Before we get into the health benefits of olives and sources I am buying olive oil from, let me warn you of scams that you need to know. The olive oil business represents a huge financial empire and is not an exception when comes to corruption. Scammers have been successful at implementing fraudulent tactics. Make sure you’re getting the right stuff before placing an order! At the end of this article, I will share two trustworthy sources you can order olive oil from.

I became aware of the health dangers of fake olive oil back in middle school when two drops of synthetic olive oil came into contact with my skin during lunch break. Within 15 minutes, I received a rash (somewhat similar to an allergic reaction) all over my hands and chest! Thank God I did not proceed to eat that salad!

There are four huge and obvious differences between real olive oil and synthetic (industrial) oil:

• color
• smell
• taste
• viscosity

The real oil has a green-golden color (something in between), is backed with a strong but pleasant odor, is delicious, and is very dense. The fake oil has a yellowish color, doesn’t have a strong odor, sometimes can be found with bubbles like mineral water, tastes like garbage, and is as thin as water.

What are the benefits of using olive oil?

Without the usage of nutrient-rich fat (or oil) the skin ages quickly, while the brain shrinks up to 0.4% annually. Olive oil is very rich in Omega-3, one of the most important contributors to the maintenance (and enhancement) of brain health. Aside from that, it enhances the production of new skin cells, which keeps our skin soft, and our look youthful.

Another mesmerizing benefit is the significant reduction of oxidative damage to the DNA, due to phenols (powerful antioxidants), which means (theoretically) that olive oil has the ability to prolong longevity by maintaining the length of chromosomes and telomeres (usually, they shrink as we age).

Here are other health benefits of olives:

• olives are rich in vitamin A, vitamin E, iron, copper, and calcium
• olives contain 70-75% fat, on average, which makes them KETO friendly, and beneficial for the overall wellbeing, especially of the brain health, reproductive organs, and cardiovascular system (they prevent blood clotting, or in other words, they prevent strokes!)
• olives consist of 4-6% carbohydrates, on average, yet, 70% of those carbohydrates are fibers that are being transformed into Omega-3 by the good bacteria in the gut. They’re sugar-free!
• they’re full of phytonutrients, which makes them anti-inflammatory, anti-cancerogenic, protective towards the heart, and healing towards livers (can fix fatty liver).
• olive leaf extract is beneficial for our health, especially against viruses, flu, or issues with sinuses.

*people MIGHT have digestive issues after the consumption of a vast amount of FRESH (nonfermented) olives due to lectins that cause temporary inflammation. The way to lessen the lectins is by fermentation.

Trusted sources I am ordering olive oil from:

• Selo Olive Oil: seloolive.com
• Solta Olive Oil: www.solta-oliveoil.com/en

Those are the Croatian companies (“Solta” is actually a union of small producers from the Solta island) with a long tradition, many awards, and happy customers.

This article is courtesy of @gemstone. Visit @gemstone on hive for more.