Latin Name : Olea europaea

Olives are actually the fruit of the tree known as Olea europaea, olea meaning oil which refers to its high fat content and europaea refers to Europe the region they originate from. They come in many shapes, sizes and colours, black, green, purple, large, small, oval, round, the list goes on. Regardless of appearance however, all olives are high in nutritive value. Everyone has heard of how wonderful olive oil is for the health, the Greeks have known this since antiquity and still boast about their main export. Nutritionally, olives are mostly fat, sodium & just a tiny bit of carbohydrates. *5% of the fat that is contained in olives is oleic acid, a monounsaturated fat that has been shown to:

• Lower blood cholesterol levels
• Promote the development of bones and marrow
• Help maintain balance in the metabolism
• Fight oxidization which lies at the root of all the serious diseases of modern day living

Both olives and their oil are also a good source of vitamin E and other beneficial phytonutrient compounds including polyphenols and flavonoids which appear to have significant anti-inflammatory properties, delay aging and assist in the restoration of body tissues, both internal and external. As well as creating a defensive mechanism against cancer, atherosclerosis, liver disorders and inflammations and acting as a shield against infections.