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OLEA EUPOPEA

OLIVE

The olive is a handsome, long-lived, evergreen, subtropical tree, and has been cultivated for at least 4,000 years for its edible fruit and valuable oil. It is native to the eastern Mediterranean region, where its culture may have been begun by Semitic people as long ago as 3500 B.C.E. Its leaves and the oil of its fruit are used in cooking and medicinally, and studies show that it has powerful anticholesterol action in the body, making it a useful addition to any home medicine cabinet.

USES

 Rub olive oil into patches of eczema, dandruff, and psoriasis to reduce itching and encourage healing.

 Olive oil, taken daily, can reduce the risk of heart disease and help to slow down the degenerative effects of aging.

 Drink a little extra virgin olive oil to cure a hangover.

 Olives and olive oil, as part of a daily diet, will help to prevent and treat circulatory problems, and lower cholesterol levels.

 Eat olives for constipation.

 Olives are said to counteract poisoning from mushrooms or fish—drink a little extra virgin, cold-pressed oil when symptoms present themselves.

PROPERTIES

 Antioxidant

 Anticancerous

 Emollient—particularly useful for skin conditions

 Olive oil can be used to treat constipation

 Soothes the itching of eczema, and moisturizes dry skin, hair, and scalp

 Olive oil is rich in vitamin E, and is now known to help lower cholesterol levels in the body

 It may reduce the risk of circulatory disease and nervous disorders

 Useful in the treatment of gastric disorders because it reduces the secretion of gastric juices