virgin olive oil as a healthy diet / wellness lifestyle choice
Show wellness conscious people on how this incredibly simple diet / lifestyle choice – inclusion of a high-quality extra virgin olive oil – can have a profound impact on their health and wellbeing
Show how extra virgin olive fits into a wider wellness lifestyle.
So, why not join us in our mission to boost wellness in the workplace as well as at home with a little bit of inspiration from The Mediterranean!
Why A Wellness Plan Is As Important As A Health Plan
Updated April 5th 2022
Wellness Plan As Important As A Health Plan
Most people think of wellness as a way to achieve or maintain physical health. But, at Morocco Gold, we know that wellness is about more than just your body. It’s also about your mind and spirit. Wellness is about being healthy in all aspects of your life. It’s about making choices that support your well-being. And it’s not something that you do once and forget about. It’s a continuous journey that requires effort and commitment. So why is wellness important? There are plenty of reasons, but here are just some:
Wellness makes you feel good, because it can help you manage stress.
So, what does wellness mean to you and what steps can you take to promote your own wellness?
What Is Wellness?
According to the Global Wellness Institute, the key tenets of wellness as both preventive and holistic can be traced back to ancient civilizations from the East (India, China) to the West (Greece, Rome). In 19th-century Europe and the United States, a variety of intellectual, religious and medical movements developed in parallel with conventional medicine.
Together these movements focus on holistic and natural approaches, self-healing and preventive care and have provided a foundation for what we understand as the modern-day phenomenon of ‘wellness’.
Our support of The Global Wellness Institute demonstrates our shared vision to transform the health and wellness of people, communities, and the planet, also to eradicate preventable diseases worldwide.
Why Your Wellness Plan Starts With a healthy Mediterranean breakfast.
A healthy and nutritious breakfast, like a plant-based or Mediterranean diet can help increase your chances of living a long and healthy life, according to a recently article from wellandgood.com
Based on the findings of author Dan Buettner, whose pioneering research on longevity hotspots or ‘blue zones’ lifts the lid on how we can potentially extend our life quality and duration, the article recommends a breakfast of foods which reduce blood pressure and cholesterol as one of 4 key choices.
The Mediterranean diet, which includes an emphasis on healthy ‘monounsaturated fats’ found in foods such as extra virgin olive oil, is known to help prevent a wide range of diseases such as cardiovascular disease or stroke.
Also listed in the article, entitled 4 Morning Habits of the Longest-Living People in the World, are:
Finding your ‘ikigai’ (the Japanese concept of what drives you to get up and out of bed in the morning.
Enjoying a cup of morning coffee – ideally with a plant-based milk alternative and natural sweetener.
Say something nice to the first person you see. Self-explanatory this one but Buettner starts each morning by literally complimenting others.
A Shot of Extra Virgin Olive Oil In The Morning
Shot Of Olive Oil In The Morning
If you like the sound of Buettner’s teachings and want to incorporate a Mediterranean start to your day, one of the best ways to do so is by drinking extra virgin olive oil, first thing in the morning. This is a quick and easy way to boost your daily intake of antioxidants and healthy fats. Drinking a shot of olive oil in the morning can be good for your skin, throat and help as part of a wellness plan.
Polyphenols: The Magic Ingredient In Morocco Gold Extra Virgin Olive Oil
The level of polyphenols present in Morocco Gold varies slightly from year to year, depending on a range of factors, weather, time of harvesting and processing etc.
This year we are pleased to say the level of polyphenols is the highest we have yet seen. Our latest harvest polyphenol content is 644mg / kg.
1.9 milligrams of vitamin E (10 percent of Daily Value)
8.1 micrograms of vitamin K (10 percent of DV)
European Food Safety Agency Recommendation
The European Food Safety Agency regulation states that extra virgin olive oil with a polyphenol level of 250mg / kg and above can make health claims. However, it is also very specific about which polyphenols this applies to. It specifically states that this must include hydroxytyrosol and its derivatives, (oleuropein and tyrosol). So long as these polyphenols are present, the beneficial effects can be obtained with a daily intake of around 20ml of olive oil.
At this level of polyphenol, 1 tablespoon will have around 7.1 mg/kg (250 / 35) So to get the health benefits you would need to take around 3 tablespoons per day.
Because the concentration of polyphenols in Morocco Gold is much higher than the standard, you will get the associated health benefits with around 2 tablespoons per day.
