5 Reasons to Eat More Olives If You Want to Be Healthier
While olives are loved for their unique flavor and variety of uses (from dirty martinis to freshly baked bread), the health benefits of olives are less well known. If you are looking to eat healthier foods, look no further. Let's dive into 5 key health benefits of olives.
1: Olives contain antioxidants like Vitamin E
- Antioxidants help to fight free radicals, which can contribute to aging and conditions like cancer, strokes, and heart attacks. Since olives have so many antioxidants, they’re an easy way to increase intentional antioxidant intake and help neutralize free radicals.
2: They support heart health
- Olives are high in fat, but the majority of this is a type of fat called oleic acid. This is the same kind of fat found in avocados and nuts which helps increase good cholesterol. An increase in oleic acid is also associated with a reduced risk of heart disease.
3: They’re a good source of fiber
- Olives have a relatively high amount of fiber in them. 10 olives will get you about 1.5 grams, which when compared with the recommended daily amount of 30 grams doesn’t seem like much, but considering most Americans get less than half this amount, olives are a good way to start increasing your daily fiber intake.
4: Some types of olives are probiotic rich to benefit gut health
- Some olives, like Freestyle Snacks olives, undergo a process of natural fermentation which results in the formation of beneficial bacteria, otherwise known as probiotics. Probiotics are an important part of gut health.
5: They may be good for your bones
- One of the compounds unique to olives, oleuropein, works together with another compound in olives to help protect against bone loss and protect against osteoporosis.
You can easily reap the health benefits as olives make an excellent snack or great addition to meals.