The wonder oil
You may have heard that there are good oils and bad oils. One of the
best types of oil is olive oil, which is made from the olive fruit.
The oil is extracted by pressing olives and is probably the only type
of vegetable oil which can be obtained by just pressing the raw material.
The quality of the oil depends on the amount of processing involved. Oil
extracted from the first pressing is the least processed. Extra virgin
olive oil is considered to be the purest form of the oil and is of the
best quality.
The wonder oil has served as everything, from money to medicine, in
Mediterranean countries, for over 4,000 years. It is widely accepted that
Greeks have the lowest rates of heart disease and cancer, and this may be
attributed to their diets which are rich in olive oil.
Olive oil contains monounsaturated fat, which is known as the "good
fat". Scientific research has shown that this fat may add years to
people's lives, as it has the ability to fight heart disease and various
forms of cancer. Olive oil has also been referred to as the "great
therapeutic" by the Greek physician Hippocrates, who is known as the
Father of Medicine. |
