By Dr. med. Claudia Schmiemann The first salad grows, seeds sprout and our gardens start to offer a variety of edible wild greens. But what is a salad without a delicious salad dressing? And what is a salad dressing without a precious oil??? By pressing olives the fruits of olea europaea the rich oil is produced. Olive trees are native to the Mediterranean area and northern Africa. First mentioned in the 8th millennium BC lots of products derive from olive oil: soaps, oil for lamps, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics etc.. The average oil is composed of oleic acid (70%), linoleic acid (15%) and palmitic acid (15%). The best extra virgin olive oil is supposed to be cold pressed and have no higher content of free acid than 0,8% what contributes to the mild taste. It has the highest content of polyphenols and anti-oxidants. Spain is the main producer (up to 50%) of the world´s production followed by Italy, Greece, Morocco, Turkey and Tunisia. Used as a salad dressing olive oil helps to develop the taste of the greens and supports absorption of fat soluble vitamins like E,D,K,A. Used topically it can nourish our skin and is for sure a healthier body care than products with a long list of ingredients you can´t even pronounce. Remember not to use high quality olive oil to fry. The smoke point is low and the oil chances its composition being heated up. I prefer Ghee or coconut oil for frying. www.holistic-health.care admin@kelizahealthyliving.com
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