Olive Oil Has Anti-Inflammatory Benefits

Extra virgin olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fats (the good kind!), which have a high resistance to heat and make for a healthier go-to when cooking. Around ~14% of olive oil is saturated fat, ~11% is polyunsaturated (like Omega-3s), and then ~73% are those heart healthy monounsaturated fats like oleic acid. Oleic acid can reduce inflammation the body and has even been found to potentially inhibit cancer cell growth. Read more from trusted published articles here, here, and here. 

EVOO is A Skin Health Superhero

But don't just take our word for it! Take Jenny Liu's instead :-) She's the board certified dermatologist behind @derm.talk, who we spoke to about the effects of olive oil on skin health. She says:

“Our body is consistently facing free radicals from inside and out. These free radicals damage our DNA, protein, lipids in cells, and in part affect how we age. Eating a diet rich in antioxidants helps to support our body and skin's natural ability to do this job.”

Drizzle and Sizzle are both made with Picual olives, which have the highest polyphenol counts of any varietal. Polyphenols are tough antioxidants that help combat oxidative stress in the body, supporting healthy skin and helping aid against inflammatory conditions such as acne, rosacea, psoriasis, and eczema. And it's even better when applied to the skin directly—meaning yes, you can swap your moisturizer for Graza and get double the benefits. Liu says:

“When applied topically, you can unlock even greater antioxidant power, which means that applying olive oil topically as a skin moisturizer can maximize potential skin benefits, reducing signs of aging.”

Read the full feature on skin health here!

A Heart Healthy Fat

Heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide—but in one place, the rates of heart disease and related deaths are much lower. 

We've all heard about the Mediterranean Diet. But the magic of the Mediterranean isn't (just) the location, and you don't have to be on the Amalfi coast to tap into the heart health secrets. Extra virgin olive oil is one of the pillars of this approach to eating; a healthy, flavorful fat that is safe to heat. That's because EVOO helps fight inflammation and blood clotting, restore the linings of your blood vessels, and lower your blood pressure—one of the main risk factors for premature death due to heart disease.

This study by the Greek European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition found that regular consumption of olive oil could help reduce the need for blood pressure medication.

Olive Oil May Help Fight Alzheimer's Disease

Alzheimer's is the most common neurodegenerative condition in the world, damaging the neuron connections that build the basis of our memory processing. This happens in different ways, but one common way that these neurons are affected is through the build up of beta-amyloid plaques that group together and inhibit cell function.

This study found that the consumption of olive oil was able to remove these plaques, helping improve brain function and fight the disease and reduce your general risk.

A Gut Health Win

Extra virgin olive oil (the less refined the better) is full of beneficial nutrients that can fight and get rid of the harmful bacteria in your gut. Helicobacter pylori, for example, is bacteria that can live in your stomach and eventually cause stomach cancer or other health problems like ulcers.

This study found that consuming ~2.5 tablespoons of pure olive oil everyday could help fight infection of this kind of bacteria in as few as two weeks. Meaning that whipping up a ginger-lemon-EVOO shot—check out our recipe HERE—not only gets your immune system charged up (and may help a bowel movement along) but also fights bad bacteria and improve gut health overall.