Olive oil is more than a cartoon character, historic symbol of peace and glory or food staple of the much-vaunted Mediterranean diet. It is actually tremendously useful stuff, finding applications in personal care, home improvement, green cleaning, natural remedies and other areas.
It's long been reported that there are a number of health benefits of olive oil. As a foodstuff it has a high concentration of monounsaturated fatty acids, which studies show promote "good" cholesterol (HDL) while lowering "bad" cholesterol (LDL). Olive oil is also known to be gentle on the digestive system, and even may help prevent gallstones and soothe ulcers. Good quality olive oil contains valuable vitamins and nutrients, and it is loaded with antioxidants, which many believe help protect the body from cancer.
These days there are an increasing array of organic and boutique olive oils offered for sale, some of them quite pricey. In general, the less processed an oil the more nutrients it contains, although the more expensive it tends to be. "Extra virgin" olive oil comes from the first pressing of olives, and retains the most flavor and aroma. Most better brands are also advertised as "cold pressed," meaning they aren't heated up beyond room temperature during processing. Unsurprisingly, high heat can damage the flavor and nutrients in the oil. "Virgin" olive oil generally comes from the second pressing. Cheaper brands sold as "regular" or "pure" olive oil are made with chemical refining and filtering, which standardize and neutralize flavors and acid contents. They have lower nutrient levels as a result.
To help protect the fragile environments of the Mediterranean and elsewhere, it's a good idea to buy organic olive oil when you can. It also will tend to be of high quality and flavor, great for spaghetti, oven-roasted vegetables, fresh salads and many other dishes.
It's true that you won't be consuming the olive oil in a number of the uses below, and part of the point of this post is to help you save money by suggesting alternative uses to things you already have, so you don't have to make a trip to the store and buy some additional products to get the job done. Therefore, we'd understand if you preferred to use the cheapest, lowest-grade oils for some of these tips. You probably aren't going to crack open that vintage bottle of herb-infused oil your aunt brought you back from Tuscany in the event that you have a squeaky door. But since readers seemed to find everyday alternative uses for
vodka,
vinegar and
ketchup useful, we thought we'd look into olive oil:
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