Most people are aware of the health benefits of olive oil, but many Americans don’t realize that there are a lot of fake olive oils on the market. Studies have suggested that olive oil is high in antioxidants, has strong anti-inflammatory properties, has been shown to help with blood sugar control, is antibacterial, and may help to prevent cancer. Olive oil has been a great substitute for vegetable oils when it comes to dressings, salads, and low heat cooking on our farm.

There was a lot of fraud in the food industry in the past and there still is today. I recently learned that according to Tom Mueller, “In 1981 over 800 people died and thousands more were injured in Spain when olive oil was blended with rapeseed oil. During prohibition the U.S. Health Commissioner Royal Copeland said, “There is more profit in adulterating olive oil than there is in bootlegging.” Another interesting point by Tom was “In 1963, the New England Journal of Medicine reported a well-known fact that the olive oil sold in America and elsewhere is very seldom pure, but mostly adulterated with other cheap vegetable oil.” Today a lot of the olive oil on the market is processed with chemicals like hexane, and may contain steroidal hydrocarbons, pesticides or additives.

Since there are a lot of fake or unnatural olive oils out there, how do you know which one to buy? I have read that real olive oil should be cloudy and have a distinct taste. Once a person starts experimenting with olive oil, I think it becomes more clear which ones are better. I’m not as confident at sourcing olive oil as I am in other food products. If I could grow some olives on my farm, squeeze out the oil naturally, and try it, then I would be a lot more confident and knowledgeable about olive oil. I have learned to do the best I can, and as of today, I am using certified organic, cold pressed, extra virgin olive oil from Azure standard. It doesn’t taste fake, is cloudy, and it’s affordable. You can find that here. I may receive a small commission if you haven’t purchased from them before.

Have you found a good quality olive oil that you love? Please share your thoughts. 🙂

Our family has learned to slow down, make careful observations of what heals/damages, decrease modern distractions, take a little more time preparing our food, and most importantly to seek the Lord’s wisdom. It’s a daily struggle and it never goes perfectly, but we just keep trying to do the best we can. If
you are working toward a more traditional, clean, whole foods diet, and would like to take small steps to get there, then you are at the right place. Week one was Get Your Salt Better,” week 2 was The Power of Water, week 3 we learned about removing toxins from our water, Week 4 was Get Your Sleep Better, and now we are talking about getting your fats better. Join us next week for Get Your . . . Better.