THE WONDERS OF OLIVE OIL AND HOW IT CAN HELP MAST CELL PATIENTS!!

One of the things I've stumbled upon lately is how versatile, healthy, and beneficial olives/olive oil is for us. Seeing I'm extremely limited in what I can and can't have - i've had to dig more and more into real ingredients and how I can use them to help improve my quality of life.

You're skin is a huge organ that acts like a sponge. Absorbing whatever you put on it. Dont believe me? Rub garlic on the bottom of your feet - give it a while... you'll have garlic breath!

I'm sure you know that olive oil can be used as a moisturizer, but did you know it also has antihistamine, anti-inflammation properties?

Whenever I'm having a really rough day I use olive oil as moisturizer, supplement in my smoothy (1 TBSP), and used for cooking. I've also tried olive leaf in supplement form (herbal form). It can be a powerful tool in your tool belt and can be quite beneficial on a daily basis - especially if your sticking to your extremely rigid allergy free diet. If you're suffering from urticaria of the skin - putting it on can quiet it down considerably.

So far i've noticed it seems to be better for you to get them from foods rather than supplement pills. I personally can't stand the taste of raw olives so I use the olive oil and olive leaf herbal pills.

But let me dazzle you with some science on how researchers believe it works.

In traditional herbal medicine practices, preparations from olives and olive leaves have often been used in treatment of inflammatory problems, including allergy-related inflammation. Olive extracts have now been shown to function as anti-histamines at a cellular level. By blocking special histamine receptors (called H1 receptors), unique components in olive extracts may help to lessen a cell's histamine response. Because histamine is a molecule that can get overproduced in allergy-related conditions and can be a key player in the inflammatory process, it's likely that the anti-inflammatory benefits we get from olives involve this anti-histamine pathway. It's also possible that olives may have a special role to play as part of an overall anti-allergenic diet.

In addition to their antihistamine properties, whole olive extracts have also been shown to lower risk of unwanted inflammation by lowering levels of leukotriene B4 (LTB4), a very common pro-inflammatory messaging molecule. Oleuropein—one of the unique phytonutrients found in olives—has been shown to decrease the activity of inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS). iNOS is an enzyme whose overactivity has been associated with unwanted inflammation. Taken as a whole, research has found that olives serve as a uniquely anti-inflammatory food.

Olive leaf/oil is also chucked full of antioxidants and polyphenols. Polyphenols are plant chemicals that may have health benefits. There are different types of polyphenols (part of Phytochemicals or phytonutrients in the plants). In general, the phytochemicals/phytonutrients are thought to work as antioxidants to protect the cells in your body from free radical damage.

Given this phytonutrient richness of olives, it's not surprising that olives have documented health benefits that extend to most of our body systems. Olive benefits have been demonstrated for the cardiovascular system, respiratory system, nervous system, musculoskeletal system, immune system, inflammatory system, and digestive system. It is believed they help so many systems in our body because of those 2 underlying traits they exhibit - antioxidant and and anti-inflammatory nutrients.

I've put below how they work to help improve your health in different aspects of your body.

CARDIOVASCULAR: The anti-inflammatory benefits of olives have been given special attention in the area of cardiovascular health. In heart patients, olive polyphenols have been determined to lower blood levels of C-reactive protein (CRP). CRP is a widely used blood measurement for assessing the likelihood of unwanted inflammation. Olive polyphenols have also been found to reduce activity in a metabolic pathway called the arachidonic acid pathway, which is central for mobilizing inflammatory processes.

CHOLESTEROL: Research has also shown people who eat their olives / olive oil typically experience a decrease in their blood cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, and LDL:HDL ratio. All of these changes lower our risk of heart disease.

BLOOD PRESSURE: Recent research studies have also shown that the monounsaturated fat found in olives (and olive oil) can help to decrease blood pressure. The oleic acid found in olives—once absorbed up into the body and transported to our cells—can change signaling patterns at a cell membrane level (specifically, altering G-protein associated cascades). These changes at a cell membrane level result in decreased blood pressure.

CANCER: The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of olives make them a natural for protection against cancer because chronic oxidative stress and chronic inflammation can be key factors in the development of cancer. If our cells get overwhelmed by oxidative stress (damage to cell structure and cell function by overly reactive oxygen-containing molecules) and chronic excessive inflammation, our risk of cell cancer is increased. By providing us with rich supplies of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory nutrients, olives can help us avoid this dangerous combination of chronic oxidative stress and chronic inflammation. Antioxidant phytonutrients in olives may also have a special ability to protect DNA (deoxyribonucleic acids)—the key chemical component of genetic material in our cells—from oxygen damage. DNA protection from unwanted oxidative stress means better cell function in wide variety of ways and provides cells with decreased risk of cancer development.

BONE DENSITY: Hydroxytyrosol, an olive phytonutrient that has long been linked to cancer prevention, is now regarded as having the potential to help us prevent bone loss as well. Several recent laboratory animal studies have found increased depositing of calcium in bone and decreased loss of total bone mass following consumption of this olive phytonutrient (as well as oleuropein, another key phytonutrient found in olives).

In terms of their phytonutrient content, olives are nothing short of astounding. Few high-fat foods offer such a diverse range of antioxidant and anti-inflammatory nutrients—some of which are unique to olives themselves.

Its not a miracle cure or anything, but I hope this information can help you improve your health and quality of life.

Love and Light,

Happy Healing

Good luck and God Bless!