Balsamic vinegar health benefits comprise reduced risks of heart diseases, cancer and other infectious diseases. Moreover, balsamic vinegar decelerates the aging process, controls diabetes, assists in digestion, etc.
Originated from Italy, this condiment is an aromatic, thick, dark, syrup-like aged type of vinegar, prepared by the reduction of cooked grapes. Balsamic vinegar, though popularly referred to as wine vinegar is not made from wine, but is prepared from grape pressings, whose fermentation process has been hindered. The best balsamic vinegar is prepared in the hills of Modena, in Italy, where unique and flavorful balsamic vinegar is formed. This vinegar is known to be a cut above the other types of vinegar. Unlike the sharp taste of vinegar, balsamic vinegar has a rich, sweet flavor. You need to taste it to believe it
Italians have been relishing balsamic vinegar for centuries, however, the American palate has been able to savor this only since the past two decades. Today balsamic vinegar is one of the most popular condiments available in American grocery stores and is used in various sauces, marinades, salad dressings, dips, desserts, etc. The popularity surge of this dark, syrup-like condiment is not only because of its remarkable taste, but balsamic vinegar health benefits also play a major role in adding points to the popularity chart.
Health Benefits of Balsamic Vinegar
Balsamic vinegar retains most of the nutrients present in the parent grapes and comprises nutrients like iron, calcium, potassium, manganese, phosphorus and magnesium in adequate amounts. Thus, incorporating balsamic oil in the daily diet will benefit one immensely. Let us look at the different balsamic vinegar health benefits.
Antioxidant Properties
Oxidation reactions taking place in the human body to produce energy, conduce to formation of cell damaging free radicals as natural by-products. Free radicals damage cell membranes and manifest themselves in terms of premature aging, hardening of arterial walls and cancer. Antioxidants from balsamic vinegar destroy these free radicals and prevent cells from being destroyed.
Fights Cancer
The grapes from which balsamic vinegar is formed is known to contain a bioflavonoid called quercetin, which has antioxidant properties. Along with vitamin C, this antioxidant strengthens the immune system to fight cancer and other infectious diseases and inflammations. Balsamic vinegar also contains polyphenols which are anticancer agents.
Reduces Risks of Heart Attacks
Balsamic vinegar is low in saturated fat and is believed to reduce cholesterol. Moreover, since it is low in sodium, it enhances heart health and reduces high blood pressure.
Controls Diabetes
Research reveals that consumption of at least 5 teaspoons of balsamic vinegar a day enhances insulin sensitivity. The greater the insulin sensitivity, the better the diabetes control.
Natural Pain Reliever
In ancient times, folk healers used this vinegar to relieve people of their body pain. Moreover, they also used balsamic vinegar to treat wounds and infections. The anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties in the vinegar healed wounds.
Assists Digestion
The polyphenols in balsamic vinegar stimulate the activity of pepsin enzyme in the body. Pepsin is a digestive enzyme, which helps break proteins into smaller units (amino acids). Moreover, these polyphenols also assist the intestine in absorbing amino acids expeditiously. Efficient amino acid absorption enables the body to utilize it for cell building, repair and other body maintenance work. Thus, balsamic vinegar aids the digestion process.
Besides these balsamic vinegar health benefits, this vinegar also reduces the frequency of headache inceptions, strengthens bones (calcium absorption), energizes the body, slows down aging process and prevents anemia. It also helps in weight loss by suppressing one's appetite. Authentic balsamic vinegar would have been aged for a minimum period of 3 years to a maximum period of 100 years. The longer the aging process, finer the vinegar quality. However, commercially produced balsamic vinegar produced in a few hours is also available in more common grocery stores such as Safeway and Costco, and will not provide these health benefits.
What does an interventional cardiologist have to do with olive oil?
The usual day of an interventional cardiologist in the cath lab is most likely to include cases of coronary artery disease, either in its acute form (“acute coronary syndromes” that is, heart attacks or unstable angina) or in its chronic form (chronic stable angina). The interventional cardiologist uses percutaneous procedures, like balloon angioplasties and stents, along with a host of medications to open clogged coronary arteries. In no heart procedures is olive oil used!
Then what is the olive oil connection? The story of diseased heart arteries starts a few decades before the interventional cardiologist is called upon to perform any procedures. What starts the artery disease is usually either smoking or an abnormal metabolism. It is the abnormal metabolism that leads to heart disease than can be significantly affected by olive oil.
Olive oil can reduce the risk of heart attacks and stroke.
