Are Green Olives Healthy for You

Are Green Olives Healthy for You

Are Green Olives Healthy for You

You might have noticed those bright green olives on a snack board on a movie night with your friends. Or you might have seen some in your favourite pasta dish. Green olives are used widely across various countries, but have you ever wondered if they are suitable for your health?

Green olives are mostly enjoyed as a snack or in Mediterranean dishes. However, they are more than just a tasty addition to your plate. These small, healthy fruits are packed with nutrients and bioactive compounds which offer numerous health benefits.

Let us discuss the health benefits of incorporating green olives into your diet, especially for individuals seeking to enhance their well-being.

Nutritional Profile of Green Olives

Green olives are rich in monounsaturated fats, most of which are oleic acid, constituting about 70-74% of their fat content. Oleic acid is one of the healthy fats that supports your heart health by improving cholesterol levels and reducing inflammation.

Additionally, green olives are an excellent source of dietary fibre. This fibre aids in digestion and promotes gut health. They are also rich in essential vitamins and minerals, including Vitamin E, iron, calcium, and magnesium, contributing to overall nutritional balance and keeping you healthy.

Health Benefits of Consuming Green Olives

Green olives not only add a fruity and yummy flavour to your dishes, but they are also a great source of keeping you healthy and fit. If you want to include green olives in your diet but want to confirm the benefits of these nutrient-packed fruits, we have got you covered!

Here are some health benefits of green olives for you:

1. Great for Your Heart

One of the most significant benefits of green olives is their high amount of monounsaturated fats. These good fats play a big part in keeping your heart and blood system healthy. They can help reduce the harmful cholesterol levels in your blood.

At the same time, these greenish fruits help to keep your good cholesterol balanced. The antioxidants in green olives also help calm down swelling in your blood vessels, improve your blood flow, and keep your blood pressure at a reasonable level. All these things together significantly lower your chances of getting heart disease or a stroke. This is an absolute reason the Mediterranean diet is so good for you.

2. Full of Antioxidants

Green olives are like little powerhouses of antioxidants. They work as your body's natural protectors against oxidative stress. This happens when harmful free radicals build up. If there are too many free radicals, they can harm the cells of your body and can lead to long-term sickness. It also makes you age faster.

Green olives also contain polyphenols and Vitamin E that actively stop these free radicals from harming cells. These antioxidants help keep cells safe, lower the risk of long-term illness, and help cells stay healthy throughout the body.

3. Improves Your Gut Health

Fibre is a silent hero in healthy eating, and green olives have a good amount of it. Fibre is essential for your digestive system to work well. 

Moreover, fibre acts like food for the good bacteria in your gut, further improving your gut health. A healthy gut is vital for your overall health, as it affects everything from how your body takes in food to how well it fights off sickness. So, putting green olives into your diet can help your tummy work more smoothly and easily.

4. Good for Strong Bones

Green olives help your bones by strengthening them. They contain calcium, Vitamin K, and other essential minerals. Calcium is key for building bones, and Vitamin K is vital for strengthening bones and helping maintain their formation.

Olives also protect bones from a bone condition called osteoporosis, especially in older people. Adding green olives to your diet can be a small but helpful step towards keeping your bones strong and healthy as you get older.

5. Protects Your Eyesight

Green olives contain Vitamin A and various antioxidants, which are best for the eyes. Vitamin A is essential for protecting and improving vision.

Moreover, the antioxidants these green olives carry help protect the delicate cells in your eyes from harm caused by free radicals. This harm is a big reason for eye problems as you age, like blurry central vision or cloudy eye lenses. Regularly including foods rich in vitamins and antioxidants, like green olives, can help keep your eyesight clear as you age.

6. A Natural Way to Calm Swelling

Long-term swelling in the body is a problem behind many severe health conditions, such as heart disease, diabetes, and certain types of cancer. Green olives have special components, like oleocanthal, a polyphenol type.

Oleocanthal has been seen to act against swelling or inflammation. Adding green olives to your meals can help lessen overall swelling in your body. This will lead to a significantly lower chance of getting lifelong illnesses and help you feel better over time.

7. Helps with Managing Your Weight

Even though they are rich in fat, the good monounsaturated fats in green olives can help you manage your weight if you eat them. But overeating anything is never a good option, so always eat green olives in a balanced amount.

Olives make you full and contain fewer calories, so you can add them to your diet plan. It also keeps your blood sugar steady, stopping those sudden drops in energy that often make you reach for unhealthy snacks. Green olives are a satisfying and healthy snack choice for a balanced diet.

8. Might Help Against Cancer

While no single food can promise to stop cancer, the antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties in green olives or olive oil might help lower one's cancer risk.

The polyphenols fight free radicals and inflammation, which are linked to developing cancer. Eating green olives as part of a diet is a brilliant plan to help your body's natural defences. From The Spice Trader, you can get your hands on different forms of olives, which are great for snacking and cooking, or you can use them as solid appetisers. We have stuffed green olives, smoked olives, Picholine Olives, and more. 

How to Enjoy Green Olives in Your Meals

Adding green olives to your daily food is easy and tasty:

  • Eat them as a snack: A small handful makes a nice and tasty snack.
  • Use green olives in salads: They add a lovely salty kick to any salad.
  • Works as enhancing meals: Put them into pasta sauces, stews, on pizzas, or mash them into a dip.

Conclusion

Green olives are wonderful little fruits, offering much more than just a pleasant taste. What they are packed with truly matters, as they contain healthy fats, antioxidants, and essential vitamins and minerals that provide numerous health benefits.

From helping your heart and making your gut work better to supporting strong bones and acting as a natural way to calm inflammation, these green treats show the power of natural foods. Regularly adding green olives to your diet is a tasty and essential step for your long-term health and well-being. If you want to improve your overall health, green olives offer a delicious and nutritious option!

 

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