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The Heroic Olive Tree

Olive tree fruits in Bela Vista, Portugal.
Rodrigo Nuno Bragança da Cunha
/
WikiMedia Commons
Olive tree fruits in Bela Vista, Portugal.

The Mediterranean diet, one of our healthiest eating plans, draws upon plenty of fruits and vegetables. But the real hero of that diet is the olive tree.

Olive oil contains phenols, which are antioxidants that neutralize harmful free radicals in our bodies. In places where people eat a Mediterranean diet, many disease are lower.

For millennia, olive oil has met a huge range of human needs. Fossil evidence indicates olive tree species arose 30 million years ago in the eastern Mediterranean Basin, with cultivated olive trees appearing about 7,000 years ago. Along with grain and grapes, they became part of the “Mediterranean triad” that fueled the emergence of more complex societies.

In Biblical times, olives were one of the seven noteworthy products of the land of Israel. They were used for cooking, lighting, medicine, sacrificial offerings and anointment of priestly offices. When the dove came to Noah to show that the mighty flood was over, it carried an olive branch, now a symbol of hope and reconciliation in dark times.

The ancient Greeks smeared olive oil on their bodies and hair for good health and grooming. The "eternal flame" of the original Olympic games was fueled by olive oil, and victors were crowned with leaves of wild olive trees.

And yet, for all its great importance, the tree is rather modest looking. It’s short and squat, with silvery green evergreen leaves, and a trunk that is typically gnarled and twisted. Its closest relatives are lilacs and forsythia.

Many people grab whatever extra virgin olive oil they find in their local supermarket. But connoisseurs discern and discuss the subtleties of types of oils created by the particular climates and soils of different growing regions in the same way that vintners describe their wines.

Next time you go to toss some olive oil on your salad, maybe raise a glass to the remarkable olive tree and its vital values through many ages and cultures!

Dr. Nalini Nadkarni is an emeritus professor of both The Evergreen State College and the University of Utah, one of the world’s leading ecologists and a popular science communicator. Dr. Nadkarni’s research and public engagement work is supported by the National Geographic Society and the National Science Foundation. Any opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this material are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the National Science Foundation. @nalininadkarni
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