Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Olive Leaves Extracts (Olea europaea)

The olive tree, is an evergreen tree with silvery green leaves, native to the coastal areas of the eastern Mediterranean area. Its fruit, the olive, is of major agricultural importance in the Mediterranean region as the source of olive oil. Mythology and History Archaeological findings from the Minoan Palaces in Crete are fine Examples of olive oil’s role in the Cretan or Minoan civilization be an important olive production area to the present day. Olive oil had many uses in ancient Greece, differing according to social status. Poor people, for instance, did not consume olive oil but ate many cereals. The rich, on the other hand, were able to use olive oil in cooking, for cleaning their bodies and for lighting.

Athens, the ancient city and today's capital of Greece, is named after the Goddess Athena, who brought the olive to the Greeks as a gift. Zeus had promised to give Attica to the god or goddess who made the most useful invention. Athena's gift was olive, useful for light, heat, food, medicine and perfume, and it was picked as a more peaceful invention than Poseidon's horse - touted as a rapid and powerful instrument of war.

Homer called the Olive Oil "liquid gold” and Hippocrates recommended it as "Iama" (medicine), nominating more than sixty different uses.

Health Benefits & Modern Medicinal uses

Olive oil is an essential part of a balanced diet, it is easily digested, quickly and completely absorbed by the system. Extra virgin olive oil is a natural juice full of flavor and aroma, with high vitamin A, D, K and E content. It has an anti-oxidant effect on the human body cells, stimulates bone growth and calcium absorption. It contains mono-unsaturated fat that helps to reduce bad cholesterol levels on your blood, help control high blood pressure and aid in the prevention of diabetes and some cancers, while it strengthens immune system.

The people in the Mediterranean regions have known and recognized the skincare benefits of olive oil for thousands of years and have been using it to nourish and care their body, skin and hair. Natural beauty recipes have been used for centuries.
It has been indicated that the actual first uses of olive oil were actually for the body and not for internal use.
It's impressive that the health care professionals and researchers continue to find evidence of the healing and beautifying nature of olive oil.

Today, top luxury spas around the world offer a variety of facial and body treatments using olive oil and many botanical ingredients. It is used as a natural moisturizer, for shampoos (treating dandruff and preventing hair loss) to create shiny hair and as conditioner, for oil massages, soaps for the body, to remove eye make up, to smooth out and minimize wrinkles, as rejuvenator of the skin, strengthens nails and cuticles, and for many other uses.

Olive oil and skin care

Links:

International Olive Council
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
The European Food Information Council (EUFIC)
U.S. Institutes of Health
The Global Diabetes Community
Health Benefits of Olive Oil
Iason Foods Extra Virgin Olive Oil