Olive Oil, for your health!

At Spice Traders, we carry only the finest quality Extra Virgin Olive Oil. To qualify for the label "extra-virgin", an olive oil must conform to the following four criteria:

• It must be made from the adopted standards of extraction of olives
• It must be extracted using temperatures never exceeding 75 degrees f, a true "cold-press"
• It must exhibit an acidity level of less than 0.8%, ours contains less than 0.5%
• It must be free of any defects or flaws

Conversion chart for cooking with Olive Oil

You've probably heard that EVOO, or Extra Virgin Olive Oil, is actually good for you! We know how wonderful our STM flavor-infused EVOO's make your favorite recipe, but we wanted to compile some facts just to help you convince your neighbors, and of course, remind you of the smart decisions you make!

• Very low in Omega-6, the less helpful cousin to Omega-3. A diet high in Omega-6 is thought to be a main culprit to the dangers in the "Western Diet," responsible for many cancers, arthritis and inflamations. Oils such as butter, canola, cottonseed and shortening are extremely heavy with Omega-6. 
• High in flavanoids, pigments found in fruit and vegetables that reduce a host of health ailments, including cancer, heart disease, asthma and stroke.
• Olive oil is the highest source of mono-unsaturated fats. Mono-unsaturated fats are the highest form of fats found in olive oil, which have been found to protect against cardiovascular disease by lowering total cholesterol levels and normalize blood clotting. Research has also shown monounsaturated fats to help insulin levels and blood sugar, particularly helpful for diabetes treatment. 
• Studies have shown that olive oil offers protection against heart disease by controlling LDL, the bad cholesterol levels while raising HDL, the good cholesterol levels. 
• Extra Virgin olive oil, the quality you will find at Spice Traders, has the highest levels of anti-oxdants, especially vitamin E, because it is less processed. 
• Olive oil's natural anti-inflammatory properties also aid in digestion and in the promotion of healthy bacteria found in our digestive system. 
• Shown to increase cognitive functioning, especially in visual memory and verbal fluency, and to help correct brain imbalances. 
• It is beneficial to bone health as it is shown to increase the level of calcium in the blood.

Here are some additional resources explaining the benefits of a diet rich in olive oil.

• http://www.oliveoilsource.com/page/why-olive-oil-good-you
• http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/food-and-nutrition/AN01037
• http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=132