Antonis Pothoulaki
In our thirties and forties many of us, exposed to the western lifestyle (limited physical activity, processed and fast food loaded with salt and saturated and trans fats, and high-glycemic index snacks such as cookies, desserts, candies) harbor shallow cholesterol plaques in our coronary arteries. The slow time line of “atherosclerosis” (cholesterol plaque buildup in the wall of the arteries) can be suddenly and unpredictably punctuated by a “crisis” caused by an instability of the plaque. Either a “crack” or “fissure” forms on its surface or a small “bleed” takes place inside the plaque. The unstable plaque then prompts the flowing blood to form a clot at the plaque site because the blood interprets the unstable plaque situation as “bleeding” and it responds the way it is programmed to: by forming a clot.What is truly dramatic is the time line of clot formation (“thrombosis”): it takes between one and four minutes for a clot to form inside the artery and transform a previously stable plaque that was causing little or no narrowing of the artery lumen to now become 100% occlusive. This stops the flow of blood and the nourishment of the heart or brain cells that depend on that artery abruptly ceases. The cells, then, start dying fast, resulting in a heart attack, a stroke, or sudden death.
Prime risk factors for both plaque development (atherosclerosis) and plaque instability with clot formation (atherothrombosis) are:
• Smoking
• Metabolic Syndrome
• Genetic profile
• Aging process
While we can do nothing to counteract our heredity or our age we can do a lot to stop the other two “killers”: smoking and metabolic syndrome. Whereas olive oil (and the other features of the so called “Mediterranean diet” or “Mediterranean lifestyle”) is strongly connected with the health of our metabolism it has no smoking cessation properties, to my knowledge.
The Metabolic Syndrome is a combination of abdominal obesity (also called “visceral obesity”, “central obesity”, “apple-shape” body, or “beer belly”) along with abnormal cholesterol, abnormal sugar metabolism (pre-diabetes or type 2 diabetes), and high blood pressure (“hypertension”). It is sedentary lifestyle and an unhealthy diet that lead to metabolic syndrome.
A diet is unhealthy if it contains:
• Too many calories
• Too much salt
• Unhealthy fats (saturated and trans-fats)
• High-glycemic index carbohydrates
A healthy diet, on the other hand, along with regular and adequate exercise, helps prevent or, at least, attenuate, the metabolic syndrome and atherothrombosis (heart attacks and strokes).
A healthy diet is not only about what not to contain (the four categories listed above) but also about what should be included every day:
• At least five portions of fruits and vegetables
• Whole grains
• Omega-three PUFAs (polyunsaturated fatty acids found in oily fish salmon, sardines, mackerel)
• MUFAs (mono-unsaturated fatty acids found in olive oil, olives,avocado,nuts, dark chocolate)
Three quarters of olive oil consists of MUFAs (mainly oleic acid) with the rest almost equally divided between PUFAs and saturated fats.
MUFAs are very beneficial for our health because they:
• reduce LDL-the “bad”-cholesterol levels in the blood
• “displace” saturated fats from the diet
• contribute to satiety (make us feel full with less amount of food)
• delay the absorption of the rest of our food, preventing fast absorption of high-glycemic index carbohydrates and, thus, prevents insulin spikes and premature hunger
• increase adiponectin, a hormone that promotes the “burning” of body fat for energy production
• contain additional beneficial substances (antioxidants and phytochemicals)
In particular, olive oil has:
• the highest content of MUFAs, as compared to other vegetable oils or nuts
• the higher oxidation threshold, so when used in deep-frying is less likely than any other vegetable oil to become partially hydrogenated (transformed to the “poisonous” trans-fats), and it
• contains a host of antioxidant phytochemicals like polyphenols (tyrosol), squalene, carotenoids, and vitamin E
Olive oil contains almost no sodium (salt) and carries about 9 calories per gram.
Metabolic syndrome and atherothrombosis (heart attacks, strokes, or sudden death) are more likely to occur when our body balance is shifted towards inflammation (proinflammatory) and clot formation (prothrombotic). Olive oil helps counteract both morbid states by virtue of its MUFAs and antioxidant content. Furthermore, antioxidants and oleocanthal counteract the neurotoxic effect of the ADDL proteins involved in Alzheimer’s disease. Olive oil also appears to have an anti-aging effect and reduce the risk of certain cancers including breast, pancreatic, stomach, laryngeal, and urinary tract cancer.
Health benefits of olive oil in specific diseases
Hypertension
A diet high in unsaturated fatty acids reduces blood pressure as compared to a diet rich in saturated fat. Among unsaturated fats it appears that both monounsaturated fatty acids (like those contained in olive oil) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (found in fish and other vegetable oils) lower blood pressure. An Italian research in patients with known hypertension has shown that consumptions of 40 gm of olive oil a day reduces blood pressure by about 50% (almost half of the patients were able to reduce the dose or stop taking altogether their blood pressure medications). The beneficial effect of olive oil (especially the extra virgin olive oil) is attributed mainly to its polyphenols.
