over your bodies since it is a holy (Mubarak) tree”. He also stated that olive oil cures 70 diseases.
Olive oil was a daily commodity for the children of Israel and this importance is reflected in several verses.
- Disobedience to God would result in a loss of the olive crop (Deuteronomy 28:40).
- The oil honored both God and men (Judges 9:9)
- It was a component of the anointing oil of the high priest (Exodus 30:24)
Composition of Olive Oil
Olive oil composed of:
- Fatty acid
- Vitamin E and K
- Powerful antioxidant
- Antioxidant Reduces risk of chronic diseases
Some important health benefits
Professionals agree that olive oil, particularly extra virgin, is excellent for health. Here are some important health benefits of olive oil that are supported by scientific research.
Monounsaturated oleic acid
The prime fatty acid in olive oil is a monounsaturated fat called oleic acid, making up 73% of the total oil content. Studies suggest that oleic acid reduces swelling and may even have beneficial effects on genes linked to the cancer tumor. Monounsaturated fats are also rather resistant to high heat, making extra virgin olive oil a healthy choice for cooking.
Powerful antioxidants
Olive oil is loaded with powerful antioxidants. These antioxidants are biologically vigorous and may decrease your danger of chronic diseases. They also fight swelling and help defend your blood cholesterol from oxidation two benefits that may lower your risk of heart disease
Chronic Swelling Cure
Chronic swelling is thought to be the most important driver of diseases, such as cancer, heart disease, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer’s, arthritis, and even obesity. Extra-virgin olive oil can decrease swelling, which may be one of the main reasons for its health benefits. The main anti-inflammatory effects are mediated by the antioxidants. Key amongst them is oleocanthal, which has been shown to work similarly to ibuprofen, an anti-inflammatory drug.
Reduced Risk of Stroke
Stroke is caused by a disorder of blood run to your brain, either due to a blood clot or bleeding. In developed nations, stroke is the second most common reason for death, right behind heart disease. The relationship between olive oil and stroke risk has been studied comprehensively. A large assessment of studies in 841,000 people found that olive oil was the only source of monounsaturated fat linked with a reduced risk of stroke and heart disease. In another assessment in 140,000 participants, those who consumed olive oil were at a much lower risk of stroke than those who did not.
Reduced Heart Sickness
Heart sickness is the most common reason for death in the world. Observational studies conducted a few decades ago showed that heart disease is less common in Mediterranean countries. This led to general research on the Mediterranean diet, which has now been shown to considerably reduce heart disease. Extra virgin olive oil is one of the key ingredients in this diet, protecting against heart disease in several ways.
Cause No Excess Weight
Eating too many amounts of fat causes weight gain. However, several studies have linked the Mediterranean diet, rich in olive oil, with positive effects on body weight. In a 30-month study in over 7,000 Spanish college students, consuming a lot of olive oil was not linked to increased weight. Eating Olive oil does not cause weight gain and fatness.
Alzheimer’s Sickness Cure
Alzheimer’s sickness is the most widespread neurodegenerative condition in the world. One of its key features is an increase of so-called beta-amyloid plaques inside your brain cells. One study in rats showed that a substance in olive oil can help get rid of these plaques.
Rheumatoid Arthritis Cure
Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune sickness characterized by distorted and sore joints. Though the precise cause is not well understood, it involves your immune system attacking normal cells by mistake. Olive oil supplements appear to improve provocative markers and reduce oxidative stress in individuals with rheumatoid arthritis.
Anti-inflammatory
Olive oil appears mainly helpful when combined with fish oil, a source of anti-inflammatory omega-3 fatty acids.
Ability to Kill Bacteria
Olive oil contains many nutrients that can inhibit or kill harmful bacteria. One of these is Helicobacter pylori, a bacterium that lives in your abdomen and can cause stomach ulcers and stomach cancer. A study in humans suggested that 30 grams of extra virgin olive oil, taken daily, can get rid of Helicobacter pylori infection in 10–40% of people in as small as two weeks.
Pakistan pursuing ambitious plan to increase olive production
Pakistan had motivated plans for growing its olive production and it had the potential to take over Spain as the biggest producer of olives in the years to come Under a scheme in Chakwal, the agriculture division of Punjab had almost planted more than one million trees on an area of 3200 hectares and 750 farmers of the region benefited from it.
According to Inamul Haq, an officer in the Barani cultivation Research Institute, the agriculture department of Punjab had launched the mega flagship program to develop the Potohar region into an olive valley in 2015-16. The country had more land suitable for olive cultivation than Spain, currently the largest producer in the world. Pakistan wanted to increase its olive production as a way to help its cash impoverished economy.
Import Bill Of Pakistan
Every year Pakistan imports olive oil worth US $2 billion, as the country’s economy depended on farming, still, further concentration was needed to resolve Pakistan’s future emergency by coming out with new and radical dreams. In the last few years, a quiet insurgency had been in progress, and farmers in the Potohar region took to planting olive groves. This will help the farmers in the dry zone to come up with another foundation of income as well helping the country save billions of dollars exhausted on the import of edible oil.
Olive Beneficial uses
- The olive tree was not only an immense carbon sinker but could also prevent land corrosion.
- According to a professional, the olive plants would also alleviate the effects of climate change.
- Spain as the major producer had an area of 2.4 million hectares under olive cultivation. While Pakistan had an area of 3.5 million hectares suitable for tree plantation mainly olive orchard.
The potential for olives in Pakistan
“The prospective for olives in Pakistan is huge. Not only will it put Pakistan on the chart of the olive producing and exporting countries, but it will also raise revenue for deprived farmers”, “This crop is very productive and fruitful for farmers, especially for this region, which does not have many lakes and water resources.”
As the water resources of the country would reduce in size in the future, new nurturing methods were needed and the farmers in Chakwal had realized that growing olives would not only help enhance their income but would also guard the environment.
Tree Planting Campaign
As part of a tree-planting movement, 120,000 olive trees are being planted in Pakistan’s Balochistan province. Partially of the new saplings to be planted were grown-up in nurseries on-site while the rest were imported from Italy. The olive cultivated area will cover a total area of 14,000 acres (5,665 hectares) in Balochistan, Pakistan’s largest region in terms of area, which is located in the south-west of the country.
Pakistan Agriculture and Research Council
The recent olive tree planting drive is part of a campaign launched by the Pakistan Agriculture and Research Council (PARC), an agricultural research organization based in the capital of Islamabad. The scheme is part of continuing efforts to transform infertile land into cultivable plots and promote the province’s agricultural sector while introducing substitute crops for local farmers. There is also a strategy to construct a new olive oil mill in the provincial capital Quetta.
Gilgit-Baltistan Government Announcement
In the meantime, in Pakistan’s northernmost region, the government of Gilgit-Baltistan has announced plans to plant three million olive trees inside a period of three months as part of an environmental protection project. Parts of this area have experienced deforestation and harmful ecological effects like soil erosion, landslides, and flash flooding. Under the management of the forest and wildlife department, students of local schools and colleges are being encouraged to contribute to the drive-by planting olive trees.
