The Power of Olive Oil

There is a bottle in almost every kitchen that we barely think about. We drizzle it, fry with it, and push it to the back of the cupboard. Yet olive oil, little more than the pressed juice of a fruit, has been treasured as food, medicine and even currency for thousands of years.

Across the ancient Mediterranean, olive oil was valued as much for healing as for eating. Hippocrates is said to have called it "the great healer", using it for everything from wounds and burns to an upset stomach.

Pliny the Elder advised pressing medicinal oil from olives not yet ripe. Modern chemistry has since confirmed his instinct: early-harvest oil is the richest in protective polyphenols. Well into the twentieth century, pharmacies sold olive oil by the spoonful for digestion and blood pressure, and in Puglia many people still begin the day with a small cup of warmed oil.

Even the word petroleum comes from the Latin for "oil from stone": for most of history, "oil" simply meant olive oil.

After the Second World War, the physiologist Ancel Keys noticed that people in Greece and southern Italy had remarkably little heart disease, despite eating plenty of fat. He suspected the secret lay in the type of fat. His Seven Countries Study found heart disease was lowest where fat came mainly from olive oil.

Decades later, this was put to the test. In a Spanish trial of 7,447 people at high cardiovascular risk, those eating a Mediterranean diet enriched with extra virgin olive oil had around 30% fewer heart attacks, strokes and cardiovascular deaths than those told to cut fat. They were also 40% less likely to develop diabetes and 38% less likely to develop atrial fibrillation.

Across studies following more than 1.5 million people, those eating closest to a Mediterranean pattern had lower rates of death, heart disease, cancer, and neurodegenerative conditions such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's.

From a functional perspective in the way in which I work, what fascinates me most is why olive oil helps. Many chronic concerns I see in clinic, from heart health to joint pain and fatigue, share roots in oxidative stress and inflammation. Extra virgin olive oil speaks directly to both.

Most of its benefits come from a tiny fraction of compounds called polyphenols. One of them, oleocanthal, was discovered because it catches the back of the throat in just the way liquid ibuprofen does. Researchers then found it blocks the same inflammatory enzymes. That peppery cough you get from a really good oil? That's the medicine announcing itself.

Little wonder, then, that olive oil lowers markers of inflammation, and that the Mediterranean diet has the strongest evidence of any diet for rheumatic and autoimmune conditions. In one study, olive oil applied to arthritic knees even eased pain better than an anti-inflammatory gel.

And contrary to popular belief, extra virgin olive oil is remarkably stable when heated, holding up to everyday cooking better than many of the oils promoted in its place.

Olive oil isn't a classical Chinese herb, but in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) it is sweet and neutral, gently moistening and nourishing. In TCM terms, it helps counter dryness, supports Yin and Blood, and lubricates the intestines, which is why a spoonful has long been used for sluggish digestion. Its slightly bitter, peppery edge is associated with the Liver and Gallbladder, encouraging the smooth flow of bile and Qi.

If your pattern leans towards dryness, such as dry skin or a system worn thin by stress and age, good olive oil gently brings moisture back.

Those precious polyphenols are destroyed by refining and slowly fade with time, heat and light. Two bottles both labelled "extra virgin" can differ more than tenfold in the very compounds that do you good.

Olive oil has long been one of the world's most counterfeited foods, but testing suggests the bigger problem today is genuine oil that has simply gone stale before it reaches the shelf. The people in those landmark trials were given fresh, high-quality oil, around a litre a week. A tired supermarket bottle may offer far less.

The good news is that you can learn to tell the difference:

• Smell it. Fresh oil smells green and alive, of cut grass, tomato leaf or green apple.

• Taste it. A little bitterness and a peppery tickle in the throat are signs of life, not faults.

• Check the label. Look for a harvest date, not just a best-before, and choose dark glass or tins.

• Buy fresh, buy small. Choose what you'll use within a few months, ideally from small producers who grow and mill their own olives.

For me, olive oil has become one of the foundations of how I eat. I roast vegetables in it, finish soups and salads with a generous pour, and keep a "best" bottle just for drizzling. Meals rich in good olive oil leave me feeling nourished and settled.

Of course, olive oil isn't a magic bullet. It works best as part of a whole way of living: plenty of vegetables, legumes, fish, nuts and whole foods, alongside good sleep, movement and connection. But it is one of the simplest, most delicious changes you can make.

Every body is different. In my practice, I take time to understand your history, your symptoms and how you'd love to feel. Together, we build a plan around food, lifestyle and targeted support that fits your life, whether your focus is inflammation, heart health, joint comfort, energy or digestion.

If this has sparked your curiosity, I'd love to hear from you.

Book a free discovery call https://calendly.com/hello-charlotte and let's explore how small, nourishing changes could help you feel more like yourself again.