It is now very “in” to be cooking with and tossing your salad in Olive Oil. But, before suddenly being in vogue in North America, all of Europe and the entire Mediterranean coasts of Southern Europe, North Africa and the Middle East had been using it for food and medicine for thousands and thousands of years. Before the Europeans started introducing their now very popular foods into North America Olive Oil used to be Popeye’s girlfriend. The whole idea of Popeye and Olive oil was nothing more than a marketing gimmick to sell California grown spinach. Olive oil remained off the radar for a long time to come. Starting in late 50’s, it took years before Olive Oil started to be part of main stream North American culture as the children of the Europeans grew up and assimilated into their new home.
Olive oil is the oil cold-pressed out of the fruit of the olive tree – the olive. Like all oils, olive oil has a softening effect on whatever is soaked in it. If placed onto the skin it has been known to be universally moisturizing and due to it’s well known balsamic properties it is very healing to the skin or any bodily tissue, whether external or internal. This is why it is used in quality cosmetics and more recently even promoted medically for it’s many health benefits making it a food and a supplement at the same time.
Being easily absorbed by skin tissues in general and by aiding the internal tissues of the whole GI tract it is obvious there are going to be general systemic health benefits because whatever aids digestion also aids the entire body. By doing nothing more than making olive oil part of ones normal diet researchers have found that Olive oil possesses:
- anti-cancer or anti-tumor properties.
- helps lower blood cholesterol and blood pressure
- By aiding digestion in general olive oil has been shown to reduce obesity and diabetes
- By assisting in digestion and proper food absorption is aided helping prevent the onset of osteoporosis and rheumatoid arthritis.
- The fact that olive oil is anti-oxident is an over all bonus benefit besides the ones already mentioned
In the Mediterranean expectant mothers have massaged it into their tummy’s to 
prevent stretch marks. People have infused rose petals into it until the rose oil took over the scent of the olive and it was used as one of the very best skin moisturizers and wound treatments. In was even put onto the hair to prevent the hair from falling and keeping the hair properly moisturized without making it oily.
All around Olive oil is one of those universal foods that also happens to be a natural remedy that has a thousand and one uses and hopefully will continue to make headway into the hearts and minds of North American culture that have only discovered it relatively recently.
Olive Oil has been used in the Mediterranean internally not only to alleviate many internal gastric issues but also to improve the digestibility of certain foods. It is not uncommon for foods in the Mediterranean lands to be served with fresh lemon juice and extra virgin olive oil as a condiment. If you go to a good restaurant it is not uncommon to be presented with olive oil and balsamic vinegar to dunk your bread into as an appetizer. This combination is also settles the stomach in preparation for a good meal. In fact, about 1 – 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil with about the same amount of freshly squeezed lemon juice (not the stuff in the bottles) taken before bedtime on an ongoing basis is enough to help the GI tract in it’s normal functions. This has been done in the Mediterranean world for thousands of years. But, when ingested in sufficient quantity, it was used to purge the GI tract in general and the Liver and Gall Bladder in particular. A liver cleanse has many benefits. In Traditional Herbal Theory having a properly functioning and unobstructed liver and gallbladder means:
- Less or no Gastrointestinal problems
- Sleeping is easier
- No more headaches
- Less aches and pains in muscles and joints
- A person becomes less prone to anger and depression
- Normalization of skin moisture and texture
- If these major benefits are possible, it would make sense that by extension there will be several others that people who have done a liver cleanse have reported . . .
You will not find anything written about the benefits of cleansing the liver anywhere but in alternative views to health. This is so because, the methodology behind the cleansing of the liver is not understood by the orthodox view. However, many in the modern medical community of practitioners and alternative practitioners are starting to pay attention to the concept probably because their own patients have reported back to them about the benefits they have experienced.
Cleansing the liver is a very old remedy for maintaining good health and avoiding many of the common ailments we have in our modern world. Many hundreds of thousands of people, and by now, a lot more have done liver cleanses. Sure, it may take a weekend to get it done but, depending on which method one chooses all it costs is the price of extra virgin olive oil and fresh lemons. A few supplements may be helpful but, that’s it. A great benefit for only a few hours of minor inconvenience. You will find many Liver cleanses on the market. Do not be seduced by them. Without the basic Oil and fruit juice combination which combined are a sort of “salad dressing,” a liver cleanse will not be achieved.
