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Health Benefits Of Black Olives

Have you every wondered where black olives come from or what the health benefits are? If so, we gotcha! Olives grow on trees and when fully ripened they turn a black color. Now keep in mind, not all ripe olives turn black by themselves. Olives vary in many different colors, flavors, shape and sizes. Olives offer a variety of health benefits.




First let me start by saying, according to the California Rare Fruit Growers website, olives cannot be eaten straight from the tree. The olives need to be processed a certain way first before they can be eaten. Olives are grown on a tree known as Olea Europaea. “Olea” is latin for “oil” and “Europe” refers to olives native origin; the Mediterranean region of Europe.
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1. Help Reduce Pain

Olives can be as effective as ibuprofen by reducing pain with the compound oleocanthal which has anti-inflammatory properties. Studies show that olive oil materially reduces the pain of chronic inflammatory diseases such as arthritis and can be added to a daily diet to aid in pain reduction.
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2. May Help Prevent Cancer

Eating more olives and olive oil is one of those thing that we can do to protect ourselves against colon, breast and skin cancer.
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3. Protect Against Ulcers

Olives and olive oil are able to combat and protect against ulcers due to antimicrobial properties which fight the bacteria that causes stomach ulcers. Studies have shown that the high levels of polyphenols protect against eighth strains of ulcer causing bacteria.
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4. Better Heart Health

Black olives are good for heart health because they contain monounsaturated fats. One ripe olive contains 8-grams of monounsaturated fats, according to the American Heart Association. The majority of fats we eat a day should come from either monounsaturated or polyunsaturated fats. Monounsaturated fats can help reduce bad cholesterol levels in your blood and lower your risk of heart disease and stroke.
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5. Eye Health

Olives contain vitamin A which is great for healthy eyes. This antioxidant is known for protecting the cornea and maintaining overall eye health. Good for problems such as macular degeneration, cataracts, and glaucoma.