It's Time For Olives! What Does Kalamata Give Us?

Unlike other fruits, olives are high in fat and low in carbohydrates. Unfortunately, there is again a benefit against risk, but the variety of common in the consumption of fruits and vegetables is worth it.

Only 5 kalamata olives contain 88 kcal. Fats are almost as much as carbohydrates and proteins 6: 5: 5 in grams, which reveals their high nutritional value. It is really worth more when we are hungry to eat a few olives than to accumulate calories with other foods. 

Olives also have a good amount of fiber , 3 grams, for those about 38 grams. The downside, however, is that in most cases, because of the marinade in which they stay, we consume olives with a lot of salt. Half of our daily sodium intake is covered only by these 5 pieces. Eating more is not good for the blood!

Especially the kalamata variety is a good source of minerals such as iron, calcium and copper , which are important for bone health, heart function and prevention of anemia.

They are also rich in fat-soluble vitamins A and E , one necessary for good eyesight, the other known as a strong antioxidant. The latter is also thought to be valuable for heart health.

What makes olives most of all in our field of vision is the presence of heart-healthy monounsaturated fatty acids - oleic. Studies have shown that the lack of oleic acid in the diet is associated not only with the accumulation of more plaque on the walls of blood vessels, but also with inflammatory processes in the body due to obesity. A characteristic feature of acid is that it oxidizes rapidly, which means that it is less likely to accumulate as fat in the body than to burn, providing it with energy.

In a study, oleic acid was found to reduce the expression of the human epidermal growth factor receptor (HER2) gene, which is key to turning a healthy cell into a tumor. So olives definitely bring us serious health benefits.

Polyphenols are the other valuable substances in kalamata. They have a serious antioxidant effect. There are two main types - oleuropein and hydroxytyrosol. 

Oleuropein is approximately 80% of the total phenol content in raw olives. It is also responsible for the specific bitter taste of the fruit. Depending on the processing, it is completely or partially removed by decomposing into hydroxytyrosol and tyrosol. 
Both oleuropein and hydroxytyrosol have anti-inflammatory properties that have a beneficial effect on cardiovascular health and even prevent DNA damage.

Both oleic acid and olive polyphenols have a beneficial effect on blood pressure and cardiovascular health in general, reducing the content of bad LDL cholesterol in the blood.

Polyphenols also have antitumor activity and are suitable for the prevention of skin cancer, breast cancer, colon cancer and lung cancer.

Studies have even shown that oleuropein reduces the toxic effects of the anti-cancer drug doxorubicin .

It also has antifungal and antiviral properties and is suitable in the fight against herpes and rotavirus. 

Oleuropein is an important neuroprotector that protects the brain from the development of Parkinson's and Alzheimer's .