Tastier than olives or black olives. Difference between olives and black olives

In general, such a classification of the fruits of the olive tree is typical only for our country. There is simply no such division in other countries. We call black fruits olives, and green fruits olives. In fact, the word "olive" (which we often use) exists only with us - in Russian, and this word means a fruit containing a sufficient amount of oil. In the same countries of the Mediterranean, where the olive tree grows, its fruits of any degree of their maturity, both black and green, are simply called olives. I think this is sorted out.

What are the benefits of olives and black olives?

Olive oil, which is famous throughout the world, is the main component of the fruit of the olive tree. It is thanks to this oil that the inhabitants of the Mediterranean countries are saved from diseases associated with the cardiovascular system.
Olives are divided into two different groups: these are fruits that are rich in fats, they are the basis for the production of oil, and fruits in which there is not much oil are table olives. They are used in their natural form.
Olives are foods of very high nutritional value. They contain very necessary saturated fatty acids, proteins, a lot of vitamins of various groups - B, C, E, and P, there is potassium, iron and phosphorus. They also contain various acids, which are simply a necessary material for the formation of the shell of the cells of our body.
All types of olives can be eaten by people of all ages and it is very useful as a prevention of many diseases: problems with the heart and blood vessels, with the liver and stomach ulcers. Even the seeds themselves in olives are edible, because they are completely processed by our stomach, without a trace.
Which olives are the tastiest?

The olives that you and I buy in stores have already been cooked to a certain extent. And such processing is not accidental, because fresh olives are inedible, they are bitter and, in addition, also tough. Olives, to make them tasty, are salted, pickled, stuffed with pepper, anchovies, capers or lemons. In our stores, you can mainly buy canned olives, but in their homeland you can try what taste and dry-salted olives.

There are different types of olives, which are divided according to their level of maturity and the way they are processed:

Green olives. These olives are harvested early, even before the start of their ripening process, and their color can be green to light yellow.
Olives combined- are harvested already in the process of their maturation, but even before the onset of real maturity. They can be pink to chestnut.
black olives(they are what we used to call olives with you) are already harvested when full maturity comes.
Oxidized blackened olives(we also call them olives) are harvested while still immature, and after harvest they are specially processed and from this processing they already acquire their final color.
In total, olive experts identify about 300 different varieties of olives. All of them are different in their taste, as well as in shape and size.

If the olives are of high quality, then in the jar they are almost the same size, their surface is smooth, and no preservatives are added to them during preservation.
If you see that the bank is somehow deformed, then it is better not to take it. Also, do not forget about the expiration date (always look!), Especially if you like pitted olives.

And in this video you will find out what should be in a jar of olives and black olives besides themselves. Be sure to look.

Olives... From one word, Ancient Greece rises before my eyes. Its heyday, its culture and the taste of olive oil, not without reason called "liquid gold". According to some sources, it was there, in Greece, that the culture of olives began to be cultivated.

Others claim that olives were brought into Greece by merchants. Still others are sure that olives were simply domesticated there for a long time, and every self-respecting farmer had olive trees.

Olives, by the way, are considered. And the whole coastline, all those southern European countries, can't live a day without them. They are the basis of their beauty and good nutrition.

Olive tree or cultural olive

The olive itself is considered a plant of the olive family. European olives certainly get into our diet. But the varieties themselves exist over forty species.

The olive tree bears fruit and, of course, lives for a very long time - two thousand years. The olive itself is green, oblong, fleshy inside. There are small, and there are also very large olives, so their size is very, very diverse.

In Russia, olives are called both olives and olives, the fruits of the cultivated olive. Olives are black. Olives are green. True, this division is incorrect, but more on that later.

Olives are grown both for oil production and for simple, salting or preservation. Fresh olives, rarely anyone can eat and not wince - they taste bitter. But salty - why not? Green olives are salted for about six months, while mature ones are only two to three months.

Olives vs Olives: What's the Difference?

So, what is the difference between olives and olives?

We answer.

At first, more than a superficial, picky look, they are very similar. But as soon as we look closely, the similarities melt away.

Let's start with color. Olives are almost black. Olives are green. This gives rise to two misconceptions.

• The first states that olives and black olives are different fruits.
• The second states that they are the same, just different varieties.

Both are wrong. Olives are unripe olives. So there is still a difference, albeit an insignificant one.

Olives are harder than olives and have less oil. The same olive oil is made, by and large, from olives.

Culinary preferences are also different, someone prefers olives, and someone likes olives. Unfortunately, our counters, and accordingly, in the stomachs, end up with counterfeits - chemically blackened olives, designed to be considered olives. And what good are they, only harm to the liver and gallbladder ...

About the chemical composition

Olives contain unsaturated fatty acids, ash, organic acid, dietary fiber, vitamins (such as PP, C, E, A, K), magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, iron, copper, calcium, sulfur, sodium, manganese and, of course, all sorts of other useful substances.

And now let's talk directly about the benefits and harms of olives for the body ...

The benefits of olives - olives for the body

• Unsaturated fatty acids remove excess cholesterol from the body, which prevents the incidence of atherosclerosis.

• Olive oil remarkably regulates the processes of digestion.

• Improves the condition of patients with arthrosis and arthritis, degenerative diseases of the spine.

• Calcium strengthens bones.

• Manganese restores articular cartilage.

• Olives have an effect on the condition of the joints. Due to the fact that vitamins C and E are strong antioxidants that fight free radicals that tend to accumulate in inflamed joints.

• Olives have a powerful anti-inflammatory effect that reduces swelling and pain.

• They prevent stagnation of bile and stone formation, which improves the activity of the gallbladder and liver.

• Olives have a rejuvenating effect due to vitamin E, and also fill the whole body with the energy it needs so much.

• Olives normalize the work of female reproductive organs.

• Linoleic acid promotes the body's regenerative functions and heals everything from bruises to cuts.

• Olives and have a positive effect on the functioning of the vestibular apparatus.

• Olive fruits accelerate metabolic processes. And it perfectly satisfies hunger. A diet based on olives (calorie content of only 143 kcal) is used all over the world, precisely because it can normalize weight without much harm to health.

• Squalene, contained in the pulp of olives, will prevent all kinds of neoplasms, like skin cancer.

Oddly enough, even canned olives have useful properties.

The benefits of olives and canned olives

• The pectins contained in the fruits help cleanse the body of toxins, toxins, salts of heavy metals, fiber normalizes the digestive system, especially the intestines.

• High saturation with B vitamins contributes to the normalization of the nervous system, improves mood and increases efficiency.

• Olives with regular use prevent the development of other breast tumors.

• The olive will please men with an improvement.

• The fruits of the olive tree improve the elasticity of blood vessels, the functioning of capillaries.

• Increases general immunity, hemoglobin content in the blood.

Often, with an overdose, the benefits of olives can turn into harm, so you should eat no more than 10 things a day.

About the benefits of olives with a stone

• The stone of an olive, even without preliminary crushing, can be beneficial. It promotes the removal of sand and small stones from the kidneys, urinary and gallbladder.

• Men are so encouraged to treat.

• Constipation, atony of the intestine is treated with a simple daily use of 7-8 olives with a stone.

As for the harm of olives, it mainly concerns violations of manufacturing technology, individual intolerance.

Harm of olives

Olives, which have practically no contraindications, still have their drawbacks. For example, people suffering from cholecystitis should refuse them because of the choleretic effect.

It should also be remembered that olives with a lot of spices, excess salt, marinade and vinegar will not be good for your body.

The harm of the same olive oil can come from where they were not expected. It is high in calories. Very.

One point should also be noted. There are also artificially blackened fruits. Their benefit is minimal. These are olives posing as olives processed chemically. Therefore, they are harmful, although inexpensive.

We summarize - olives or black olives, with their regular but moderate use, will bring maximum benefit to supporters of a healthy and balanced diet.

However, the residents of the country have little idea of ​​the difference between these concepts.

It is not surprising - this curiosity does not grow in Russian regions.

Some are sure that these are the fruits of different trees that are not related to each other, others consider olives to be unripe olives.

But neither one nor the other point of view is completely correct.

In fact, we are talking about the same tree.

In Europe, the word "olives" is not used at all - the designations "black olives" and "green olives" are used there.

The latter are indeed collected from trees at an early stage of ripening and have a color characteristic of young fruits.

However, mature and even overripe olives will still not be blue-black, like those that we used to call olives. This color is achieved as a result of a special chemical treatment.

Gifts of the Mediterranean

There is a famous legend about the appearance of the olive tree in Greece. According to her, the sea god Poseidon and the goddess of wisdom Athena argued over whose honor the Greek capital would be named.

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The inhabitants proclaimed that they would choose the one whose gift for the city would be considered the most necessary. Poseidon cut a source of fresh water in the rock, and Athena grew an olive tree.

The residents liked the gift of the goddess, and the city acquired the name Athens, familiar to all of us.

The gesture of the goddess was by no means overrated. "European olive" and to this day is considered one of the most useful and valuable plants, and in some countries even sacred.

Thanks to the cultivation of the crop, the Mediterranean diet, which invariably includes olives, has been recognized as important for the body.

Often the use of the product is also characteristic of the peoples of the Caucasus, who are famous for their good health and physical fitness.

The fruits of the tree are used:

For the manufacture of olive oil, spicy sauces;

• as a standalone dish.
  Olives are considered a suitable appetizer for expensive wines, in addition, they are stuffed with vegetable or meat fillings, which will become the crown dish of your table;
• as an addition to salads and hot dishes:
  • Greek salad,
  • hodgepodge,
  • filling for pizza;
• in the medical and cosmetic fields.

How olives are made from olives

The ripe fruits of the tree are used to make oil and are rarely eaten. They also have a dark color, but uneven, and close to brown.

The remaining fruits will either remain green or turn into olives. Both types will be processed, only the method differs.

The fact is that fresh olives are harmful to eat, yes, and they are not pleasant to taste - they are too bitter.

In order for the unpleasant aftertaste to disappear, the fruits were kept for a long time in a special solution based on soda. Later, this process was learned to accelerate with the help of special technologies.

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After soaking, green olives are ready to eat - it remains only to place them in brine and add spices.

But in order to become black, their counterparts will have to additional oxidation. It lasts 8-10 days, after which the fruits change color and become softer, and the taste acquires an "oily" hue.

In green olives, it is more pronounced: they are sour-sharp.

At home, in the countries of southern Europe, olives are sometimes sold without brine - they look hard and wrinkled, but taste bitter.

In our country, both products are sold only in canned form. To distinguish processed olives from overripe olives, look at the ingredients on the can.

If the list of additives includes ferrous gluconate (E 579)- in front of you are fruits whose color was obtained by oxidation.

What helps

One ancient doctor called this plant a cure for all diseases - and this was not an exaggeration.

By eating 6-10 olives a day, you will insure yourself against a list of diseases, as this gives us the rate of amino acids and minerals that we need.

Olives are easily absorbed by the body and have a positive effect on all processes occurring in it.

They contain dozens of useful substances:

• calcium,
• vitamins of several groups,
• proteins and fats, phosphorus,
• iron.

