A long time ago, olives were not recommended for the diets of those people who wanted to lose weight. It was due to olive’s high content of essential oils. The belief that olives don’t work well for weight loss is completely wrong. Olives are full of healthy nutrients for our body. In addition, they are a natural medicine coming from the Mediterranean diet to our table.

Furthermore, olives are one of the most demanded appetisers in bar terraces and breweries. They are ideal to control the appetite between meals. Are we really supposed to remove them from our diet? It would not be right, would it? Notwithstanding the benefits, we must moderate consumption. Nothing is good in excess.

Firstly, we should say that olives do not have as many calories as people have believed for years. However, olives do contain large amounts of Omega-3 and Omega-6 essential oils, which are beneficial and necessary for our body. Olives do not only provide us with Omega-3 and Omega-6, but they are also a natural source of vitamins A and C. These types of vitamins are very healthy for the tissues of our body and they are also helpful to have strong defences against external threats (i.e., common cold and flu). The contribution of thiamine should be also remarked. It is necessary and healthy for the nervous system. Additionally, olives provide us with minerals such as iron and sodium as well as vegetal fiber which helps us in the purification of the body.

The most important benefit we can get from eating olives is their power to prevent cardiovascular and circulatory diseases. This is due to its high content of unsaturated fats which help to perfectly balance cholesterol levels. Thus, olives prevent cholesterol deposits in our arteries, avoiding future problems related to arterial obstruction.

The iron olives supply is a healthy ally for people who have anaemia. Those people need an extra dose of this mineral to regain levels of red blood cells. Keep in mind that black olives contain more of this mineral than green ones. In spite of all the benefits we have mentioned, it is important to remark that olives are not recommended for people who suffer from hypertension since the high amounts of sodium olives contain.

The recommended daily amount is seven units.