Olive Oil: One of the First Medicines

Olive Oil: The Original Superfood

Before electricity lit our homes, olive oil did.

For thousands of years, olive oil was far more than something people poured over bread. It fueled lamps, preserved food, moisturized skin, and was used in religious ceremonies. Long before it became a staple of the Mediterranean diet, it helped build civilization.

Today, we think of olive oil as healthy. The fascinating part is that people believed it was medicinal long before they understood cholesterol, inflammation, or blood pressure. Sometimes medicine begins with observation. The science simply catches up later.

More Than Just FatWhen people hear "olive oil," they often think of fat. That's true, but not all fats behave the same way.

Olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fat, the primary fat found in the Mediterranean diet. Rather than worrying about the chemistry, it is more useful to think about what happens inside the body.

The real benefit comes from what olive oil replaces.

Instead of cooking with butter or shortening, people sauté vegetables with olive oil. Olive oil is better than creamy dressings, and it is part of a delicious vinaigrette. And my favorite is, instead of spreading butter on bread, dipping it in olive oil.

Those small substitutions can add up over time.

The Science Is ImpressiveOne of the first studies to grab the attention of cardiologists came from Lyon, France. Researchers enrolled people who had already suffered a heart attack and asked one group to adopt a Mediterranean-style diet rich in olive oil.

The results surprised almost everyone.

Those following the Mediterranean diet had dramatically fewer second heart attacks than those eating their usual diet. It was one of the studies that helped transform olive oil from a traditional food into a modern medical recommendation.