For years scientists have wondered why those that eat a Mediterranean diet tend to be healthier than those that consume other types of diets. Through the accumulation of years of research, studies have revealed at least one element of this particular diet that contributes to the good health of those that consume a Mediterranean diet.

Olive oil is a primary component of this diet and has proven to offer amazing health protective properties. Research has shown that olive oil phytonutrient components are a great warrior in the fight against diseases such as breast cancer and depression.

In addition, many genes associated with inflammation are repressed through the consumption of this oil’s phenolic compounds. By repressing these genes, olive oil in turn assists in decreasing the occurrence of the metabolic syndrome. This syndrome (characterized by central obesity) is responsible for conditions such as high cholesterol, high blood pressure as well as high blood sugar. These conditions can lead to heart disease as well as type 2 diabetes. Individuals that experience such damaging disease will have a shortened life expectancy.

Under the supervision of Dr. Francisco Perez-Jimenez from the University of Cordoba, a double blind, randomized study of the effects of olive oil phenols in individuals with metabolic syndrome was conducted. The study examined twenty individuals that suffered from the metabolic syndrome and the results were published in the journal BMC Genomics.

Each person was placed on the same medication and supplement free low-fat diet that was rich in carbohydrates. The twenty individuals were then separated into two groups; one group was given a morning meal that contained extra-virgin oil (which contains the highest concentration of phenols) while the other group was given a similar morning meal that contained a low phenol content.

Following the consumption of the meals, blood samples were drawn and evaluated for over 15,000 human gene expressions. It was found that those that consumed the highest levels of phenols showed the greatest impact on close to 100 of these genes. The genes that seemed to be the most sensitive to this regulation by this oil have been linked to diseases such as obesity, high cholesterol, type 2 diabetes and heart disease.

Specifically, Dr. Perez-Jimenes stated, “We identified 98 differentially expressed genes when comparing the intake of phenol-rich olive oil with low-phenol olive oil. Several of the repressed genes are known to be involved in pro-inflammatory processes, suggesting that the diet can switch the activity of immune system cells to a less deleterious inflammatory profile, as seen in metabolic syndrome”.

The results clearly show that there is a direct relationship between consuming a diet high in olive oil and obesity, inflammation and other life shortening diseases.

Moreover, these results convey the fact that olive oil’s phenolic compounds provide the bases for why those that consume a Mediterranean diet tend to have a lower incidence of heart disease. In particular, phenol components found in olive oil play a significant role in the fight to decrease or eliminate inflammation that can lead to this and other concerning diseases.

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If you are looking for ways to prevent cancer, this article is for you. I will present a power food that can provide you with protection to minimize the risk of the developing cancer. This power food is olive oil, which is found to be rich in healthy fats that can fight the development of cancer.

European researchers discovered that olive oil can lessen your chances of developing cancer. In this research, 182 men were asked to replace 25 grams of fats in their everyday diet with 5 teaspoons of olive oil. The study was conducted for a period of 3 weeks.

The trick to maximize the protection from this oil against cancer is to consume it uncooked. Think of it in dressings and not with frying or baking. The oil from olives loses most of its anti-cancer properties with heat.

Because DNA damage is associated with cancer risk, the researchers measured the DNA damage in the participants. The participants decreased DNA damage by 13 percent on the average. This remarkable impact on one’s cancer prevention can be comparable to the positive effect of completely quitting smoking.

What is in this oil that produces this positive impact in our health? The researchers’ speculation is that the high levels of monounsaturated fatty acids in it are the reason behind this anti-cancer property. These fatty acids protect the DNA from potential damage.

I recommend having your daily dose of olive oil with your salad dressings and even adding it to your smoothies. Protect yourself against cancer with this power food.

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Anyone who has traveled to the Mediterranean can tell you about the wonderful, healthy food in that region. Much of the health benefits and flavor are due to the generous use of olive oil on salads, pasta, vegetables, fish, and almost anything else. Researchers are learning that people who consume olive oil regularly – especially in place of unhealthy fats such as animal fats, hydrogenated oils, and vegetable oils like corn oil – have much lower rates of heart disease, athersclerosis, diabetes, colon cancer, and asthma.

Olive oil is made from the crushing and then the subsequent pressing of olives. It is a natural juice that preserves the taste, aroma, and nutrients of the olive fruit. Extra virgin olive oil – derived from the first pressing of the olives – has the most delicate flavor and the most health benefits.

The Health Benefits Of Olive Oil

1. It protects against heart disease. Studies show that two tablespoons of olive oil per day decreases total- and LDL cholesterol. It decreases atherosclerosis and protects the lining of our blood vessels, thus preventing high blood pressure.

2. It protects against breast cancer. Oleic acid, the primary monounsaturated fatty acid in olive oil, has been shown to reduce the expression of certain oncogenes related to aggressive breast cancer tumor growth.

