A staple of the Mediterranean diet, olive oil has long been praised for its health benefits. But what can it actually do for you and your body? We’ve put together a list of some of the things that olive oil can do to improve your health.
Guards Against Diseases
Properties such as oleocanthal, squalene and lignans are purported to help guard the body against cancer, particularly breast and skin cancer. It is also known to help protect us from other diseases such as heart disease, stroke, Alzheimer’s disease, depression, obesity, osteoporosis and diabetes to name but a few according to the Olive Oil Times.
Used in Cosmetics and Medications
As well as using olive oil to eat, olive oil can be used in beauty products, cosmetics and medications, which means using fewer harmful chemicals. Used on the skin, olive oil works as an anti-aging moisturizer (which won’t block pores), a key ingredient in facial scrubs and masks, and as a substitute for shaving cream.
Olive oil is rich in vitamin E, phytosterols, and polyphenols which help promote healing and guard the skin against the sun’s damaging UV rays and free radicals. Source: Global Healing Center
Hair Care
Many wouldn’t think about putting an oily substance on their hair, but in fact there are plenty of good reasons to do so. The vitamins A and E found in olive oil will help to protect the hair’s keratin and it’s also been linked to hair growth as it removes sebum build-up which can block the hair follicles. Left on the hair for half an hour, olive oil can be used as an intense conditioning treatment leaving you with shiny, thicker-looking hair. Source: Elle.com
Helps Repair Wounds
Vitamin K is vital for blood clotting and the antibacterial properties of olive oil make it a perfect ingredient for topical treatments for healing wounds such as cuts, grazes and burns. Source: CUROXEN
Further reading: Health Benefits to Eating Olives - Balance Me Beautiful
Looking for a safe, natural wound cleaning product for your child’s cuts and scrapes that effectively kills bacteria? Find out more about how olive oil-based CUROXEN kills more than five times the amount of bacteria as its competitors.