Cardiovascular disease (atherosclerosis and atherothrombosis)
High LDL cholesterol contributes to atherosclerosis and atherothrombosis, depositing cholesterol in the artery wall and clogging the arteries of vital organs (like the heart, brain, and kidneys). HDL cholesterol is the “good” cholesterol and acts as a scavenger, removing cholesterol from plaques in the artery wall. Reducing LDL cholesterol and raising HDL cholesterol has significant health benefits and protects against heart attacks, strokes, and sudden death. Consumption of about two table spoons of olive oil reduced LDL (the “bad” cholesterol) and mildly raise HDL (the “good” cholesterol).
Beyond a favorite effect on LDL and HDL levels, olive oil has two more benefits that reduce heart attacks and stroke:
• It prevents oxidization of LDL which renders it more atherogenic than its non-oxidized form. This beneficial effect of olive oil on lipids is mediated through its antioxidant components, especially polyphenols and vitamin E.
• It reduces the chance of “thrombosis” (clot formation) in arteries by reducing factors that either cause clotting (plasma factor VII) or inhibit break-down of clots already formed (plasminogen activating inhibitor)
Type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome
Olive oil reduces the metabolic complications of type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome. With its polyphenols and squalene components it reduces the high level of inflammatory activity present in both diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Thus, olive oil helps reduce LDL-the “bad”-cholesterol, lipid oxidation and high blood pressure. A diet rich in olive oil also facilitates glycemic control by leaving “less room” for carbohydrates (particularly “simple sugars” that cause insulin spikes and premature hunger attacks).
Alzheimer’s disease
Inflammation and free radicals damage brain cells and impair synaptic function, contributing to the neurodegenaration and brain cell loss that characterizes Alzheimer’s disease. The squalene content of olive oils (along with its other antioxidants) has neuroprotective effects and does not allow oxidation of its monounsaturated fatty acids (which unfortunately occurs with polyunsaturated fats that may, thus, contribute to nerve damage). Oleocanthal, another olive oil component has been shown in scientific research to slow down the progression of Alzheimer’s.
Aging and longevity
Free radicals attack and damage cells and its constituents, especially DNA found not only in the cell nucleus but also in the mitochondria. It is hypothesized that olive oil with its antioxidant effects inhibit peroxidation and reduces mitochondrial DNA damage, preserving vitality and youthfulness. It appears that the oleocanthal component of olive oil significantly contributes to olive oil’s anti-aging effects. There is a report of a 120-year-old Israeli woman who used to drink a glass of olive oil every day!
Absolutely. Different olive oils complement different foods and uses. Olive oil can be used for sautéing, browning, stir-frying, baking, roasting; as an ingredient in marinades and sauces such as mayonnaise, pesto, or chimichurri; as a condiment, or drizzled over various dishes. Think about olive oil as you would wine. Use different olive oils for different purposes. Strong and robust extra virgin olive oils can be used for cooking fish, meat, to make marinades, or to drizzle on strongly flavored ingredients like peppers or garlic. A medium intensity, well-rounded extra virgin olive oil is great on mozzarella or for bread dipping. We love it mixed with one of our balsamic to make a vinaigrette or drizzled on vegetables for roasting. A mellow late harvest oil could be used in baking a cake or to make mayonnaise. Keep in mind that abuse under heat will begin to deteriorate the phenols in olive oil, but the higher the quotient of phenols you start off with, the more you will typically be left with at the end of the application. Better chemistry correlates to being able to get the oil hotter before it begins to reach its smoke point, which is not desirable when heating any type of cooking oil. Oleic acid is not affected by heat and remains stable
Q: What is Balsamic Vinegar and How is it Produced?
True balsamic vinegar is made from a reduction of syrup from sweet wine grapes, called mosto cotto in Italian. The syrup ages for a minimum of 12 years in a series of seven barrels of successively smaller sizes. These barrels, similar to wine barrels, are made from different woods including chestnut, acacia, cherry, oak, mulberry, ash and juniper. As opposed to wine, balsamic vinegars are aged in attics in Modena, Italy, where they benefit from the extreme heat of summer and extreme cold of winter. Balsamic vinegar is rich and glossy with sweet and sour natural flavors.
Q: What makes your oils and vinegars ‘all natural’?
Nothing is added but the named natural ingredients and that’s it.
In the case of our blended oils they all begin life as Ultra Premium Extra Virgin Olive Oil from our partner’s own organic olive grove in Tunisia on the Southern Mediterranean. The named (garlic, basil etc.) essential oil is then added to our infused oils, or in the case of the fused oils (like blood orange) the fruit & olives are crushed together to produce the oil.