3. It reduces abdominal fat and insulin resistance. Diets high in olive oil, as compared to those high in saturated fat, prevent belly fat accumulation and insulin resistance, which are associated with type 2 diabetes.

4. It decreases rates of asthma and rheumatoid arthritis. The monounsaturated fats in olive oil are used to decrease inflammation in the body, thereby reducing inflammation involved with asthma and arthritis.

5. It decreases osteoporosis. Polyphenols in olive oil greatly decrease the inflammation-mediated bone loss associated with osteoporosis.

6. It has anti-oxidant properties. Polyphenols in olive oil protect DNA from free radical damage.

7. It protects against colon cancer. The olive oil polyphenols protect the lining of the colon, blocking the carcinogenesis pathway.

Practical Tips

* To get the most health benefits and flavor from your olive oil, add olive oil to foods immediately after cooking.

* Instead of serving butter, fill a small bowl with olive oil and use as flavoring for your whole grain bread.

* Along with balsamic vinegar and lemon juice, rely on olive oil as your first choice for dressing salads.

* Drizzle olive oil over steamed vegetables, soups, grains, beans, and potatoes to enhance the flavor of your food.

* Add a tablespoon of olive oil to your morning eggs.

Purchasing and Storing Your Olive Oil

Because olive oil can become rancid when exposed to air, light and heat, there are some important guidelines to follow when purchasing and storing your olive oil. Look for olive oils that are sold in dark, tinted bottles since the packaging will protect the oil from oxidation caused by light exposure. Make sure the oil is displayed in a cool area away from any light or heat sources. Instead of choosing the bottle in the front of the store’s display, choose the bottle in the back that has been protected from light exposure. At home, store your oil in a dark, cool place, such as a cabinet or pantry, instead of leaving it on the kitchen counter or table, which will lessen the oil’s health benefits. Keep your olive oil bottle tightly sealed. Be sure to buy only cold pressed, extra virgin olive oil for the best health benefits.

Make a positive choice for your health by incorporating a Mediterranean-style diet rich in olive oil. Especially when replacing unhealthy fat sources, olive oil will help you to live longer by decreasing the risk of many diseases. To enjoy the taste, aroma, and nutrients of the Mediterranean, grab yourself a bottle of cold pressed, extra virgin olive oil today!

For more health tips and published research with vertigo, migraine, Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease patients by Dr. Erin Elster, D.C., upper cervical chiropractor, in Boulder, Colorado, visit her website www.erinelster.com

Jack Dougherty of Bella Vista Ranch knows olives.

It was olives that bridged the gap between the high tech haven of Palo Alto and the Texas Hill Country heaven of Wimberley for Jack Dougherty. Mr. Dougherty had a distinguished career in the high tech industry and at one point supervised well over 1,000 employees. But his heart was always in the fruit groves and nut bearing groves near his boyhood Palo Alto home.

In Jack’s case, it seems you just can’t take the country out of the boy and he made his way to Texas and Wimberley as soon as he could. He still travels the world in search of information and technology, and techniques on olives, but his home and his heart are now at Bella Vista Ranch near Wimberley, Texas.

We took a tour of Bella Vista Ranch a few weeks ago and sat in amazement as he explained the story of olives to us and a few others gathered under some live oak trees sitting on picnic tables right smack in the middle of one of the premier olive groves in Texas and the USA. We had no idea we had stumbled upon one of the premier experts of the olive world right there in Wimberley.

As he told the history of olives, he related that the first person who ever tasted an olive was probably not impressed. Raw olives contain an alkaloid that makes them very bitter and unedible. Some ancient civilization discovered that soaking them in brine removes the bad taste.

Olives have been around for centuries, but until recently they were just a condiment you served with your meals or at a party as an appetizer. It was in the 1990′s that health organizations took notice of the health benefits, specifically our heart health. With this discovery, new diets emerged using Olive Oil in their recipes.

Olive farming originated in the Mediterranean, but as the economy changed so did the use of the land that olives were grown. In the United States, California is our major grower of both green and black olives, but due to the high prices of land, the olive growing is also shrinking. So now Olive farmers are looking for less expensive land to grow olives to produce the olive oil to meet the increasing demand.

It is apparent that Mr. Dougherty has spent a lot of time researching olives. There is a report written by George Ray McEachern and Larry A. Stein, Extension Horticulturists from Texas A & M University titled ‘Growing Olives in Texas Gardens’, where they talk about growing Olives in Texas. They talk about where the climate is good in Texas, and all about what olive trees need to survive. They limited the areas to East, Central, and South Texas. But that was about it. Mr. Dougherty kept on with his research and settled in on the Wimberley area as being ideal. He did have some concerns about the weather, but the soil conditions seemed to be similar to ideal olive growing locations in other parts of the world. Not too many olives are grown in Texas north of San Antonio.

