Olive fruit is an important part of Mediterranean cuisine. It is a popular ingredient in salads, preparations of which tend to include olive oil. This leaves the fruit with many nutritional qualities. For centuries the olive fruit has been used as an unsweetened prepared by the ancient peoples of Italy, Spain, Greece and Sicily to treat their own colds and to protect themselves from infections. The medicinal properties of olive fruit were known to the ancients, and they used it to treat fevers, inflammation of the mucous membrane and sore throats.
The fruit, (olive), is dark green in colour and has a bitter taste. Olive trees are not only cultivated in the southern Mediterranean area, but in Cyprus, Egypt, Israel and even Syria. The olive fruit is a Mediterranean tree. It grows best in sandy soil in a warm climate. It was unknown to the ancients when olive trees were first recorded growing in the Mediterranean, and it is likely that olive trees were known to the Egyptians before the time of Cleopatra.
The health benefits of olive fruit are numerous. It contains linolenic and oleic acid, both of which are known to have antiviral, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. It has been shown to lower blood cholesterol levels and to reduce blood pressure. There are indications that it helps to control diabetes. The vitamin contents of olive trees are thought to help keep the heart healthy.
Olive oil used in cooking has become very popular for its health benefits, and the fruit can be added sparingly to recipes, although the beneficial qualities are enhanced when used in large amounts. The olive fruit is the main ingredient in many preparations of pizza sauce and salad dressings, and may even be used as a salad dressing. Some brands of olive oil contain added garlic and oregano, which are also beneficial to your health.
The tree is fast growing, and it can grow up to four meters a day in some cases. It is easy to distinguish an olive tree in a Mediterranean garden from the related mint tree or the date tree. Both of these trees, grown in other places, are in fashion, and they tend to be slightly larger than the olive tree. Both trees bear fruits that are full of antioxidants.
The tree bearing the fruit is a Mediterranean tree with a wide range of cultivars. Some common varieties are African olive trees, Greek olive trees, Italian olive trees, Moroccan and Portuguese olive trees. All of them are of high quality and have high disease resistant qualities.