Due to the numerous health benefits of extra virgin olive oil it is typically used in cooking,but eating or drinking it raw is even healthier. A lot of health experts recommend drinking extra virgin olive oil in the morning, here’s why:
Extra Virgin Olive Oil Helps in Weight Loss
The idea of consuming olive oil this way comes from the Mediterranean diet, which, despite its share of naysayers, has been found to be effective. Olive oil has an acid called oleic acid, which gives the feeling of fullness and promotes the feeling of satiety.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil Aids Detoxification
The idea of a digestive cleanse has been denounced by some health experts. But as per few experts, an olive oil and lemon detox cleanse has benefits for the digestive system in the short term.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil Helps Prevent Colon Cancer
According to various studies, drinking extra virgin olive oil may prevent the formation of free radicals in the body, and reduce the incidence of colon cancer. This is because olive oil is full of antioxidants.
Extra Virgin Olive Oil Help Promote Healthy Skin
Anything full of antioxidants is always great for the skin. Just like Vitamin E, antioxidants also slow the ageing of skin. Olive oil has an abundance of both of these.
So now you know! All you need to do, to make the most of this amazing morning tonic, is to take the juice of a ripe lemon and add it to a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, and drink it up! The better the quality of olive oil, the more beneficial this exercise will be for you. You can also add a little bit of water to make the mixture more palatable and improve its cleansing properties.
Celebrate The Best Food For Health Across The World This Month
Wellness Wednesday Celebrates Nutrition
It’s that time of the week again and, as we pause to enjoy Wellness Wednesday, we wanted to celebrate National Nutrition Month which this year is flying the flag for flavours from around the world.
Being culturally adventurous is also another great way to boost your potential to achieve your wellness goals. That’s because we can learn so much about nutrition from the dietary choices and lifestyles of those in many different parts of the world. While The Mediterranean Diet remains one of the most popular healthy diet plans, it’s not the only one worth considering. And the great news is that the inclusion of a healthy monounsaturated fat such as extra virgin olive oil can be used in so many dishes from all corners of our world.
Embrace Cultural Diversity In Your Wellness Plan
Cultural Diversity In Your Wellness Plan
This theme of wellness through nutritional exploration is summarised so perfectly by the organisers of National Nutrition Month:
Celebrating flavors from cultures around the world is a tasty way to nourish ourselves and appreciate our diversity. We are all unique with different bodies, goals, backgrounds and tastes! A Registered Dietitian Nutritionist can help you create healthy habits that celebrate your heritage and introduce you to new foods and flavors.
“The theme Celebrate a World of Flavors gives every culture a place at the table. Celebrating the cultural heritage, traditions and recipes from all people is a tasty way to nourish ourselves, learn about one another and find appreciation in our diversity.”
During National Nutrition Month®, the Academy encourages everyone to make informed food choices and develop sound eating and physical activity habits they can follow all year long. The Academy encourages seeking the advice of RDNs – the food and nutrition experts who can help develop individualized eating and activity plans to meet people’s health goals.
“Celebrate a World of Flavors highlights the unique, cultural variety of foods available to people from around the world and the role that registered dietitian nutritionist play in helping clients create healthy habits while celebrating their cultural foods and heritage,”
Rahaf Al Bochi
A national spokesperson for the Academy in Baltimore, Md.
RDNs help clients fine-tune traditional recipes, provide alternative cooking methods and other healthful advice for incorporating family-favorite foods into everyday meals.
Why The Mediterranean Diet Remains Top For Health Benefits
The ever-popular diet, with its emphasis on quality extra virgin olive oil, fresh fruit, vegetables and fish continues to out rank its rivals on this key barometer for wellness and nutrition. It was named best diet overall for 2022, in addition to best diet for healthy eating, best heart-healthy diet, best diet for diabetes, best plant-based diet and easiest diet to follow.
It is generally accepted that the folks in countries bordering the Mediterranean Sea live longer and suffer less than most Americans from cancer and cardiovascular ailments. The not-so-surprising secret is an active lifestyle, weight control, and a diet low in red meat, sugar and saturated fat and high in produce, nuts and other healthful foods, with extra virgin olive oil at its heart.
The Mediterranean Diet including extra virgin olive oil offers a host of health benefits, particularly including weight loss, heart and brain health, cancer prevention, and diabetes prevention and control. By following the Mediterranean Diet, you could also keep that weight off while avoiding chronic disease.
For more information on National Nutrition Month, including how to find a regional registered dietician please see here.
To find out a bit more about how you can incorporate Morocco Gold extra virgin olive oil in to your cooking, whatever your cultural traditions, please check out our inspirational recipe section here. Happy cooking!
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