Hello to you;
I wanted to start my first article with the place of olives in the holy books by taking advantage of the blessed month of Ramadan we are in. Let's see how olives are mentioned in the Qur'an, Bible and Torah;
There are 7 verses in the Qur'an that mention the olive tree and therefore olives. These are; En'am 99 and 141, Nahl 11, Muminun 20, Nur 35, Abasa 29, Tin 1.
1, 2, 3, 4, 5. I swear by the fig, the olive, Mount Sinai and this secure town that We created man in the best form. Then We brought him down to the lowest of the low (Surah al-Tin).
There are verses in the Qur'an that praise the olive tree, its fruit and oil and consider them sacred. In these verses, it is written that the olive tree was cultivated in Mount Sinai, which is also a sacred place, that its oil was extracted by pressing and that this oil was used to flavour meals and cure diseases.
The olive tree is mentioned in all holy books.
The word olive is mentioned 140 times in the Torah and the Bible.Olive tree is mentioned as a sacred plant in the Bible. It is stated in the Bible that 8 large olive trees in the "Garden of Gethsemane" at the foot of the Mount of Olives, where the Prophet Jesus ascended to heaven, witnessed Jesus' prayers, tears and death. It is said that the olive grains in these trees, which still stand the test of time today, remind Christians of the tears of Jesus.In the Torah, it is told that "Yahweh" gave the Prophet Moses the recipe for the Holy Messianic Oil (oil of baptism), a mixture of olive oil and exquisite perfumes. The mention of olives in all the holy books, the return of the dove sent by Noah with an olive branch.
In Greek mythology, the goddess Athena had to see the olive tree constantly in order to survive. Some gods also had to be born under the olive tree.In ancient Greece, it was considered a sacred tree and olive cultivation was only allowed to be done by good and honest people.Those who harmed the olive tree were punished with death.Olympic championships were crowned with olive leaves. Olive oil was burnt in the sacred lamps of religious ceremonies. It was used to bless kings and newborn babies.
The olive tree was considered a symbol of wisdom and victory, the olive branch a symbol of peace, and olive oil a symbol of purity and simplicity.
It is written in the Qur'an that olive oil was used to cure diseases. But is olive oil really healing? If we look at this with today's science;
Heart health: Olive oil contains healthy fats and contributes to heart health by increasing LDL levels. Olive oil can also lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart attack or stroke. Helps prevent narrowing of the vessel walls. Helps prevent arteriosclerosis.Antioxidants: (I would like to briefly summarise what antioxidant is; what is the free radical that we often hear without explaining antioxidant? let's look at it first; the damage caused by unstable oxygen molecules entering our body to cells or systems is called free radical. If we describe it with an analogy; free radical is the damage caused by a harmful person who has suddenly lost his mental balance to the normal people in the environment where a group of normal people sit and chat, the carer or mother of this harmful person is the antioxidant. Antioxidants are compounds that stabilise unstable oxygen atoms and calm the environment). Olive oil is rich in antioxidants and can prevent cell damage. These antioxidants also reduce cancer risks and may support immune functions.
Brain health: Olive oil contains omega-9 and omega-3 fatty acids, which are important for brain health. These fatty acids help to operate memory functions and protect against neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's. In addition, the brain regenerates itself rapidly when the brain is fed with fat and helps to protect itself against nervous system disorders.
Digestive health: Olive oil helps to protect the health of the digestive system. It promotes bowel movements and can prevent constipation and inflammatory outlet diseases. It is also an effective aid in the normal functioning of the liver.
Skin health: Olive oil is also protection for skin health. It softens the skin, is full of antioxidants and has an anti-inflammatory structure. Therefore, it can prevent skin aging and contributes to improving skin problems such as acne, eczema.
Weight control: Olive oil can provide a feeling of satiety because it is a dense oil. This can be beneficial for weight loss and weight control. Olive oil is at the centre of Mediterranean diets. This diet, also known as light nutrition, is a complete anti-obesity.
Bone health: Olive oil also makes an important contribution to maintaining bone density and cartilage structure. It has also been proven to relieve pain with its pain relieving properties when applied directly to joint and muscle pain.
In conclusion, olive oil provides many benefits to human health and is an important component of a healthy diet. However, excessive consumption should be avoided because oil also contains high calories. Any excess that will disturb the balance will bring illness, not healing.
Olive oil has also been used in medicine for centuries. It easily absorbs the essence of the plant put into it and turns it into medicine. This is available in the recipes of our grandmothers of old people. For example, if we look at the St. John's wort oil, which is frequently used today; St. John's wort plant is buried in olive oil and rested in the dark. After a while, all the essence of centaury passes into olive oil and is used for healing. Therefore, olive oil is one of the oldest known medicines. Let's remember that antioxidant-rich olive oil, which protects antioxidant cells, is a complete healing and miracle. Then we swear by the olive that we have created man in the most beautiful form. And again, we will not waste even a single branch of it...
ELİF TOKER
30 MARCH 2023