The Bella Vista Ranch fits all the criteria for being able to grow olives. The soil has a lot of caliche which makes for great drainage and the temperature doesn’t dip to freezing very often or for long periods of time. There are over 1,000 Olive trees on the ranch today.

There are 16 different varieties of olive trees grown at the grove, with the California Mission Olive as the tree of choice which is primarily grown at the Bella Vista Ranch.

Here are a few things we learned about olives and olive production in Texas. Olive trees were brought to the New World by the Spanish. They first arrived in Mexico and then made their way from there to California with missionaries where the trees were first planted in 1769. The olive trees were known as Mission olives because they were grown in olive groves near the missions. This variety no longer exists in Spain, but is popular in California and Texas. Using Mission Olives gives Olive Oil a very long shelf life.

The weather has not always cooperated with the Bella Vista Ranch olive trees. In fact a late freeze almost put the Olive ranch out of business. They had to cut back and replace almost all their olive trees. Other concerns were that Olives are an alternating fruit producer, meaning that some years there are more olives produced than others, and you have to hand pick the olives and pruning is very important. Olive trees grow very rapidly and if the tree grows out of control, the nutrients are used by the tree for the growth and not the fruit. The Olive trees need to be kept pruned.

The Olive tree produces fruit in a fascinating way, the blooms create the olive cluster, then only 1 or 2 olives that are the strongest continue to grow and hang from the tree. They go through a color change from green to red, Jack can look at the tree and decide from the texture of the skin and the color when it’s time to pick the entire tree. The olives gathered from each tree will be a combination of olives from green to red and even dark red. With all the different stages of ripened olives, when pressed together should make a very flavorful olive oil.

When harvesting the olives, since they have to be hand picked, they will start at the bottom of the tree and pick as high as they can reach. Then they will use ladders to pick more. The last step they will use is to lay out tarps or nets at the bottom of the tree and use a device that looks like a little rake to comb through the tree and when the olives fall to the ground, they are gathered in the tarps.

They will start producing a decent crop when the tree is usually 4 to 10 years old, and each tree can produce up to a couple hundred pounds of olives in a good year. Since they are alternate bearing, one year you can get the maximum pounds and then the next get just a few pounds. There is no way to know which year a tree will be a good producer. Pruning could be the key to producing more olives.

As was explained to us, the first person who ever tasted an olive was probably not impressed. Raw olives contain an alkaloid that makes them very bitter and unedible. Some ancient civilization discovered that soaking them in brine removes the bad taste. In the Frantoio room where the olives are pressed into olive oil, there is a centrifuge method called ‘Cold Pressing’ from the time the olives are harvested to the time the olive oil is bottled, the olives will never go past a certain temperature. Heat and light along with oxygen will cause a chemical change, and will effect the flavor of the olive oil.

Olive experts such as Jack Dougherty strictly adhere to best practices in processing to obtain the very finest olive oil available.

First the olives go through a deleafer. This process removes the leaves and branches from the olives. Then the whole olive including the pit goes through a mill which purees the olives into a paste texture. Then with a centrifuge process, with controlled time and room temperatures, the oil will separate. It will then go through a higher speed centrifuge process to gather even more oil. instead of being wasted, the remainings of the olives are fed to the cattle which are also raised on the ranch. After the cattle are finished eating what they can, they sometimes roll around in the remains on the ground and this possibly acts as a natural insect repellent. I bet it’s great for their coats!

You don’t want to taste the olive oil right after it’s made because it will burn your mouth. The olives produce the same ingredient, called Capsaicin, that makes a Jalapeño pepper burn your mouth. A good quality olive oil has this flavor and you can tell by the more heat in the flavor how close to production it was. It takes about 60 days for the pepper flavor to cool down and then is bottled. Olive oil should be stored at room temperature in a dark cool cabinet.

We went to the tasting room, and like wine you will want to experience an olive oil tasting. You look for some of the same characteristics: Look for a halo at the top of the olive oil, it should have a clear halo without any color. If it’s not clear or has a color to it, then it may not taste very good because it has probably been exposed to oxygen for a period of time. Take a sniff of the olive oil. It should have a clean grassy aroma, it should not smell like cooking oil. Then you want to taste the olive oil. You should experience a clean herbaceous, peppery flavor with just a little heat as it goes down the back of your throat. Fresh olive oil has an exceedingly fresh and non oily taste.

Enjoy the interview video I did with Jack. He’s very informative and will let you know where Bella Vista Ranch is located. http://ramonasbasilgarden.com/2010/12/13/bella-vista-ranch/

Ramona Werst will teach you to ‘Love Your Basil’ while she shares with you tips and secrets to Grow, Care For, and Cook With Fresh Basil. Become a Basil Fan at http://bit.ly/BasilFanPage