The use of olives favorably affects the following areas:

The cardiovascular system

The vegetable fats contained in olives do not contain harmful cholesterol and remove the already existing one.

Thus, they protect blood vessels from atherosclerosis, improve heart function, and prevent early aging.

Oncology prevention

The fruits give an antioxidant effect, which prevents the formation of tumors.

Studies have shown that frequent consumption of olives greatly reduces the risk of cancer of the breast, skin (read about the properties of black elderberry in oncology here), prostate and digestive tract.

Musculoskeletal system

Joint pain is relieved by the abundance of calcium and manganese in the composition of the plant.

Strengthening immunity

The acids that make up the olives restore cells and keep the body in good shape.

reproductive function

The fight against excess weight

If you are on a diet, be sure to include one more element in it:

• fruits regulate water-salt metabolism in the body, and will help you on your way to a slim figure.

Healing cuts, wounds and swelling

By the way, not only fruits, but also leaves of the olive tree are used to create useful solutions.

It is curious that in countries where olive trees are grown, there is a custom to eat at least 5 olives along with the pits.

This part of the plant is also extremely useful.

The assumption has not been scientifically proven, however, and there is nothing wrong with following the precept of the southerners - the bones are digested by the stomach.

But the benefits of this part of the fetus for the treatment of pinched nerves have even been confirmed by doctors and are successfully practiced.

Application in cosmetology

For a long time, the fruits have been used in the creation of cosmetic preparations, from creams to soaps. Now olive extract is part of skin care products.

But in order to improve the condition of the skin and hairline, you can simply eat olives - according to some cosmetologists, this has an equally strong effect.

You can make your own face mask based on 1-2 teaspoons of oil and rub it into the skin every time after taking a bath.

Masks for hair treatment

The most accessible of them is the use of pure oil.

Apply it on your hair and distribute it along the entire length.

After the procedure, cover your hair with a warm towel.

There are no restrictions on exposure time:

• ideally, it is better to leave the mask on all night, it is only more useful.

But, if time is limited, a couple of hours will suffice.

Is there any harm

As with other foods, eating olives is not without a downside. Do not abuse this delicacy with diarrhea:

• it has a slight laxative effect,
• people with the opposite problem, intestinal obstruction, should be careful with the bones.

By themselves, they are harmless, but can be the last straw in the formation of a bezoar.

Such a disease is fraught with serious consequences, up to intestinal obstruction.

In addition, you should not eat the bones of a pointed shape or with sharp edges. They will hurt the mucous.

It is difficult to answer the question of which is more useful: olives or olives. The properties of both product forms are the same. But still, it should be borne in mind that olives are obtained by chemical processing, even if they are safe, which means they are less natural.

Be that as it may, the harm from the use of these products is insignificant and incommensurable with the benefits.

People who prefer a healthy lifestyle, as well as those who like to add a new touch to their favorite dishes, should pay close attention to the symbol of Greece.

In the video, you will see how olives differ from olives and how to choose the right natural ones.

Olives have long taken pride of place in the national cuisines of many peoples of the world. In our country, olives appeared relatively recently, so disputes around them do not subside. They have an interesting spicy taste that is difficult to describe even for an experienced taster: they simultaneously contain bitterness and sweetness, sour and salty notes. The mystery of this product has long divided all food lovers into big connoisseurs of olives and their ardent haters.

Even more fueling interest in this product is a question that few people can answer: “Olive - what is it? Is it a fruit, or a vegetable, or a berry? The answers to this question are as controversial as the taste of the product. Some argue that it is a berry or fruit, as it has a bone and grows on shrubs or trees. Others claim that it is a fruit or vegetable because it requires additional processing, after which it acquires its unique taste.

To find out what olives are, you need to remember the school course of botany. In botany, there is no such thing as berries, vegetables or fruits - this is only a consumer name for the fruits of flowering plants, which are intended for seed dispersal. There are juicy (berries, drupes) and dry fruits (boxes, nuts, pods, achenes, grains). Olives, botanically speaking, are drupes, not berries, fruits, or vegetables.

Olives vs Olives: What's the Difference?

In the domestic market, consumers know not fresh fruits of olive trees, but canned products with black or green fruits. This is the reason why there is a myth among ordinary uninitiated buyers that explains why olives are black and olives are green. In their opinion, the difference between olives and black olives is that they are the fruits of different types of trees. But it's not.

In fact, the words "olives" and "olives" are Russian-language synonyms. To make sure that there is no difference between olives and olives, it is enough to find out which family the trees on which they grow belong to. Olives, they are olives, grow on trees of the olive genus, the olive family. The word "olive" has Eastern European roots. Throughout the rest of the world, the fruits of these trees are known as "olives".

It is likely that this confusion with the names of the fruits of olive trees arose due to the current GOST for olives. GOST R 55464-2013 in Russian is called “Olives or black olives in a filling. Specifications". At the same time, in the English translation, the names of GOST and olives, and olives sound the same - olives (olives), however, adjusted for color. Perhaps that is why in Russia green fruits of olive trees are called olives, and black olives are called olives.

What determines the color of olives

The difference in the color of the fruits appears during their processing before canning. The fruits of the olive tree for preservation are harvested while still green. To preserve them green, it takes several weeks to soak the olives in brine. To reduce the time of harvesting olives, this process is accelerated: they are saturated with oxygen. This process is called oxidation. After that, the olives acquire a jet black color, to stabilize which a preservative is used - ferrous gluconate. After such processing, producers receive black oxidized olives, which are preserved.

After we figured out what black olives are painted with, the question is quite logical: “Are there real black olives?” The color of untreated olives depends on their degree of maturity:

• yellow-green, yellowish, white olives are harvested at the very beginning of their ripening. They are inherently immature;
• pink, red, brown, brown, chestnut color of fruits indicates their partial maturity. These olives are harvested later than green olives, but earlier than ripe ones;
• the dark color of olives is a sign of their ripeness and can have various shades: red-black, purple-black, dark chestnut, purple. But there are no jet-black olives on trees.

The main difference between self-ripened olives is that they are always sold with a stone. This is due to the fact that it is impossible to remove the stone from their mature pulp without damaging the pulp itself.

How olives grow

Olives grow on evergreen olive shrubs or trees. In botany, up to 60 species of olive trees are distinguished, but only half of them are of industrial importance.

The main industrial species of olive trees is the European olive (olive), one plant of which can produce up to 30 kg of fruit per season. Plants of this species are resistant to high temperatures, and mountain varieties have frost resistance.

Trees of this species are covered with dry hard gray bark. On their crooked branches grow narrow gray-green rough leaves. The leaves of the olive tree do not fall during the cold season: they change gradually on the tree.

Olive trees bloom in April-July. How do olives bloom? Flowers of oil trees are collected in panicles, which consist of 10-40 white fragrant flowers. After flowering, fruits similar to small plums appear on a branch of an olive tree. The olive is an oval-shaped drupe up to 4 cm long and up to 2 cm in diameter. The color and weight of the fruit depends on its variety and degree of maturity. Fruit color can vary from light green to dark purple. The pulp is elastic, oily, the skin is dense, with a waxy surface. For the first time, olive trees begin to bear fruit after 20 years, bearing fruit once every two years.

Olives are harvested 4-5 months after the flowering of the trees. Olives ripen between November and January. But the harvest time often depends not on the time when the olives ripen, but on the variety and method of harvesting and processing the olives. If they are used for canning or making green butter, they are harvested 1-2 months before they ripen.

The green fruits are usually harvested by hand because they do not fall off the stalk themselves. Ripe olives are often shaken off on a pre-spread net under the trees. Once harvested, the olives are sent for processing as soon as possible. Any delay in this process negatively affects the quality of the final product.

Where do olives grow

Today, olive trees are cultivated:

• in the Mediterranean countries (in Spain, Italy, Greece, France, Turkey);
• in the Maghreb countries (in Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria, Libya);
• on the Black Sea coast (in the Crimea, in Bulgaria, Georgia, in Abkhazia);
• in the countries of Asia Minor and the Middle East (in Israel, Iran, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan);
• in northern India;
• in Australia;
• in Mexico and Peru.

The cultivation of olive trees in these countries is carried out by both large producers and small farms.

In Russia, olive trees are not grown on an industrial scale, but small olive groves grow on the Black Sea coast of the Krasnodar Territory.

Olive varieties

Up to 250 varieties of a cultivated species, the European olive, have been bred by the selection method. The fruits of its different varieties differ in color, size, taste and oil content in them. Olive varieties are:

• canteens, which contain a lot of pulp, so they are used for pickling, canning and other harvesting methods;
• oilseeds, which contain a lot of oils, so they are used to make olive oil;
• universal.

On modern shelves you can find many varieties of olives with a variety of origins. On an industrial scale, olives are grown in Spain, Italy, Greece, France, Turkey, Cyprus, Tunisia, Morocco, Israel.

Spanish olives

Spain is the leader in the production of olives and olive products in Europe and the world. About 50% of all exported olives worldwide come from Spanish producers.

The most popular variety cultivated in Spain is Picual, which translates as "nipple". This is a versatile variety of olives, but more often it is used to make oil. Olive trees of this variety are grown in the mountains and on the plains, while the fruits grown in different areas differ significantly in taste.

Varieties Ojiblanca and Casareña are famous for their black small fruits with soft juicy pulp, from which the stone is easily separated. These are the best olives for canning.

Italian olives

In Italy, olives are one of the main ingredients in many dishes. The world's most popular giant Italian table green olive is the Vittoria variety. Olives of this variety have juicy, fleshy, aromatic flesh. No food additives are used for their preparation.

On the southern Italian island of Sicily, the well-known variety of bright green olives Michio Le Olive is grown, which is famous for its fruity taste with a fresh aftertaste. To preserve their color, these Sicilian olives are stored in a special brine, the recipe of which is kept secret and passed down from generation to generation.

Greek olives

More than a hundred different varieties of olives are cultivated in Greece. Often Greek olives are named after the area where olive trees of this variety grow.

The best Greek olives are the fruits of the Kalamata variety, which got its name from the town of the same name in southern Greece, near which they are grown. Ripe olives of this variety are medium in size, purple-black in color. They have juicy flesh with a tart taste and a pronounced aroma.

Halkidiki is a variety of large green olives grown in northern Greece. Due to their large size, these fruits are used for stuffing with fillings (paprika, onion, garlic, gherkins, capers, almonds, cheese).

The most numerous olive groves in Greece are located on the island of Crete, where the Koroneiki oilseed variety is grown. The yield of these Cretan olives per year exceeds the total yield of olive fruits in the rest of Greece. A fragrant olive oil is made from these olives.

French olives

Olives are called Nice, collected in olive groves growing near Nice. These are fruits of small size, purple or black, have oily flesh with a pleasant delicate taste.

French small black olives from Provence have a slight tangy bitterness. Olives of the Nion variety are round, small, red-brown in color and also slightly bitter. The French variety Picolini is represented by green, crisp fruits with a fresh, salty taste.

