Are olives healthy?

Olives are very popular with many people. Not for nothing, because they are incredibly versatile! You can eat them as a snack with garlic or a spicy sauce. You can mix them in your salad for a nice salty accent, or use them in the pasta for some bite. Or you can use them in a tasty Greek-style wrap, or use them in a Mediterranean snack. The possibilities are endless!
Olives are very popular with many people. Not for nothing, because they are incredibly versatile! You can eat them as a snack with garlic or a spicy sauce. You can mix them with your salad for a nice salty accent, or use them in the pasta for some bite. Or you can use them in a tasty Greek-style wrap, or use them in a Mediterranean snack. The possibilities are endless!

But how healthy are olives exactly? What are the nutritional values, and can you also eat olives if you are trying to lose weight? In this blog we put all that information neatly for you.

Nutritional value of olives

Olives certainly do not contain many calories: 115 per 100 grams. Although they are sometimes put away as fat and energy-rich, that is not so bad! It concerns a total of 11 grams of fat per 100 grams, mainly unsaturated fats. Only 2.5 grams are saturated. Of the other macronutrients it contains less: 0.9 grams of protein and 0.5 grams of carbohydrates, mainly fiber.
Olives certainly do not contain many calories: 115 per 100 grams. Although they are sometimes put away as fat and energy-rich, that is not so bad! It concerns a total of 11 grams of fat per 100 grams, mainly unsaturated fats. Only 2.5 grams are saturated. It contains less of the other macronutrients: 0.9 grams of protein and 0.5 grams of carbohydrates, mainly fiber.

Olives contain vitamins A and E, along with sodium, calcium, magnesium and iron, among others. We will discuss the health benefits of these specific nutrients further in the article!

In general we can say that olives are healthy. This will not come as a big surprise to most people. Olives are the source of olive oil, just to name a few, and that is a product whose healthy reputations have now reached almost mythical proportions. In short, olives are good for the skin and eyes, can stimulate weight loss and have an anti-inflammatory effect.
In general we can say that olives are healthy. That will not come as a big surprise to most people. Olives are the source of olive oil, just to name a few, and that is a product whose healthy reputations have now reached almost mythical proportions. In short, olives are good for the skin and eyes, can stimulate weight loss and have an anti-inflammatory effect.

They also reduce the risk of diseases of the heart and blood vessels and possibly even the risk of cancer. What exactly is causing all those enormous benefits?

As we mentioned earlier, olives contain several important minerals. They contain a relatively large amount of vitamin A, a substance that is particularly good for the eyes. For example, it prevents eye diseases that can occur frequently in later life, such as macular degeneration and cataracts. Vitamin E is also important; this substance acts as an antioxidant against cell damage.

Iron is certainly an essential example of the minerals. Your body needs iron to transport oxygen to cells; if this does not work, you will feel chronically weak and tired. Especially for people who eat little or no meat, it is important to include many other foods with iron on the menu.
Of the minerals, iron is certainly an essential example. Your body needs iron to transport oxygen to cells; if this does not work, you will feel chronically weak and tired. Especially for people who eat little or no meat, it is important to include many other foods with iron on the menu.

Furthermore, olives are healthy for the heart and blood vessels, for several reasons. For example, they contain oleic acid, an unsaturated fatty acid. According to research, this lowers blood pressure, which is healthy for your heart! In addition, healthy unsaturated fats provide more good cholesterol and a smaller risk of arteriosclerosis.

The substance hydroxytyrosol is also important: this is a substance that has a powerful antioxidant effect. Finally, black olives contain another substance that prevents the oxidation of cholesterol. That is another factor that makes a heart attack less likely.
The substance hydroxytyrosol is also important: this is a substance that has a powerful antioxidant effect. Finally, black olives contain another substance that prevents the oxidation of cholesterol. This is another factor that makes a heart attack less likely.

Inflammation and cell damage are both causes that can lead to chronic problems. For example, they increase the risk of different variants of cancer! And even without that development, chronic inflammations are bad; diseases such as rheumatism and gout are the result. However, olives contain several antioxidants that fight cell damage and inflammation.

Black olives in particular are full of vitamin E, as mentioned earlier, a strong antioxidant. Oleic acid also has an anti-inflammatory effect that protects against free radicals. Plus, research suggests it inhibits the growth of certain cancer receptors! So eating olives is definitely good for your health in the long run.

One last boost for those who love olives and are on a diet: that's no problem at all. On the contrary! Research suggests that people who eat more olives are often less overweight. Olives do indeed provide calories, but these are high value calories. In other words, useful nutrients that help your body.

In addition, olives give you a satiated feeling. This in turn ensures that you consume fewer calories in total. And less calories means that you create an energy deficit faster, with weight loss as a result!

Do olives have no disadvantages at all? Well, there is one downside: the amount of sodium they contain. There is nothing wrong with sodium in itself; it is an important mineral that is, among other things, essential for the transmission of nerve impulses. However, many people eat way too much salt, and thus get way too much sodium.

In that case it can, among other things, cause unhealthy high blood pressure. Do you know that you have always been eating a lot of salt? Then be careful with the amount of olives you consume. However, if you pay close attention to your salt content and usually cook yourself, then a serving of olives is healthy and you don't have to worry about anything.

Another point of attention when you run to the store full of enthusiasm to stock up on olives: opt for the sun-ripened variety. These are olives that are naturally ripened - on the tree - until you can eat them. Most olives are not allowed this. They are picked before they are ripe, then thrown into a bath of sodium hydroxide to ripen quickly.

This will only take about 12 hours. Then the olives are 'pimped up' with dyes to still look beautiful. Unfortunately, they don't contain nearly as many healthy nutrients anymore! Going sun-ripened, you can be sure you don't have this problem.

What if you would like to take advantage of all the benefits, but don't like olives? Don't worry: most of the substances from olives are ultimately also simply found in olive oil. The extra virgin variety contains the most nutrients. It is only less suitable for heating, the taste is then largely lost.

So ideally use it for dressings. Olive oil with herbs can also be a delicious choice as a dip! Â Do you use olive oil for baking and frying? Then a neutral olive oil is better.