I love good olive oil! My recent studies into polyphenols and Nrf2 activators have made me more aware than ever of the importance of eating foods that retain the goodness that nature has packaged into foods. So more than ever I search for olive oils that are truly natural.

Recently, I learned that my friend Raymond has produced for him an olive oil that bypasses nutritionally all other olive oils of which I am aware. Raymond has sought out small family-owned farms in California, where the oil is literally produced in ways similar to methods used in ancient Greece and Rome.

On these farms, olives are grown without pesticides and picked by hand so as to not damage the skin or pulp. They are transported in well-aerated containers and milled

within 48 hours of harvesting. Before milling, leaves and twigs are removed; the olives are washed, dried, and then crushed. The oil is separated from the olive paste without the use of heat, hot water, or solvents, and it is left unfiltered, as filtering also removes many nutrients.

The first pressing produces the best extra virgin oil. Producing olive oil the old way is more time consuming and costly. The costs of harvesting by hand, to protect the fruit from damage, are high, but necessary to making good oil.

We will soon sell this extra virgin olive oil on the Health Products Distributors, Inc. website. This makes me happy! I always want to make the most health giving foods and nutrients available to our customers.

Interesting, today there was an article on the benefits of olive oil posted on the Natural News website that talks about a recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. The conclusions reached after studying 40,622 participants in a 13.4 year study is that olive oil consumption lowers mortality by a quarter and heart disease by nearly one-half!! Incredible!!!