The vast majority of varieties of French olives are universal and are used for making oil and in cooking, in canned or pickled form, in the form of pastes, pates, dressings. They are used to make cosmetics.

Israeli olives

In Israel, mainly oil-bearing varieties of olives are grown, so olive production in this country is mainly aimed at making oil.

One of the popular Israeli varieties is Suri. It is believed that the real homeland of this variety is the Lebanese city of Sur (Tyre). These fragrant olives produce a spicy green oil with hints of honey and pepper. Israeli Suri oil is well suited for cooking Jewish cuisine.

Another popular variety of olives grown in Israel and used to make olive oil is Barnea. Oil is pressed from them with a delicate aroma of fresh hay and fruity notes. Israeli green olive oil has a very useful property for children - its daily intake on an empty stomach is effective against worms in them.

The chemical composition of olives

The fruits of oil trees contain proteins, fats, carbohydrates (BJU), which are energy and plastic material for the human body. The ratio B:L:Y per 100 grams of olives differs from their degree of maturity and variety: in unripe small fruits, their content is lower than in ripe large ones.

The taste of fresh olives is bitter-tart or bitter, so they are not eaten raw. For the consumer, the nutritional content is not in raw olives, but the amount contained in the finished product. Considering that olives are more often on the domestic market in canned form, below are data on the nutritional value and chemical composition of the canned product.

Olives are a source of vegetable fats. A noteworthy fact is that with a high fat content in olives, they are not harmful: more than 90% of the fruit pulp fats contain mono- and polyunsaturated fatty acids. The peculiarity of unsaturated fatty acids is that in the human body they are not synthesized on their own and are practically not deposited (accumulated). For the normal functioning of the human body, daily consumption of foods rich in such fatty acids is important.

Olive protein consists of amino acids, many of which are essential, that is, those that are not formed in the human body.

Olive carbohydrates are 50-85% composed of indigestible dietary fiber (fiber), so these carbohydrates do not represent an energy burden on the body. In addition, the glycemic index of olives is low and is only 15 units per 100 g, which allows them to be consumed by diabetics.

The pulp of olives contains phenols (oleocanthal), which have powerful antioxidant properties. These substances are quickly destroyed during the cooking of olives, but are preserved in the first cold-pressed oil.

The pulp of the fruit of the olive tree is rich in vitamins and minerals. These substances, unlike proteins, fats and carbohydrates, do not contain calories, but are biologically active substances that affect many processes in the human body.

The chemical composition of olives differs significantly from their variety, place of growth, time of harvest, method of processing.

Olive oil

More than 2 million tons of olive oil are produced annually in the world. It is used in many cuisines of the world, but for our country, olive oil is still classified as exotic.

The benefits and harms of oil depend on many factors:

• varieties of olives and where they are grown;
• the method of their collection (manually or mechanically);
• what olives make oil (green or black);
• how oil is made (first or second pressing, cold or hot);
• conditions and period of storage.

How olive oil is made

Olive oil is made from olives of varying degrees of maturity. Most often, these are ripe olives, but some varieties of olives are grown for pressing in an unripe form, for example, Israeli green oil Barnea.

The process of making oil from olives consists of several successive stages:

• fruit sorting;
• cleansing them from leaves and stalks;
• washing in warm water;
• first extraction of oil;
• crushing pulp and bones;
• second oil extraction.

Most oil producers try to create a complete production cycle: from growing a crop to making oil. It is worth noting that the production of products from olives is practically waste-free: biogas is made from olive oil cake, and briquetted environmentally friendly fuel is made from olive pits.

Olive Oil Types

Depending on the method of collection, extraction and thermal or chemical treatment, olive oils are divided into several types.

Extra virgin (extra virgin)

This unfiltered oil is obtained by first cold pressing. In the process of its manufacture, no heat treatment or chemicals are used. In a laboratory study, the oil should contain less than 1% acids. Such a product contains all the vitamins, trace elements and essential fats that are found in the fruits themselves, as well as the antioxidant oleocanthal.

Virgin (virgin)

This oil is made in the same way as extra-virgin oil, so the content of useful substances in it is preserved. The difference between virgin oil is a higher allowable acid content in it - up to 3.3%. Due to this acidity, virgin oil has a milder taste.

Refined olive

It is obtained by refining from oil, which has an acidity of over 3.3%. The taste of refined oil is neutral, it also does not have a special aroma. This is a product that contains almost only fat and does not have those useful substances that olive oil is so famous for.

pure olive

Such a product is obtained by mixing virgin and refined oils to improve the taste and aroma of the latter. Accordingly, the beneficial properties of this oil are something between virgin oil and a refined product.

Light and extra-light

In the process of manufacturing these oils, various technologies are used (separation, deodorization, bleaching, heat and chemical treatments), resulting in a product with a "light" fat composition, and at the same time with a reduced content of all other substances.

Extra virgin and virgin oils contain many nutrients and are the most expensive, while refined and light oils are the cheapest.

In addition to cost and usefulness, the choice of olive oil is influenced by its purpose:

• unrefined oils are not suitable for frying, because during heat treatment they form carcinogens;
• refined brands of oils are not suitable for dressing salads, because they lack the expected olive flavor and aroma.

How olives are harvested

Olives are eaten cooked. They are prepared for consumption in different ways:

• dry;
• dried;
• salt (dry salting method);
• marinate;
• canned.

How to remove bitterness from olives

Olives for preservation after harvest are washed and immersed in barrels with brine for several months. Thanks to the fermentation of this brine, olives lose their bitterness, become soft and sweetish. After that, the fruits are sorted, the stalks and leaves are removed, sorted by size.

Olive caliber

On a jar of canned olives, their caliber must be indicated. This depends on their value. To inform the consumer about the size of olives in a jar, symbols are used - two numbers through a fraction. These numbers mean the minimum and maximum number of olives of this caliber in 1 kg. Accordingly, the smaller the numbers indicated in the fraction, the larger the caliber of the olives. There are four calibration categories:

1. Giant, or royal - olives of especially large size (70/90, 91/100, 101/110).
2. Large (111/120, 121/140, 141/160).
3. Medium (161/180, 181/200, 201/230, 231/260).
4. Small (261/290, 291/320, 321/350, 351/380).

Thus, knowing how many grams are in the jar and the caliber of olives, you can find out how many fruits are in the jar.

How to remove the pits from olives

Olives can be preserved pitted or pitted. How are the pits removed from olives? Bones are removed using a special apparatus with knives. All these processes in large industries are carried out on automated lines.

Green olives are often stuffed. Capers, gherkins, anchovies, lemon, pepper, garlic, onion and all sorts of other ingredients can be used as fillings. This process is carried out manually.

Beneficial features

Products from olives, due to the large amount of essential fatty acids, vitamins and minerals they contain, have many beneficial effects on various organs and systems of the human body when ingested. The beneficial properties of olives and olive oil make it possible to include them in therapeutic diet menus, as well as in the daily diet for various pathologies of internal organs. They can be eaten with or without the bone. It is difficult to answer which olives are more useful: with or without a stone, because they act on the body in different ways.

For the cardiovascular system

Olives are a leader among foods that are good for the cardiovascular system. Polyunsaturated fatty acids, which are contained in large quantities in them, being absorbed into the human blood from the intestine, show their beneficial properties:

• anti-atherosclerotic action (bind cholesterol in the blood, prevent the formation and reduce existing atherosclerotic plaques);
• increase the elasticity of blood vessels (due to the restoration of damaged vascular endothelium);
• reduce vascular permeability (by strengthening the bonds between the cells of the vascular walls);
• reduce blood viscosity, thereby reducing the risk of pathological thrombosis;
• help lower blood pressure.

Indications for the regular use of olive products in diseases of the heart and blood vessels are:

• atherosclerosis;
• cardiac ischemia;
• arrhythmias;
• arterial hypertension;
• neurocirculatory dystonia;
• varicose veins;
• thrombosis and thrombophlebitis;
• thrombophilia;
• post-infarction and post-stroke conditions;
• angiopathy.

The benefits of the fruits of olive trees and olive oil for the heart are proven by scientific studies. After mass clinical examinations of residents of European countries, they found that residents of the Mediterranean suffer less from coronary heart disease and atherosclerosis of blood vessels than residents within the continent.

For the digestive system

What are the benefits of olives for the gastrointestinal tract? Polyunsaturated fatty acids and vitamins of olive products have a positive effect on the digestive system:

• stimulate the production of digestive juices and enzymes;
• heal defects on the mucous membranes;
• restore liver cells;
• have a choleretic effect;
• prevent the formation of stones in the bile ducts;
• normalize peristalsis (translational movements) of the intestine;
• remove toxins from the intestines;
• restore intestinal microflora;
• help with hemorrhoids.

Olives affect a person's stool, but it is difficult to say unequivocally whether olives strengthen or weaken, because the effect of their use depends on the presence of a stone in them.

Olive pulp, which contains a lot of fat, contributes to the accelerated excretion of intestinal contents. Therefore, with daily intake of olives in food in small quantities, they have a laxative effect and prevent constipation.

And the oil seed, which contains a lot of tannins, fixes, therefore it is useful for digestive disorders associated with diarrhea. Indigestible fiber, due to its spongy structure, is able to absorb toxins and toxic substances and remove them from the body, so activated charcoal can be replaced with olives.

For the genitourinary system

Olive products can reduce the tendency to form stones in urolithiasis. Regular consumption of olive oil helps to get rid of kidney stones.

The inclusion of olive products in the daily diet is beneficial for the health of the female reproductive system, since fatty acids are included in fat metabolism and contribute to the normalization of the synthesis of female sex hormones. For men, olives are useful for their ability to increase potency and improve sperm quality.

For metabolic disorders

Olive products can be used in diabetes. They normalize the level of glucose and cholesterol in the blood in type 2 diabetes, thereby preventing the development of diabetic macro- and microangiopathies.

Olive oil is useful for gout, as it helps dissolve uric acid salts that are deposited in the joints and uric acid kidney stones.

For neurological diseases

Fatty acids and B vitamins contained in olive products normalize the functioning of the central nervous system, increase its efficiency, and improve memory. Scientists have proven that daily use of olive oil improves the condition of patients with multiple sclerosis and Alzheimer's disease, restores cognitive functions of the brain after strokes.

With inflammation

Olive products block the synthesis of prostaglandins - substances that cause inflammatory reactions in the human body. Oleocanthal, found unchanged in extra virgin olive oil, has anti-inflammatory properties mimicking the action of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). This allows you to include olives and products from them in medical nutrition for arthritis, arthrosis, osteochondrosis and spondylosis.

For the body of those who lose weight

Useful properties of olives and their products are successfully used in various diets. However, they should be included in the diet menu in doses, since they have a high energy value. For example, in the Dukan diet, it is allowed to alternate black and green olives, but not more than 4 pieces per day. Their benefit for weight loss lies in the complex effect of the substances contained in olives on the human body:

• binding "harmful" fats and cholesterol in the intestines and blood;
• saturation of the body with essential fatty acids;
• antianemic action;
• increase the elasticity of blood vessels and skin;
• improvement of the condition of the skin and its appendages (hair, nails);
• normalization of the chair;
• mood improvement.

