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Extra virgin olive oil is very special and unique. This is something that people along the Mediterranean, as well as gourmets everywhere, have known for a long time. Thomas Jefferson is even said to have considered the olive tree as 'surely the richest gift of Heaven'. Well, recent studies show that President Jefferson might just have been right.

Here are 10 reasons why real extra virgin olive oil should be a part of everyone's diet:

1 ' Olive oil protects against heart disease ' 'Olive oil's heart effect located'

'Scientists say they have pinpointed the micronutrients in olive oil that make it a good heart protector.' 'Virgin or extra virgin olive oils are best because they have the highest phenol content, the Journal of the American College of Cardiology reports' - Hospital Universitario Reina Sofia, Cordoba (Spain)

2 - Alzheimer's ' 'How you can take brain health to heart'

'Studies have shown that high intake of saturated fat and cholesterol clogs the arteries and is associated with higher risk for Alzheimer's disease. Use mono and polyunsaturated fats, such as olive oil. - Alzheimer's Association

3 - 'Olive Oil Could Help Fight Colon Cancer'

'Researchers at the University of Ulster have found new evidence of the link between virgin olive oil and healthy living.' 'The team of researchers '.. concluded that a mixture of compounds, called phenols, extracted from virgin olive oil could safeguard against colon cancer. Colon cancer is one of the most common forms of cancer in the Western world ' and the second highest cause of cancer death in the US.' - University of Ulster

4 - 'Virgin olive oil may protect against skin cancer'

'Scientists now say an application of virgin olive oil after sunbathing may protect against skin cancer.'

- Kobe University School of Medicine

5 - 'Olive Oil Seems To Protect Against Bowel Cancer'

'Olive oil seems to protect against bowel cancer, suggests research involving 28 countries in the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.' - Center for the Advancement of Health

6 ' 'Northwestern Study Shows Why Olive Oil Protects Against Breast Cancer'

'Oleic acid, the main monounsaturated fatty acid contained in olive oil, can cripple a cancer gene that is responsible for 25 to 30 percent of all breast cancers, according to an article by Northwestern University researchers published in the Jan. 10 issue of the Annals of Oncology.' - Northwestern University

7 - 'Olive Oil Reduces the Need for Blood Pressure Drugs'

'Olive oil is widely advocated as being good for preventing heart disease, but has not hitherto been associated with blood pressure reduction. An Italian study now suggests that it may lower blood pressure.'

- Cardiovascular Institute at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, New York

8 ' 'Olive oil 'acts like painkiller'

'Researchers found 50g of extra-virgin olive oil was equivalent to about a tenth of a dose of ibuprofen. ' an ingredient in the oil acted as an anti-inflammatory' - Monell Chemical Senses Centre

9 - Circulation ' 'Blood vessels appear healthier after people consume olive oil high in phenolic compounds'

"Phenolic compounds in olive oil, which have antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-clotting properties, may explain cardiovascular health benefits associated with the so-called Mediterranean Diet" - American College of Cardiology

10 ' Skin Health ' 'Eat your wrinkles away'

'The study authors speculated that certain foods offered skin protection due to their high levels of antioxidants such as vitamins A, C and E. Monounsaturated fats such as olive oil may offer protection through the same mechanism'fatty acids are present in the skin, and monounsaturated fats resist oxidative damage.' - Monash University, Melbourne

However, there is a proviso: Dr. Robert F. Wilson, M.D., of the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis stated the following: 'not all olive oils have a high phenolic content.' "So these results might not be true for all olive oil on the shelf at the grocery store". The reason for this is that many brands labeled as 'extra virgin olive oil' are diluted with other oils so the phenolic content is equally diminished.

In view of the foregoing, olive oil consumers should accept no substitutes - Whereas the taste and flavor enhancing properties are more than enough reason to include extra virgin olive oil as part of our daily diet, when the health benefits are factored in - the case for real extra virgin olive oil becomes compelling.