Calories in olives, and their health benefits

Olives can be a great, tasty, and healthy addition to many dishes and recipes, but what many might not know is that olives are originally a fruit but are classified as vegetables.

Olives provide many important nutrients, mainly healthy fats that support heart health, along with antioxidants, andprobiotics That boost digestive health.

In this article we will learn about calories, and the health benefits that olives can provide.

Calories in olives

Here are the calories and full nutrition values in 100 grams of green olives:-

• Carbohydrates

The amounts Carbohydrates in different types of olives can vary slightly, but on average, a 100-gram serving of green olives provides about 6.5 grams of Carbohydrates, including about 3 grams of fiber, and it contains no sugar.

It is considered Glycemic Index GI of olives is very low, so it's a food that doesn't raise sugar levels after eating and is safe for diabetics.

• Fat

Olives provide high amounts of fat, where a 100 gram serving gives about 12 grams of green olives, but these fats are mostly monounsaturated fats, the healthy type of fat.

This type of fat can help lower cholesterol levels bad LDL, and the risk of heart disease, so it is considered olive oil one of the healthy oils for heart health.

• protein

Olives are not a good source to provide a lot of Protein, since a 100 gram serving has less than 1 gram of protein, so you need to include protein-rich foods in a diet that has olives.

• Vitamins and minerals

Olives have small amounts of Vitamin E, copper, plus some amounts of Vitamin B, andCalcium, andIron.

Health benefits of olives

Olives can provide some important plant nutrients that have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity, like flavonoids and phenols, which offer many key benefits for the body, These include:-

1. Olives support heart health

Studies show eating monounsaturated fats, found in olives and especially oleic acid, is linked to lower deaths from heart diseases and strokes.

2. Olives provide probiotics

One of the main ways to prepare olives for eating is pickling. Pickled olives have some traits of the live organisms found in the gut, which are the gut microbiome, so eating pickled olives can provide probiotics that help increase the good bacteria important for digestive health.

3. Olives improve cognitive functions

Olives can release vitamin E, and this vitamin can play an active role in enhancing cognitive functions.

Also, vitamin E has antioxidant activity, so it protects brain cells from damage caused by free radicals.

Diets rich in olive oil have been linked to lower rates of Alzheimer's disease.

4. Olive controls blood sugar levels

Research shows eating foods rich in monounsaturated fats and antioxidants, like olives, can help prevent type 2 diabetes, also might help control blood sugar levels.

sensitivity to olives

People can be allergic to olive pollen and proteins in fruits, which can cause breathing issues, skin reactions, and allergic responses like rashes, redness, difficulty breathing and swallowing, swelling of lips and tongue, nausea, headaches, and other food allergy symptoms.

However, allergy to olive oil is very rare, even if the person is allergic to olive pollen to start with.

Storing olives and food safety

You can keep sealed cans or jars of olives in your kitchen for about a year. Once opened, store the olives in the fridge in salty water.

Transfer canned olives to a glass or plastic container to keep them in the fridge for a few months.

How to use olives in recipes

One of the best ways to enjoy olives is to eat them as is after curing because they’re very bitter right after being picked from trees.

Olive pieces can also be used in many recipes like salads, pizza, various pastries, mixed with pasta and stew dishes, or to garnish drinks.

Along with olive oil, which is a healthy fat you can use in all recipes that need fat, to make fully healthy dishes.

There are also some diets that include a lot of olives in their recipes, like the Mediterranean diet, where olive is considered a key ingredient.

Article source:- 1.