Why do people who lose weight crave olives so much? What is missing in their body? Olives are rich in sodium salts, so the desire to feast on them arises when it is deficient. This desire is especially true in people who are on a diet. To satisfy the desire to eat olives, you should not include them in your diet in canned, pickled and salted form. This cooking makes the olives very salty, and salt is known to retain fluid in the body. It is better to give preference to dried, dried olives or olive oil.

against cancer

According to medical statistics, women in Mediterranean countries suffer from breast cancer several times less often than European women living in other areas. The assumption that the reason for this is a large amount of olives and olive oil in the diet, was confirmed in large-scale studies conducted in Spain from 2003 to 2009. The purpose of the research was to prove the anti-cancer effect of olive fats.

Spanish doctors examined about four thousand women who followed different diets:

1. The first group of women followed the Mediterranean diet with olive oil for a long time.
2. The second is the Mediterranean diet with hazelnuts.
3. The third is low-fat diets.
4. The fourth group was a control group and did not provide for a change in diet.

In the course of medical examinations of women who participated in this experiment, it was found that women in the first group were almost 70% less likely to develop breast cancer than women in the other three groups.

For pregnant women and nursing mothers

The mother's body experiences an increased need for nutrients, vitamins and minerals, especially essential (essential) ones, in order to provide them to her baby in sufficient quantities. If there is a deficiency of such substances, they begin to “wash out” from the organs of a pregnant woman or a nursing mother, leading to a disruption in their functioning. With a continuing deficiency of nutrients in the future, their deficiency also occurs in the child.

Substances of olives have a beneficial effect on the body of a woman during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Their benefits are undeniable both for the female body and for the harmonious development of the child. Olives, especially ripened on their own, are a source of iron, therefore they prevent the development of anemia in pregnant women. Healthy fats in olive oil improve the condition of the placenta and cervix before childbirth.

Regular consumption of olives (except canned ones) and olive oil helps pregnant women and nursing mothers, without compromising their own health, provide their baby's body with the substances it needs for growth and harmonious development.

For children

Olives are useful in childhood, but they must be introduced into the diet of children very carefully. From what age it is better to do this depends on the state of the child's digestive system. Considering that in our country olives are sold in the form of canned food, children over 3 years old can start introducing these products into the menu.

It is better to start with ripe olives, which are sold in glass jars, but no more than 1 piece per day. At the same time, the composition of the product should not contain preservatives, especially ferrous gluconate. This preservative may cause allergies.

For animals

Olive oils for pets (dogs and cats) are also useful: they improve digestion, make the coat smooth and shiny. Therefore, it is not at all surprising why dogs and cats love food flavored with olive oil.

But sometimes it also happens that animals are “pulled” to eat olives from the owner’s table or drink the brine in which they were. Owners have quite natural questions: “Are they harmful to animals? Can a dog or cat be given them?

It is not known for certain why cats love olives. They probably instinctively feel the usefulness of this fruit. Fresh, dried or dried olives can be given to animals, but in a limited form. As for canned olives, it is not recommended to give them to pets, as they contain a lot of salt and preservatives.

The benefits of bones

Many olive lovers are wondering if it is possible to eat olive pits? What are olive pits good for?

Olive pits dissolve in the stomach, enveloping its walls, which is useful for erosions and ulcers of the gastric mucosa. In order for their anti-ulcer effect to manifest itself, it is enough to swallow 4-5 seeds on an empty stomach.

Swallowing whole olive pits is often difficult and sometimes dangerous (some varieties of olives have large and sharp pits). In order not to harm your health, for the treatment of stomach ulcers, it is better to grind the bones and eat them in powder form.

Olive pits are useful as absorbents after alcohol abuse. The bone is partially digested in the stomach, enveloping its mucous membrane, and the rest of it dissolves in the intestine, absorbing toxic substances on itself.

For face and body

The rich chemical composition of olive oil has a good cosmetic effect, improving the condition of the skin and its appendages (hair, nails). On its basis, a variety of homemade cosmetics for women are made (creams, ointments and body balms, face and hair masks, nail baths). It is also included in industrial cosmetics.

Cosmetics based on it are recommended for use every day, because they have practically no contraindications. But before using them, especially with problematic skin, it is necessary to conduct skin allergy tests. To do this, a little money is applied to the bend of the elbow joint and after 30 minutes they look at the reaction of the skin in this place. An allergy test can be considered negative if there is no burning sensation, itching, redness or irritation at the site of application.

Restrictions and contraindications for use

Canned olives, like any other canned food, are saturated with salty marinade, so it is not recommended to eat them daily. This is especially true of oxidized black olives, which contain ferrous gluconate as a preservative. One can of oxidized black olives contains more than 20 mg of ferrous gluconate at its maximum daily dose for an adult of 10 mg, so it can cause food poisoning. This preservative makes olives an allergenic product.

• children;
• pregnant women, especially in the early stages;
• women with HB (breastfeeding);
• with gastritis with high acidity;
• with pancreatitis and cholecystitis in the acute phase;
• with gallstone disease;
• with kidney stones;
• with cystitis.

Contraindications to the use of canned olives are also individual intolerance and allergies.

How to use

Canned oxidized olives are tasty, but they cannot be a medicinal product: they should be considered solely as a delicacy that should be included in the diet only occasionally.

How many olives can you eat and which ones? In order for olives to show their healing properties to the full, they must be consumed daily in dried, dried, pickled form in the amount of 5-7 pieces per day.

Fruits can be replaced with olive oil. Preferred is the daily use by adults for medicinal purposes of high-quality unrefined vegetable oil, best of all - extra virgin or virgin, 1-3 tablespoons. It should be remembered that 1 tablespoon of olive oil contains 200-220 kcal.

How to choose olive oil

Recently, Chinese entrepreneurs have begun to produce olive oil from fruits purchased in bulk from olive farmers. Transportation of fresh olives adversely affects the quality of the oil from them, so it is better to refuse such a purchase.

In today's market, according to the University of California, about 80% of olive oil sold is counterfeit. Counterfeits often have bottles and labels similar to the original, so it's very easy to make a mistake. How to distinguish fake olive oil from real?

To protect yourself when buying this valuable product, you must follow simple rules:

1. It is advisable to buy a product in specialized or branded stores, which is better than buying it on the Internet or in the market.
2. It is better to prefer oil of well-known brands.
3. Before buying, you need to study on the Internet (preferably on the manufacturer's website) how the original packaging and label differ, and what is its estimated market value.
4. Carefully inspect the packaging and label on the selected product container for compliance with the original.
5. The label must contain information in Russian about the manufacturer, type and method of oil extraction, storage conditions, container volume, expiration date.
6. The price of the original product should not differ significantly from the average market price.
7. Do not purchase expired olive oil. Not only will it be bitter, but it can also cause food poisoning.

Arriving home, you should put the container with oil in the refrigerator. At low temperatures, natural olive oil becomes cloudy and flakes appear in it. At room temperature, the oil becomes clear again and the flakes dissolve.

How to choose olives

It is best to buy olives in the regions where they are grown. It is there that you can buy the most delicious and healthy fruits that are difficult to find with us.

The cost of harvested olives depends on many factors:

• where and how trees grow;
• how the crop is harvested;
• caliber;
• preparation method (salted, pickled, canned);
• the presence of a bone (with or without stones);
• intact fruits (whole or cut);
• type of filling.

In order for the purchased olives to be tasty and healthy, you need to be able to choose them. Today, these fruits can be purchased by weight (in barrels or polymer containers) and individually packaged (in cans or vacuum-packed). Which are more useful?

Bulk purchase

When buying olives by weight, you need to pay attention to:

1. Container with olives. The container must be plastic and have a lid. If olives are sold from an open tin container, such a purchase should be discarded. When opened, tin containers quickly oxidize and release toxic substances into the product.
2. Label. The label must be available to the buyer so that he can read the manufacturer's information and clarify the date of manufacture and expiration date of the product.
3. temperature and storage conditions. Storage of pickled olives without brine is unacceptable. The fruits must be completely covered with it. The storage temperature of an open container with pickled olives in brine should not exceed +6°C.
4. Brine color. The brine should not be cloudy and dark. It is desirable that the brine be covered with a layer of olive oil on top, which prevents it from spoiling.
5. Kind of olives. Crumpled, weathered and shriveled fruits among fresh ones should not come across. If any, this indicates that the seller mixed the unsold remainder of the product with the fresh one.
6. Fruit taste. Try one stone. Its flesh should be soft and well separated from the bone. Foreign smell and taste should not be felt.
7. Pay attention to how and how the fruits are taken out of the brine and what devices are used for this. The safety of the released product depends on the purity of these devices.

But, no matter how careful and careful the buyer is, he is not immune from unscrupulous sellers. To avoid fraud and forgery, you can buy olives in individual packaging.

Purchase of individual packaging

What are the individual packages? How to choose canned olives? On the shelves of stores, the consumer is offered olives in different types of packaging: in glass, cans and vacuum packaging. Which ones are better? Choosing from the proposed options, it is better to give preference to olives in a vacuum or a glass jar. So you can see how the drupes look, what color and size the fruits are.

The label must indicate how much the product weighs without packaging (net weight). Be sure to pay attention to the shelf life of olives. Expired fruits can cause food poisoning or intoxication with salts of heavy metals.

How to store the product

Canned olives in an airtight container are stored for 3 years. After opening the original packaging, the shelf life is greatly reduced. How long open canned olives are stored depends on the material from which the container is made.

It is strictly forbidden to store olives in an open tin can. The inner surface of this container is not designed for contact with air, so it quickly oxidizes. Toxic oxidation products pass into the brine, and from it into the olives. The use of such olives is fraught with severe food poisoning and intoxication. How to store open olives from a tin so that they do not cause poisoning? Immediately after opening a can of olives, the product must be transferred to a glass or ceramic container.

How to store open olives? In a glass or polymer container, open canned olives in brine can be stored for up to 3 days.

It happens that after opening the canned olives, the brine was drained, and the whole product was not used. How to save the rest of the olives without brine? Is it possible to freeze them? It is impossible to store olives without brine: the product quickly weathers, loses moisture, and shrinks. Freezing olives without brine or with it should also not be. Frozen olives after defrosting become very soft and tasteless.

Use in cooking

Whole olives with pits or stuffed olives are used as a separate snack. Sliced ​​and pitted olives are used to decorate dishes, added to salads, soups, casseroles, stews. They are mashed and made into olive paste. Thanks to their spicy taste, olives add spicy notes to drinks.

Olive oil is used in cooking for dressing salads, making sauces and marinades, and baking. Can you fry in olive oil? Only refined olive oil is suitable for frying. Extra virgin oils are eaten raw.

Are olives eaten raw?

Raw olives have a bitter taste, so it is not customary to eat them raw. Everywhere, except for their homeland - Greece. For example, in one of the central Greek regions of Magnesia, ripe olives are eaten without any pre-treatment. This is a special local variety of large dark cherry olives with easily peelable skin and juicy oily soft flesh. These olives have a tart, bittersweet flavor with a savory aftertaste.

