Olive Juice Health & Nutrition Benefits

It is a well-known fact that olive oil is very beneficial to our health but at the same time, olive juice also has a myriad of health benefits because of its nutritional contents. However, it is also important to keep in mind that although olive juice has its health benefits, it is also high in fats and calories. Some of the various olive juice health benefits are as follows:

It contains flavonoids and polyphenols that help reduce inflammation in the body
It lowers the risk of developing cancers such as prostrate, breast, and endometrial cancer.
Olive juice contains monosaturated fats that are beneficial to people suffering from gastritis and ulcers. These fats are also good for improving blood circulation in the body and maintaining healthy skin
Being a rich source of vitamin D, phosphorous and calcium, it is good for maintaining bone health and preventing conditions like rickets and osteoarthritis.
Being a rich source of vitamin A, it is also good for maintaining eye health
Olive juice is also good for detoxifying the body and improving excretory functions.

Also see nutritional benefits of olive

Some of the important olive juice health benefits in detail as under:

Hair:

Many experts recommend using olive juice for hair growth and for maintaining healthy hair. Olive juice is rich in vitamin E and increases blood circulation to the hair follicles, thereby stimulating hair growth. You can massage your scalp with olive juice just after shampooing to stimulate hair growth. Remember to apply warm olive juice to your entire scalp while the hair is still wet. Wrap your head and let the olive juice remain on the scalp for at least half an hour. Wash your hair after 30 minutes with water and shampoo and repeat this ever week to maintain good scalp and hair health.

Diabetes:

Studies have shown that a diet, which includes plant based fats, helps lower the risk of developing diabetes, and is beneficial to those already suffering from diabetes. Some of the main risk factors for diabetes include high levels of blood sugar and triglycerides, high blood pressure, and abdominal obesity. You can control all these risk factors by eating a daily diet that is rich in unsaturated fats. A high carbohydrate, low fat diet with olive juice is very helpful in controlling blood sugar levels in diabetics and those who are at a higher risk of developing diabetes. Olive juice is a very rich source of monosaturated fats that help in fighting a number of inflammatory diseases including diabetes. Being rich in monosaturated fats, olive juice does not cause additional weight gain, which is another benefit for diabetes patients.

Heart Health:

One of the biggest olive juice health benefits is that it helps maintain good cardiovascular health. Olive juice is a natural source of plant based unsaturated fats with a good concentration of monosaturated fats that not only improve cardiac health but also lower the risk of developing cardiac problems. Olive juice contains a compound called oleuropein that prevents the LDL cholesterol from oxidizing and sticking to the walls of the arteries. This in turn reduces the risk of problems like atherosclerosis.

Cholesterol:

Several studies have shown the benefits of olive juice for cholesterol reduction. The high concentration of unsaturated fats in olive juice is helpful in lowering the injurious low-density lipoprotein levels in the body while increasing the healthy cholesterol. Olive juice is therefore beneficial in preventing cholesterol related problems like heart attacks and strokes.

Nutrition In Olive juice

Some of the important olive juice nutrition facts are as under:

Olive juice is quite low in calories and every half ounce serving of olive juice provides only 15 calories.
A large percentage of calories in olive juice come from its fat content. There is approximately 1g fat in every half ounce serving of olive juice.
Olive juice is also low in carbohydrates and every half ounce contains just 0.5g. All of these carbohydrates come from its dietary fiber.
It does not contain any proteins.
Olive juice is a good source of vitamins E, D, K and minerals like phosphorous, calcium, iron, sodium, zinc, and potassium.

Side Effects:

There are several benefits of olive juice, but there are also a few side effects to consider. Some of the olive juice side effects on health include:

When consumed in large quantities it can result in diarrhea
It may have interactions with certain medications taken for diabetes and high blood pressure
It may cause weight gain if consumed regularly in large doses
It may cause allergic reactions in certain people such as sneezing, breathlessness, nausea, and vomiting.

It is therefore better to consult your doctor regarding the right intake of olive juice, to avoid possible side effects.

Submitted on January 16, 2014