OLIVE OIL & HOME REMEDIES: EXPLORE THESE 4 USEFUL TIPS

Most of you know that extra virgin olive oil is a great complement to your dishes. Healthy and flavoursome, it gives an unmissable touch to your recipes while bestowing you with many beneficial health effects. In fact, many researches show that extra virgin olive oil can help improve cardiovascular, brain and cellular health. Plus, its anti-aging, nourishing and anti-inflammatory properties make it powerfulally of your skin.

What you might not know is that olive oil is a popular remedy for common ailments. Even though there are not many large studies verifying the effectiveness of these home remedies, they’ve been used for ages with good results and no side effects, so it’s worth trying yourself and see if it works for you.

• For ear wax
  
  Ear infections are a common problem in children and adults. Sometimes it depends on a build-up of ear wax trapping harmful bacteria. Albeit ear wax is necessary to protect and keep hydrated your ear canal skin, if it hardens, it can produce numbness and discomfort. If the pain is intense and reaches a distressing level, we recommend you call a doctor, but if you start perceivingthe “frog in your ear”, some itchiness or mild discomfort, you can try this home remedy. Before having a shower, warm up some olive oil and pour 2/3 drops in your ear canal while resting on the opposite side to allow the olive oil to work its way in. Help the process through massaging the part of your ear called tragus (see picture) and relax for 5 to 10 minutes. See? There is a silver lining in every cloud. Then wash it with a gentle, warm water flow. After a couple of days you put the drops, you might notice some ear wax coming out…gross but so relieving! If after a few days there is no improvement, call your GP. Refrain from putting olive oil drops in your ears if you have a perforated ear drum : https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/perforated-eardrum/
  
  
• For treatment and prevention of sprains and other sport injuries
  
  According to a study of the medical school of Athens (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3298328/), massage with olive oil has beneficial effects for prevention and treatment of sports injuries, through increasing the temperature of the treated muscle and contributing to better blood flow. Pre-exercise friction with oil makes the body more flexible thus less prone to injuries. Post-exercise massage with oil resulted in faster removal of lactic acid thus faster recovery of the athlete.
  
  This natural remedy is derived from ancient Greek literature, they knew a thing or two about Olympic athletes, didn’t they?
  
  
• For toothaches
  
  You might be unaware of the healing properties of olive oil for toothaches and other oral problems. Olive oil has anti-inflammatory properties thank to its phenolic compounds that can relieve your toothaches while waiting for a dentist appointment. Take a tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil and keep it in your mouth, right in the painful area. As an alternative, you can dip a cotton ball in extra virgin olive oil and place it on the aching tooth as many times a day as needed.
  
  
• For sunburns
  
  We all know the beneficial properties of extra virgin olive oil on our skin. What’s even more useful to know is that it is a popular home remedy for sunburns. After having a cold shower to cool down the skin, apply extra virgin olive oil and let it penetrate the skin. The moisturizing effect combined with anti-inflammatory properties will reduce a bit the skin discomfort. P.S. refraining from exposing yourself to the sun in the hottest hours of the day is always the best remedy to sunburns.
  
  

So now we know that not only is extra virgin olive oil our favourite healthy condiment, but it can be also a handy remedy for several ailments. Always choose organic and biodynamic to avoid the presence of pesticides residues and to protect your body, the environment and the farmer’s and communities’ health.