But this use of olives in food is an exception to the rule. Most olives in cooking are used in processed form. For culinary purposes, they are dried, dried, salted, pickled, preserved.

What do olives go with?

The specific taste of the fruits of the olive tree goes well with:

• spicy herbs;
• lemon
• pickled garlic and onions;
• vegetables (cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers);
• greenery;
• nuts;
• pickled cheeses;
• fish;
• seafood;
• lean meats;
• alcoholic beverages (wine, liquor).

Black olives are more suitable for meat dishes, and green olives are more suitable for fish and seafood.

What do olives eat with?

Different people have different taste preferences. Very often they depend on the peculiarities of national cuisine. In Greece, they prefer to eat olives with feta, cheese, tomatoes, eggplants. In Spain, olives are usually served with sweet peppers, meat dishes, and seafood. In Italy, olives are added to pizza, lasagna, eaten with mozzarella, cauliflower and tomatoes.

But, as they say: "There is no friend for the taste and color!". Where to add, with what and how to eat olives, everyone is free to choose at their discretion. The main thing is that it was delicious!

In Mediterranean countries, flavored olive oil is used as a salad dressing. How is homemade flavored olive oil made? To do this, for 15-20 days, light or refined olive oil is insisted on:

• spices (cinnamon, cardamom, coriander, cloves, star anise);
• herbs (thyme, basil, marjoram, rosemary, oregano);
• zest and fruits of citrus fruits;
• vegetables (garlic, celery, horseradish, paprika);
• dried berries.

In recent years, it has become fashionable in Mediterranean European countries to decorate the table with olives, which are dyed with natural food dyes in red, orange, emerald colors.

Helpful Hints

Sometimes it happens that you need pitted olives to cook a dish, but in the refrigerator there are only fruits with pits. To get the pits from olives at home, you can use a machine to remove pits from cherries.

There is another secret to pitting olives: with a wide blade of a knife, lightly press the olive to the work surface. If the olive is ripe, then the bone in it will begin to move. After that, it can be easily removed with tweezers.

To extend the shelf life of open canned olives, you need to drain the brine, and pour the rest of the product with olive oil. You can store these preserves for up to 2 months.

Interesting about olives

In the history of mankind, the branch of the olive tree has always been considered a symbol of peace among many peoples.

Greece is considered the birthplace of the olive tree. In ancient Greek mythology, there is a myth about the appearance of the olive tree. According to this myth, once there was a dispute between the goddess of wisdom, crafts and knowledge, Athena Pallas, and the ruler of the seas and oceans, Poseidon, over the possession of Attica. Competing with each other, Poseidon presented the people of this region as a gift with a source of sea water, and Athena, sticking a spear into the ground, presented an olive tree. The judges recognized Athena as the winner in the dispute, since they considered her gift more useful, and gave her this land under protection. The people of Attica, in gratitude for such a generous gift, named the city of Athens in her honor.

The Olympians of Ancient Greece were awarded a wreath woven from olive branches if they won the Games. Its image can be found on ancient Greek vases and amphorae, from where the culture of worship of this plant passed to Ancient Rome. There also appeared the first descriptions and characteristics of olive trees and their fruits in the literature.

But not only the Greeks and Romans revered olive trees. There are also references to this tree in the Bible: during the Flood that land was nearby, Noah was notified by a dove that brought him an olive branch. And the Virgin Mary was informed that she would give birth to the Savior of the human race, by an angel who brought her a branch of an olive tree.

In the Middle East, the olive tree was considered a symbol of love and passion, where there is a legend about the appearance of the olive tree. Once Princess Maslina fell in love with a shepherd named Olivo, but her love was not mutual. Then the Olive Tree got angry and killed the shepherd on a dark night. At the place of his death, a tree with narrow leaves and small, tart fruits grew. This tree in honor of the shepherd was called olive, and the fruits ripening on it - olives or olives.

The olive tree in Muslim countries is considered the Tree of Life and the symbol of the Prophet.

The olive branch today is a symbol of peace and is present on the coats of arms of many countries: Italy, Cyprus, Serbia, Portugal, France, Zaire. The white olive branch is featured on the emblem of the United Nations (UN).

These interesting facts testify to the importance and reverence of this plant in many countries of the world.

For many centuries, olives and olive oil have been the basis of the economy of many countries. Today they have not lost their popularity. They are valued not only for their taste, but also for their health benefits, low calorie content, and high amounts of healthy fats, fiber, and iron. Knowing how olives are useful, it becomes clear why you want to eat them.

Fresh olives are not edible until they have undergone certain cooking. They are consumed salted, pickled or canned. Green olives are stuffed with a variety of fillings, ranging from onion and garlic to gourmet blue cheese. Olive oil is equally popular in cooking.

Useful properties of olives and oils from them are successfully used in clinical nutrition for diabetes, gout, cardiovascular diseases, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, urolithiasis, and sexual disorders. Even the stone of the fruit of the olive tree is useful.

Despite all the useful properties, olives have a number of limitations when consumed. So that these fruits do not harm health, you need to know how much and how to eat olives correctly for a particular ailment. Before taking them as a preventive or therapeutic agent, you should consult your doctor.

Olive trees with their juicy fruits have been cultivated by people for so long that scientists still cannot decide whether this is a miracle specially bred by breeders or a slightly cultivated wild species of a plant from the olive family. One way or another, but the benefits of olives were widely known in ancient Hellas. Moreover, the Greeks believed in the divine origin of the olive and knew about its miraculous properties.

Olives and black olives - similarities and differences

The oblong fruits of the olive tree are widely eaten all over the world. At the same time, in Russia they are called both olives and black olives. What is the difference and is there one?

Juicy black olives are simply fruits taken from a tree in the phase of biological ripeness. At the same time, olives can be harvested from the same tree, but before they are fully ripe. That is why olives are green. As they mature in natural conditions, they darken from light pink to blue-black. However, the difference between these fruits is not only in color.

Due to the fact that olives have been on their native tree for longer, they can be larger and grow to the size of a small plum. But with regard to the chemical composition and effect on the human body, here the benefits of olives and olives are almost the same.

Variety of canned olives

Buying a jar of juicy canned olives, you might be surprised that there are no fresh olives from the tree anywhere on sale. And the thing is that freshly harvested fruits are bitter in taste and very hard, regardless of their ripeness. Therefore, they are always soaked first to remove bitterness, and then pickled or salted to give softness. Often the pits of the olives are removed. The benefit of this is that you can put the filling in their place.

Today, olives are offered for consumption with additives, which can be tuna, anchovy, lemon, or even cucumber. You can also often find fruits with and without seeds on sale. At the same time, gourmets prefer olives with pits, pointing to their special taste and softness.

What is so “magical” about plain olives?

Since these berries have been eaten by people for a very long time, the benefits and harms of canned olives are well known and studied. Today, scientists say that they are all extremely useful, because:

• They contain antioxidants, which means they help get rid of depression and reduce the impact of severe stress.
• Replenish in the body such elements as calcium, chlorine, sodium, magnesium, iron, iodine, potassium and phosphorus, as well as many others.
• They contain various amino acids and numerous vitamins, including vitamin E.
• Their chemical composition includes special natural substances - polyphenols, which, in turn, help improve memory and better brain function.
• They contain oleic acid, which is so important for those who want to preserve youth. Because of this, regular consumption of olives reduces the appearance of wrinkles by 25%.
• Reduce blood cholesterol levels and promote its withdrawal.
• They reduce appetite due to the monounsaturated fatty acids they contain, which leads to rapid saturation with this product. Nutritionists advise eating 7-10 olives before meals. Such a simple rule of nutrition leads to the normalization of weight. In addition, thanks to the same acids, after eating, fat burning processes are launched in the body, which last for 5 hours.

And what are the benefits of olives for men, women and children?

The benefits of olives and olives for male intimate health have already been proven. Regular consumption of these fruits in food enhances potency. In addition, men appreciate canned olives for their other quality - the removal of a hangover. Olives are recommended for women not only as a unique dietary product, but also for the prevention of such a terrible disease as breast cancer. Studies have shown that it is on the territory of the Mediterranean coast, where olive fruits are part of the daily diet, that malignant tumors of the mammary glands are less common than in the rest of the world.

And what is the use of canned olives for children? And here are the positives. But it would be much better if, instead of a canned product, olive oil enters the child's diet.

Olives can also be eaten by people of different ages with problems of the digestive tract. The low acidity of olives makes them easy to digest, and the oils they contain improve stomach function. But at the same time, you need to be careful with too spicy canned food, since the brine in which the olives are marinated can cause exacerbation of gastritis and ulcers.

Harm from olives - myth or reality?

Harvested from the tree and processed olive fruits, regardless of their ripeness, are always useful. The oil obtained from them is considered one of the most valuable food products. However, there are situations where caution in their use does not hurt.

Of course, if you are allergic to them, which is quite rare, this product becomes forbidden for a person. And if there is a disease such as cholecystitis, olives can cause damage to the body. The thing is that they have a choleretic effect, and although in other conditions this is also the benefit of olives, in the case of this disease it is harmful.

It is worth beingware of eating olives and those who are undergoing a course of treatment in which retinol is used. After all, vitamin A is found in olives, and with its excess, various side effects characteristic of hypervitaminosis can appear. In this situation, the benefits and harms of canned olives depend only on the amount eaten, but it is better to avoid such risks.

But the most dangerous product today may be green olives, which are dyed black with ferrous gluconate for marketing purposes. Despite the fact that these canned olives are nutritionally safe, the dye itself can cause acute allergic reactions and, if consumed in large quantities, can cause stomach ulcers.

How to recognize fake olives?

Colored olives, which are sold under the guise of olives, can be distinguished from the natural product by the following features:

• They are almost always rolled up in tin cans. This also determines the price category of the product. Natural olives are always slightly more expensive than green olives.
• The color of fake fruits is uniformly black, while the berries themselves are the size of grapes. But ripened olives can be the size of a plum, and their color is not so perfect. In this case, most often the bones are not extracted from such fruits.
• The composition, which is always indicated on a jar of fake olives, contains a dye - iron gluconate E-579. A natural canned product may contain citric acid and spiced olive oil in the brine, but no colorants.

Choosing the right olives for the table, you can be sure of the quality of your food. But in any case, olives are an excellent prevention of a whole list of diseases, including diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, atherosclerosis, depression and obesity.

The fruits of the olive tree are loved all over the world. But in our country they have two names. In this regard, the question arises: “What is the difference between olives and olives?” Do they grow on the same tree or not? It is easy to answer these questions. We will reveal all the secrets of the olive tree and its fruits, as well as the benefits of eating them.