Same is true of our Balsamic Vinegars, only the named natural extract (strawberry, apricot etc.) is added and NOTHING else!
Q: What is the best way to store oil?
Unlike wine, olive oil does not improve with age. Enemies of olive oil’s longevity are light, heat, oxygen and time. Reducing any of these factors will increase the useful life of your oil and retain its peak flavor longer. The best place to store the oil is in a cool, dark place. Not the fridge, but a pantry, cellar or cool cupboard.
Q: What is the shelf life of olive oil?
Olive oil is a fresh fruit oil and just like any other fruit juice, over time, the quality and taste deteriorate. We recommend that you use your oil within 3 to 6 months and no longer than a year from the time it is bottled, so that you can reap the benefits of what a fresh oil provides.
Do not SAVE your fresh olive oil SAVOUR it at every turn!
Q: Are our oils filtered?
They are not filtered, they are naturally settled or (racked) meaning that the oil is decanted when settled, leaving any sediment at the bottom to be discarded. Filtering extra virgin olive oil denatures it.
Q: I drink Apple Cider Vinegar because it is unpasteurized and loaded with probiotics, why should I use your Balsamic Vinegar?
Ditto here! All our Balsamic Vinegars are unpasteurized and loaded with probiotics and antioxidants and goes through the same fermentation process. They are completely natural, no added sulphites, thickeners or caramel colorings. The ONLY added ingredients are the named natural ingredients!
Q: How can your ‘All Natural’ Butter Olive Oil be vegan and dairy free?
Yes, this is our one product that can confuse people. It is all natural, made ONLY with botanicals. Not a single drop of butter was harmed (or used) in it’s production.
ALL of our Olive Oils and Balsamic Vinegars are 100% vegan, dairy & gluten free!
Q: What is the difference between white and dark Balsamic?
To start, they are BOTH made from the same white Trebbiano grape family which grows in the region of Modena, Italy. The white balsamic condimento is less complex, aged up to 12 years, and is cooked at a lower temperature over an open wood fire in copper kettles, thus inhibiting the caramelizing that takes place in the hotter cooking of the dark condimento. The dark is aged in fired, old wood barrels that previously held older batches of balsamic. The white is aged in new wood barrels which have not been fired on the inside. The dark condimento has a rich dried fruit characteristic reminiscent of figs and raisins, whereas the white is a bit more acidic, and “cleaner” lacking the complexity of the fired wood, and caramelizing that occurs over open wood fires in the copper kettles.
]]>Many of our customers have asked us about using our extra virgin olive oils in place of butter for cooking and baking. Those seeking a diet lower in cholesterol, having less saturated fat or using only vegetarian ingredients will find substituting olive oil for butter is an easy and healthy alternative.
For frying and sautéing, our extra virgin olive oils can replace butter at a 1 to 1 ratio. In fact, with our fused and infused extra virgin olive oils, you will discover many new ways to introduce new flavors in your dishes. For example, have you ever tried Organic Garlic EVOO or Chipotle EVOO in a stir fry or scrambled eggs? The next time you tear into a loaf of fresh bread try replacing the butter dish with a selection of extra virgin olive oils for a delicious dipping experience.
Baking with olive oil in place of butter has been around for centuries, especially in Mediterranean cooking. Given that measurements for baking are a bit more critical, we have provided you with this conversion chart to help with your substitutions.
CONVERSION GUIDE:
Butter/Margarine |
Olive Oil |
1 teaspoon |
3/4 teaspoon |
1 tablespoon |
2 1/4 teaspoons |
1/4 cup |
3 tablespoons |
1/3 cup |
1/4 cup |
1/2 cup |
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons |
2/3 cup |
1/2 cup |
3/4 cup |
1/2 cup + 1 tablespoon |
1 cup |
3/4 cup |
Keep in mind, substituting olive oil for butter may not work for recipes that require the consistency of butter or shortening – like cake frosting that needs to hold up at room temperature. A brushing of olive oil can also be used instead of butter to prepare baking pans and cookie sheets before adding the batter or dough. When baking items with more delicate flavors, choose from our smoother, mellower olive oils (like our Organic Butter EVOO) over the more peppery, pungent selections. However if you intentionally want to add some essence to your baking, the possibilities are endless. We recently kicked up the heat in a batch of cornbread by substituting the butter with our Chipotle infused extra virgin olive oil. Our Whole Fruit Blood Orange EVOO gave a lovely fruity essence to a recent batch of brownies we brought into the store over the weekend. Customers loved the subtle but noticeable hint of orange and took home a few bottles to try on their own.
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