Black olives or olives

It is erroneously considered that olives are black fruits, and olives are green. In fact, there is only one name in the world - olives. So what is the difference between olives and olives? Only in the level of fruit maturity. If harvested before they are fully ripe, they will be green to yellow in color. Black olives are harvested when the fruit has reached full maturity. There is another type, which is called combined olives. They are pink to brown in color. They are harvested at maturity. But why are canned olives green, black olives? Initially, when harvesting, the fruits are sorted. Black olives that have reached full maturity are used for oil production. Green olives are canned. But since we see two types of product on the shelves, a reasonable question arises: “What is the difference between olives and olives?” It all depends on the technological process of conservation. As a result of processing, green olives turn black. This is due to oxidation, which gives the color to the fruit, makes them softer and changes their taste. This is the difference between olives and olives.

Beneficial features

Raw fruits have a slightly bitter taste. Therefore, in order for them to acquire the form in which we are accustomed to seeing them on our tables, it is necessary to salt them. They are soaked in a saline solution for 5 months, and after that they are weathered for a day in the fresh air. The next step is the conservation process. When cooking black olives, it lasts longer. Sometimes the fruits are stuffed or spices are added. What is healthier - olives or black olives? There is practically no difference here. The fruits of the olive tree contain proteins, antioxidants, unsaturated fats, phosphorus, iron, potassium and a group of vitamins. Olive oil has a beneficial effect on the entire body. Unlike animal fats, it does not increase cholesterol levels, but strengthens the heart and blood vessels. It reduces the risk of cancer, heart attack and diabetes. Therefore, the cost of high-quality cold-pressed oil is very high. It is used as a salad dressing. In this case, all the benefits of this product are preserved. One tablespoon of olive oil, drunk on an empty stomach, reduces the effect of alcohol. It takes 5 kilograms of olives to produce one liter of this valuable product. The presence of a large number of useful properties and richness of taste, the fruits of the olive tree owe their popularity. Even in ancient times they were used in cosmetology. Soap was made from them, mixing with ash and talc. Today, many cosmetic preparations contain olive extract, which gives all the beneficial properties accumulated by nature. Modern cooking is already impossible to imagine without this product, which is added to salads, first courses and sauces. These are such healthy and very tasty olives.

Where do olives grow

	green olives	Black olives (black olives)
calories	145 kcal	115 kcal
Squirrels	1 g	0.84 g
Fats	15.3 g	10.68 g
Carbohydrates	3.8 g	6.26 g
Cellulose	3.3 g	3.2 g
vitamins
Vitamin A	0.019 mg	0.02 mg
beta carotene	0.231 mg	0.237 mg
Beta cryptoxanthin	0.009 mg	0.009 mg
Lutein + Zeaxanthin	0.51 mg	0.51 mg
Vitamin B1	0.021 mg	0.003 mg
Vitamin B2	0.007 mg	-
Vitamin B4	14.2 mg	10.3 mg
Vitamin B5	0.023 mg	0.015 mg
Vitamin B6	0.031 mg	0.012 mg
Vitamin B9	0.003 mg	-
Vitamin C	-	1.5 mg
Vitamin E	3.81 mg	1.65 mg
Vitamin K	0.001 mg	0.001 mg
Vitamin PP	0.237 mg	0.037 mg
Minerals
Potassium	42 mg	9 mg
Calcium	52 mg	94 mg
Magnesium	11 mg	4 mg
Sodium	1566 mg	735 mg
Phosphorus	4 mg	3 mg
Iron	0.49 mg	3.32 mg
Manganese	-	0.02 mg
Copper	0.12 mg	0.25 mg
Selenium	0.001 mg	0.001 mg
Zinc	0.04 mg	0.22 mg
Fatty acid
Omega 3 fatty acids	0.092 g	0.065 g
Omega 6 fatty acids	1.215 g	0.847 g
palmitic	1.691 g	1.179 g
Stearic	0.338	0.236 g
Palmitoleic	0.123 g	0.086 g
Oleic	11.144 g	7.77 g
Gadoleic	0.146 g	0.032 g
Linoleic	1.215 g	0.847 g
Linolenic	0.092 g	0.064 g

For men

For women

The benefits of different forms

Application methods

Harm of olives

Contraindications

• with pancreatitis;
• with cholecystitis;

Question-answer Which olives are healthier - green or black?

Why do you want olives?

Most Mediterranean dishes use olives in their composition - the benefits and excellent taste of these fruits make it possible to add them to many recipes. European olive is recommended for both men and women due to its healing effects.

Where do olives grow

European olive, the fruits of which are olives, is a heat-loving plant growing in southern countries. Most often it is found in the Mediterranean states: Greece and Turkey, Israel, Italy and Spain. Spain is the main supplier of olives on the world market, not inferior to superiority for many years.

In addition to the main habitat, olive trees are grown in Iraq and Iran, Turkmenistan, India, Peru and Mexico. In Soviet times, the European olive was grown on the Black Sea coast and in the Crimea, as well as in Abkhazia, Georgia and Azerbaijan.

Are olives a fruit, vegetable or berry?

Olives are often referred to as berries and fruits: this is a small seed fruit that resembles cherries or plums. From the point of view of botany, they belong to the group of drupes: these are fruits that have only one stone and are not considered berries.

Olives belong to the group of drupes

Olives are like berries in size, like fruits in structure, like vegetables in taste. But at the same time, they do not belong to any of these groups: the fruits of the olive are allocated to a separate family "Olive". The genus of this plant is "Olive", and the species is "European Olive".

Why are olives black and olives green?

Olives and black olives are the fruits of the same tree, which is called the European Olive. The difference between them lies in the degree of maturity: green color indicates immaturity, and dark color indicates the full ripeness of the fruit.

Olives, known as “black olives” in Europe, are not actually black in color: their rich dark hue is closer to purple or brown tones. One side of olives is often darker than the other, and the stone is not removed from them.

Olives and black olives grow on the same tree

On sale, you can often find olives of a uniform blue-black color without pits. This shade is obtained artificially by adding chemical preservatives to unripe green olives. After such processing, no useful properties remain in pseudo-olives.

The chemical composition of olives and BJU

The beneficial effect of olive fruits on the body is due to the components in their composition.

A table with the composition of black and green fruits, which takes into account calories, BJU, the amount of vitamins, minerals and fatty acids.

	green olives	Black olives (black olives)
calories	145 kcal	115 kcal
Squirrels	1 g	0.84 g
Fats	15.3 g	10.68 g
Carbohydrates	3.8 g	6.26 g
Cellulose	3.3 g	3.2 g
vitamins
Vitamin A	0.019 mg	0.02 mg
beta carotene	0.231 mg	0.237 mg
Beta cryptoxanthin	0.009 mg	0.009 mg
Lutein + Zeaxanthin	0.51 mg	0.51 mg
Vitamin B1	0.021 mg	0.003 mg
Vitamin B2	0.007 mg	-
Vitamin B4	14.2 mg	10.3 mg
Vitamin B5	0.023 mg	0.015 mg
Vitamin B6	0.031 mg	0.012 mg
Vitamin B9	0.003 mg	-
Vitamin C	-	1.5 mg
Vitamin E	3.81 mg	1.65 mg
Vitamin K	0.001 mg	0.001 mg
Vitamin PP	0.237 mg	0.037 mg
Minerals
Potassium	42 mg	9 mg
Calcium	52 mg	94 mg
Magnesium	11 mg	4 mg
Sodium	1566 mg	735 mg
Phosphorus	4 mg	3 mg
Iron	0.49 mg	3.32 mg
Manganese	-	0.02 mg
Copper	0.12 mg	0.25 mg
Selenium	0.001 mg	0.001 mg
Zinc	0.04 mg	0.22 mg
Fatty acid
Omega 3 fatty acids	0.092 g	0.065 g
Omega 6 fatty acids	1.215 g	0.847 g
palmitic	1.691 g	1.179 g
Stearic	0.338	0.236 g
Palmitoleic	0.123 g	0.086 g
Oleic	11.144 g	7.77 g
Gadoleic	0.146 g	0.032 g
Linoleic	1.215 g	0.847 g
Linolenic	0.092 g	0.064 g

The chemical composition depends on the particular variety of fruit and on the method of their processing. Canned, pickled and salted olives contain fewer nutrients than fresh ones. Useful properties of olives

The benefits of olive fruits for the human body are invaluable.

Due to the composition, saturated with fatty acids, vitamins and minerals, they are indispensable for many diseases:

1. In atherosclerosis: vitamin PP and fiber regulate the amount of cholesterol in the blood, helping to cope with its excess.
2. In cardiovascular diseases: high content of potassium, vitamins B6 and PP lowers blood pressure, strengthens the vascular walls.
3. In case of metabolic disorders: it contains little sugar, a lot of fatty acids, as well as vitamins B6, C and E, which reduce blood sugar levels and speed up metabolism.
4. With disorders of the nervous system: they normalize cerebral circulation and have a slight sedative effect, improve the functioning of the central nervous system and PNS.
5. With anemia: black fruits contain a lot of iron and vitamin C, which improves its absorption and increases the level of hemoglobin in the blood.
6. With arthritis, arthrosis, osteochondrosis and gout: phosphorus and calcium in the composition strengthen bones and joints.
7. For digestive problems: fiber improves the digestion and absorption of food, helps with constipation and other gastrointestinal disorders.
8. When losing weight: the low calorie content of the product, as well as vitamins B6 and C in its composition, which regulate metabolism, allow you to quickly get rid of excess weight.
9. In infectious diseases: vitamins C and E increase the activity of the immune system, providing a preventive and curative effect in case of colds.

Olives are also very useful for children and adolescents: fatty acids have a beneficial effect on a growing body.

For men

The benefits of olives for men are as follows:

1. Vitamin E improves blood circulation and sperm quality, and also prevents the destruction of testosterone by insulin.
2. Fatty acids cleanse blood vessels, improve blood flow to all parts of the body - including the genitals.
3. Vitamin B9 prevents early baldness and stimulates new hair growth.
4. Vitamin B6 strengthens the walls of blood vessels, eliminating circulatory insufficiency.
5. Zinc increases the level of testosterone in the blood.

To achieve the best effect in the fight against erectile dysfunction, men should consume 10-15 fruits per day.

Olives cleanse the blood vessels

For women

The benefits of olive fruit for women's health are due to the following:

1. Vitamins C, E and selenium prevent the spread of free radicals, slowing down aging and reducing the risk of developing cancer.
2. Vitamins A and B improve the condition of hair and skin: hide wrinkles and inflammation, strengthen hair, accelerate its growth and give it shine.
3. Calcium and phosphorus strengthen the nail plates and teeth.
4. Monounsaturated fats, vitamins A and E promote fertility and increase the chances of conceiving a child.
5. Vitamin B6 thins the blood and strengthens blood vessels, prevents varicose veins and thrombosis during pregnancy.
6. Low calorie content allows you to use the fruit on a diet.

Olives for women are useful not only when taken orally: the fruits and oil from them can be used externally as part of homemade masks for the face, hair and body.

Olives prevent thrombosis

The benefits of different forms

Regardless of the form in which olives are sold, they have a beneficial effect on the body.

Each storage method has its own advantages:

1. Fresh olives: contain the maximum amount of nutrients, but are unsuitable for food. Fresh fruits are strongly bitter, have an astringent property.
2. Cured: Prepared by drying in the sun. Unlike pickled and salted fruits, they do not contain salt and potentially harmful preservatives, and retain the greatest amount of vitamins and minerals.
3. Pickled: less healthy than fresh or dried fruits, but with the right cooking technique, they retain most of the useful properties. Canned and salted fruits last longer, taste better, and often contain healthy spices.
4. Olive oil: used internally both on its own and as part of various dishes. It is also used in face and hair masks, creams and scrubs, for wiping and cleansing the skin, as part of cleansing enemas.
5. Olive leaves: used in cooking as a seasoning, also brewed as a tea. They relieve tension and anxiety, prevent cardiovascular diseases, tone up and strengthen the immune system.

Olive leaf tea is good for the cardiovascular system

Application methods

Olive fruit is the most common ingredient in Mediterranean cuisine, found in almost every recipe. Their uses are unlimited: olives are used in recipes for pizza, pasta and focaccia, in many salads and soups, as part of pesto and a variety of meat and fish dishes, fried or baked in the oven.

Olive fruits are often used as a decorative element for hot dishes - they look aesthetically pleasing and do not interrupt the taste of the dish. They also decorate alcoholic cocktails: if you eat alcohol with olives, they will begin to resist toxins and reduce hangovers.

Olives resist alcohol toxins

Another use of olives is as a snack. They can be present in canapés or used independently: in canned, dried or salted form. It is permissible to eat 7-10 fruits per day.

Harm of olives

Black olives in a jar can harm the body. If these are not real olives, but artificially colored fruits, they contain harmful additives. These are caustic soda, in the solution of which the olives are kept for a week, and ferrous glutonate, which gives the blackened pseudo-olives a stable color.

Both of these additives can cause allergies in the consumer, in addition, after prolonged treatment with them, the beneficial properties of olives disappear. If a color stabilizing additive E579 is present in the composition of the canned product, it should not be purchased.

Also, the excessively salty brine in which they are stored can harm the body.

Contraindications

Due to the choleretic properties of olives, you can not use:

• with pancreatitis;
• with cholecystitis;
• with exacerbation of gallstone disease.

Also, canned olives, containing a large amount of salt, should not be eaten with hyperacid gastritis, children under 3 years old and women who are breastfeeding.

Olives should not be consumed if there are stones in the bile ducts

Q&A Which olives are healthier - green or black?

Black olives, or olives, contain vitamin C and manganese, which are absent in green fruits. Also, olives are less caloric, and they have more copper, zinc, calcium and vitamin A. Otherwise, green olives are superior to black fruits: they contain more vitamins, macro- and microelements, and various fatty acids.

It is preferable to eat both types of olive fruits: this way the body will receive the greatest amount of useful elements.

Why do you want olives?

Cravings for certain foods can occur due to disease and nutritional deficiencies. The desire to eat olives appears as a result of a lack of sodium salts in the body.

It may also indicate a dysfunction of the thyroid gland.

A strong desire to eat olives may indicate disorders in the thyroid gland.

Can you eat olives with pits?

Olive pits are considered a very useful product: they contain no less useful substances than the fruit itself. Due to their large size, they are inconvenient to swallow, and they are poorly digested, so most often the bones are consumed internally after grinding with a blender or coffee grinder.

Olive pits are rich in useful elements

Black and green olives are useful fruits that have a beneficial effect on the body. They have a positive effect on his work, have an excellent taste and fit perfectly into many dishes.

Benefit

healthy olives

Bones are useful too

More than 20 years ago, canned olives appeared on the shelves of our stores and immediately gained popularity among consumers. Many do not know that black and green olives are the fruits of the same tree - European olives (or olives), harvested and preserved at different stages of maturity. Only in Russia, mature olives that acquire a black color after conservation are called olives; all over the world, fruits of any color are called olives.

For canning, universal and table varieties are used, the content of vegetable fats in which is less than that of oilseed varieties, from which very useful olive oil is made.

The benefits of canned olives

Useful properties of the fruits of the olive tree practically do not depend on their degree of maturity. Their pulp is rich in oil, which contains a lot of fatty acids belonging to the omega-6 and omega-9 groups. Olives also contain plant sterols, B vitamins, ascorbic acid, and tocopherol. All these substances have a beneficial effect on the state of the cardiovascular system.

Phytosterols reduce the absorption of fats in the intestines, unsaturated fatty acids and vitamin E are involved in fat metabolism. Thus, the complex of these substances contained in the fruits of the olive tree stimulates the metabolism of fats and helps to reduce the level of cholesterol in the blood.

The pulp of olives contains quite a lot of fiber, which makes them useful for the digestive system. The calorie content of olives depends on the degree of maturity, in 100 g of green canned fruits there are about 160 kcal, and in the same amount of black ones - about 130-150 kcal.

Some studies have shown that phytosterols have anti-cancer properties, so regular consumption of olives and oil from them is useful for the prevention of cancer.

Which olives are healthier?

Before you buy canned olives, you should make sure that it is a fresh and high-quality product.

Today, you can find more than a dozen different types of canned olives on sale, they are harvested with and without pits, stuffed with paprika, lemon, almonds, anchovies and other fillers. With such an abundance, it is not easy to figure out which olives are the most useful, and whether there is a difference between black and green canned fruits. It turns out that the benefits of olives directly depend on the way they are preserved.

Black olives (black olives)

To begin with, I would like to deal with black olives, which we usually call black olives. The fact is that fruits that are fully ripe on a tree are never such a rich black color as we see them in jars. Their color can be brown, brown, dark purple, but not completely black. Coal black olives acquire in the process of conservation.

These black olives can be produced at any level of maturity, which is why many growers use green olives without waiting for them to ripen. They are placed in a solution of caustic soda, where they are saturated with oxygen, then soaked in water for several days, after which the resulting black color of the olives is fixed with ferrous gluconate. This method of production is the fastest and cheapest, but the finished product is of poor quality. Unripe olives are very easy to remove the stone, ripened fruits are too soft for this. That is why pitted black olives in iron cans, which have a relatively low price, are most likely the product obtained by the above method.

Green and ripe olives

Green olives with pits are considered healthier.

There is another way to preserve olives, which does not use chemicals and better preserves the beneficial properties of the product. But it, of course, requires much more time and costs. Both green and ripe fruits are preserved in this way. They are placed in containers (it is better if they are wooden barrels) and poured with a 5% solution of ordinary table salt. To activate the fermentation process, tomato juice, sugar, or some cultures of lactobacilli are added to the solution. The fermentation process lasts at least one and a half months, after which the olives are washed with clean water, placed in glass jars, filled with 7% saline and sterilized.

stuffed olives

Usually green olives are stuffed, from which it is easier to remove the stone, thus freeing up space for the filling. You will not find stuffed olives in stores, as they are more loose and fragile. However, the products that fill the fruits of the olive tree may be of poor quality. Unscrupulous producers can use spoiled fish, nuts, fruits, etc. For example, when purchasing olives with red fish, we, unfortunately, cannot be sure of its freshness, and the taste of olives and the salty brine in which they are stored can successfully mask the taste of low-quality seafood.

Given all of the above, we can conclude that not all olives are equally useful. The most valuable for us are green unstuffed olives. If you really want to try stuffed olives, then it is better to choose a product with lemon, garlic, pepper and other vegetables or fruits. The least useful, and perhaps even harmful product is coal-black olives in iron cans.

Harm of canned olives

Individual intolerance to this product is extremely rare.

Canned olives should be used with caution in people suffering from arterial hypertension and kidney disease, as they contain a very large amount of sodium.

You should not buy cheap olives, a low price indicates a low quality of the product, the fruits can be poorly cleaned after chemical processing and the content of chemicals in them may exceed the allowable rate. Also, do not eat this product if it contains monosodium glutamate, flavorings, preservatives and other similar additives. When purchasing olives in glass jars, you need to pay attention to the expiration date and the tightness of the packaging. Expired or improperly stored product can lead to serious poisoning.

Channel One, the program “Expertise of things. Quality Control Department”, issue on the topic “Canned Olives”:

RIA Novosti, program "Fresh Food", issue on the topic "How to choose olives and black olives":

"Fresh food" - How to choose olives and black olives

More about the benefits of olives

Olives and weight loss

And again about diets

And a little more about olives

The olive tree grows mainly in Africa, Australia, in the tropical regions of Europe, South Asia. For the whole world, the division goes into green and black olives, and only in Russia is the division into olives and black olives accepted. Green fruits are harvested earlier than black ones.

Benefit

Olives, whose beneficial properties have long been known in the Mediterranean region, are not yet so popular in Russia, and someone does not even know about the richness of their composition and effect on the body. They are rich in manganese and calcium, which has a positive effect on the musculoskeletal system. Olives are even used in the treatment of joint pain. The benefits of black olives as a prevention of the formation of gallstones have been confirmed. You can use the fruits of the olive tree daily to prevent stroke, angina pectoris and heart attack. They are also very useful for the gastrointestinal tract due to the fact that they help to improve digestion and remove waste products from the body. Olives contain linoleic acid. One of its properties is a healing effect, it helps the speedy healing of wounds and cuts. Interestingly, black olives, whose beneficial properties are so numerous, can also relieve headaches.

They contain a lot of proteins, fats, sugar, ether and pectins, alcohol, vitamins C, B, F, E and P, iron, phosphorus, fiber and potassium are contained in sufficient quantities. If you eat olives at least once a week, the work of the heart will improve, the vessels will expand. Some elements of these Mediterranean fruits have a beneficial effect on the restoration and renewal of cells. In addition to these advantages, olives have other advantages. Useful properties are due to the antioxidants contained in them. Regular consumption of olives in food can prevent both the manifestation of early signs of aging and the progression of cancer.

healthy olives

The beneficial properties of olives and black olives are due to many factors, including the presence of vitamin E and phytosterols, which positively affects the reproductive function of women, so these products are recommended for pregnant women and those who plan to conceive. For people suffering from colds or flu, olives will be useful for the anthocyanins contained in them - coloring substances that strengthen the immune system and are generally a good anti-cold remedy. Extra virgin olive oil, eaten, will reduce the number of wrinkles due to the content of oleic acid.

Olives and healing of the body

You need to know how to properly use olives. Their useful properties depend on what kind of processing the black olives have undergone. If it is impossible to find fresh fruits, it is better to give preference to salted ones, which do not contain preservatives and vinegar. In this form, their benefits are better preserved. Due to the high content of vitamin A, the consumption of olives serves as a prevention of eye diseases. Vitamin E, also present in black olives, has a beneficial effect on the condition of the hair. The benefits for hair and skin from olives will be only if they are ingested. That is, with food.

Olives are good for the heart due to their high content of monounsaturated fats and antioxidants. Polyphenols have a beneficial effect on the cardiovascular system. They are able to strengthen the walls of blood vessels, prevent the formation of blood clots. Due to this, in turn, the wear and tear of the heart is reduced and its functions are improved. Thanks to the antioxidant activity of the substances contained in olives, the action of free radicals is neutralized. This prevents the appearance of cancerous tumors, premature aging.

Bones are useful too

Useful properties of olives, their harm is due to the chemical composition. Likewise with bones. Olive pits are commonly used for back pain caused by pinched nerves and sore muscles. It is necessary to crush half a glass of seeds and add to 200 ml of melted paraffin or wax. Cool the resulting mass a little and fill it with a rubber heating pad. Then the heating pad is applied to the affected area of ​​the body for 20-30 minutes until the wax cools down. Do warming up daily, after the procedure you need to rest lying down, do not make sudden movements. Is it possible to eat olives with a stone? Useful properties of the latter in the treatment of neurological diseases, we discussed above. As for eating the whole fruit (along with the bone) - this is exactly what some inhabitants of the Mediterranean countries do - the opinions of experts about the benefits (or harms) of this method differ.

Recipes that include olives

Means to alleviate the condition of a patient with atherosclerosis: crushed 200 gr. olives put in a thermos and pour vegetable oil heated to 60 ° C. Insist 48 hours. Drink before meals 1 tablespoon 3 times a day.

You can get rid of edema with a tincture based on the fruits and leaves of the olive tree. In order to prepare the medicine, you need to pour a tablespoon of finely chopped olives and a tablespoon of leaves with a glass of boiling water, leave for 5-10 minutes in a water bath, then filter the raw materials and add another glass of warm water. You need to drink the infusion 1 tablespoon 3 times a day half an hour before meals.

To prepare an infusion that relieves high blood pressure, pour 1 tablespoon of leaves with a glass of boiling water, hold in a water bath for about 5 minutes, then strain and dilute with warm water. Take 1 or 2 tablespoons half an hour before meals 3 times a day.

How to include olives in your diet

The benefits and harms of olives depend both on human health and on the amount of consumption of these products. Eat olives preferably daily, but in small quantities. For example, add them to salads. Olives go well with fresh cucumbers, cheese, boiled chicken breast. In addition to salads, black olives can be added to soups, stir-fry, pilaf and other hot dishes, or used as a snack between meals.

For whom olives can be harmful

It is advisable for a person to limit himself by buying canned olives. The beneficial properties of them and olives can turn into harm to health if they are consumed excessively in food. For example, they will negatively affect the health of people suffering from cholecystitis. This is due to the fact that they have a fairly strong choleretic effect. In addition, olives are saturated with vitamin A, which is toxic in significant quantities and has a negative effect on the human body. Be especially careful with canned olives. When preserving, excipients are used, with excessive use of which an allergic reaction may occur. Especially dangerous can be ferrous gluconate, which is often used in the production of canned olives. Up to the appearance of a stomach ulcer in a person who abuses canned foods.

Often people think that olives and olives are completely different fruits of different trees. Nothing like this. Olives and olives - fruits from one tree - olives. The difference lies in the stages of maturity - green, not yet ripened olives are called olives, but black fruits that have reached their full ripeness are called olives. Many experts recommend eating olives constantly, referring to their benefits for the body. But how useful they are, or maybe vice versa - harmful, we will find out further.

Olives. Benefit and harm to the body

First, we will carefully consider the positive aspects of olives, that is, their benefits for the body. The first thing any expert will say is that olives have an ideal balance of nutrients. Olives contain in their composition a lot of manganese, as well as calcium - vital to humans. The use of olives in food has a beneficial effect on the functioning of the locomotor system - the calcium contained in them helps to strengthen bones, making them stronger and protecting against all kinds of diseases of the body's supporting system. In addition, the substances contained in the fruits help prevent the formation of stone deposits in the gallbladder. Olive fruits help the process of digestion, helping to remove harmful and unnecessary substances from the body. Olives also contain linoleic acid, which is known to help heal various wounds.

More about the benefits of olives

So, what else distinguishes olives? Health benefits and harms, if we consider them on the same straight line, stand in completely different proportions. The benefits of eating olive fruits are still much greater. Which of the women is not familiar with face and hand creams made on the basis of olive fruits? But the fact is that the peel of olives contains a lot of essential oils, which not only moisturize the skin, but also significantly nourish it.

Other cosmetic products made on the basis of olive fruits are also very useful - shampoos, balms, lotions, and so on. In addition, the constant use of olives for food is recommended for people prone to strokes, heart attacks and angina pectoris. But returning to ancient sources, you can find out that the Greeks sincerely believed in the mythical origin of these fruits, which, according to legend, the goddess of wisdom, Athena, gave people.

A few words about the dangers of olives

So, after listing the positive aspects of olives, it's time to find out how they can be harmful to humans. So, the fruits of the olive, beloved by many, are black, oily olives. Benefits and harms to human health is an eternal controversial issue. Today we will consider those aspects that can really negatively affect human health.

Olives have a very strong choleretic property - that is why they contribute not only to prevention, but also to the partial removal of stones from the gallbladder. That is why the use of olives is strictly prohibited for people suffering from cholecystitis. Another minus of olives is the too high content of vitamin A. Few people know, but in large proportions it can be toxic - cause poisoning of the body.

Olives and weight loss

So, we learned how useful and how harmful olives are. The benefits and harms to the body will be individual for each person, depending on the qualities and characteristics of the body. However, olives are often recommended to those who have decided to seriously lose weight. The main advantage of these wonderful fruits is that they perfectly satisfy the feeling of hunger. Again, it is not possible to eat olive fruits just picked from the tree - they taste very bitter. Therefore, before olives reach our table, they need to undergo serious processing. Usually this is soaking in brine, oxidizing in air, and then canning. In this form, ready-to-eat olives get on our tables.

Benefit and harm - both sides are relevant for weight loss. The benefit is that olives cannot be called a high-calorie product, the harm is that if there are a lot of olives, the weight will still increase, and overeating can also affect your well-being.

And again about diets

Green and black olives - the benefits and harms of losing weight. Olives are an extremely rich source of monounsaturated fats, which are the healthiest. Why does a person gain weight? Because over time, the body accumulates harmful fats, which begin to be deposited in solid reserves.

Monounsaturated fats reduce the accumulation of "bad" cholesterol, which is the most effective way to combat body fat. Another quality of the olive cannot be ignored. Benefits and harms - the calorie content of the fruit: there are twice as many calories in green olives as in black ones. Thus, going on a diet and eating green fruits, you can do little harm with unlimited consumption. By eating black olives, we get more benefits, as we consume half as many calories. But you still need to remember one thing - the smaller the serving, the lower the calorie content.

What else do you need to know when losing weight?

And here's something else that's important to know. Olives have a fairly low glycemic index. If explained in an understandable language, this will mean that when eating olives, we do not get energy abruptly - in one jerk, but gradually. Why is it good? Yes, because with a sharp energy boost, there is an increase in blood glucose - and this is not a very good indicator. With a gradual supply of energy, this does not happen. Increased glycemia, in turn, causes a person to constantly feel hungry, and the more hungry we are, the more we will eat. When we eat olives, we quickly dull the feeling of hunger, which then does not arise for quite a long time. These are the olives. Benefit and harm ... The properties of the fetus in the end still outweigh in a positive way.

How to include olives in your diet?

We have carefully considered what olives are. The benefits and harms to the body are also now familiar to us. It remains to figure out how and how much olives should be consumed per day. Since salt, which is present in fruits in sufficient quantities, inhibits weight gain, they should be eaten daily, but without excessive fanaticism. The ideal option would be not just to eat olive fruits, but to add them to various salads. For example, a salad of chicken breast, lettuce, cucumber, cheese and olives will perfectly satisfy your hunger, while its calorie content will be very low.

It is also useful to use olives as a snack. You can calculate as follows: one large fruit contains about twelve calories - which means that five or six olives will be enough to get rid of hunger until the next meal. Olives can be added to soup, main courses, which will also reduce the portion eaten without sacrificing full saturation.

And a little more about olives

We learned what olives are, what are the benefits and harms for the body - we also considered them. Now let's turn to the common factors. In general, there are about a hundred different types of olives. They basically look like this - small and green, black large, or medium black with a slightly brownish tint. Depending on the variety, the fruit can contain up to 80 percent oils. Well, almost everyone knows how useful olive oil is.

You need to choose fruits according to the following criteria - the surface of the skin should be even, without damage. It is clear that it is better to buy fruits in a transparent container. The pulp should not spread in the fingers, but be dense, while the bone should be easily separated from the pulp. It is worth remembering that there are a lot of preservatives in stuffed store-bought olives, it is better to stuff the fruits yourself. And finally, carefully study the composition of the product: if the package says that it contains ferrous gluconate, this means that the appetizing black color of olives is of artificial origin.

You can not store olives in tins for a long time - tin and zinc can penetrate the fruits, making them dangerous to eat. The composition of the fruit in the jar should be as follows - citric acid, salt and water. Everything else is harmful and dangerous for the body additives.

Loved all over the world. But in our country they have two names. In this regard, the question arises: “In what way do they grow on the same tree or not?” It is not difficult to answer these questions. We will reveal all the secrets of the olive tree and its fruits, as well as the benefits of eating them.

Black olives or olives

It is erroneously considered that olives are black fruits, and olives are green. In fact, there is only one name in the world - olives. So what is the difference between olives and olives? Only in the level of fruit maturity. If harvested before they are fully ripe, they will be green to yellow in color. Black olives are harvested when the fruit has reached full maturity. There is another type, which is called combined olives. They are pink to brown in color. They are harvested at maturity. But why are canned olives green, black olives? Initially, when harvesting, the fruits are sorted. Black olives that have reached full maturity are used for oil production. Green olives are canned. But since we see two types of product on the shelves, a reasonable question arises: "What is the difference between olives and olives?" It all depends on the technological process of conservation. As a result of processing, green olives turn black. This is due to oxidation, which gives the color to the fruit, makes them softer and changes their taste. This is the difference between olives and olives.

Beneficial features

Raw fruits have a slightly bitter taste. Therefore, in order for them to acquire the form in which we are accustomed to seeing them on our tables, it is necessary to salt them. They are soaked in a saline solution for 5 months, and after that they are weathered for a day in the fresh air. The next step is the conservation process. When cooking black olives, it lasts longer. Sometimes the fruits are stuffed or spices are added. What is healthier - olives or black olives? There is practically no difference here. The fruits of the olive tree contain proteins, antioxidants, unsaturated fats, phosphorus, iron, potassium and a group of vitamins.

Beneficial effect on the entire body. Unlike animal fats, it does not increase cholesterol levels, but strengthens the heart and blood vessels. It reduces the risk of cancer, heart attack and diabetes. Therefore, the cost of high-quality cold-pressed oil is very high. It is used as a salad dressing. In this case, all the benefits of this product are preserved. One spoon drunk on an empty stomach reduces the effect of alcohol. It takes 5 kilograms of olives to produce one liter of this valuable product. The presence of a large number of useful properties and richness of taste, the fruits of the olive tree owe their popularity. Even in ancient times they were used in cosmetology. Soap was made from them, mixing with ash and talc. Today, many cosmetic preparations contain olive extract, which gives all the beneficial properties accumulated by nature. Modern cooking is already impossible to imagine without this product, which is added to salads, first courses and sauces. These are such healthy and very tasty olives.