Mount Athos Green Olives 800g in a jar, which are collected by the monks of the Holy Monastery of Xenophon with their hands from the millennial olive grove of the Monastery.
The olive is a genus of fruit trees of the family Oleaceae, which is very common in Greece.
Its fruit is also called olive and from it is produced the olive oil. The olive trees were transported to the European Mediterranean area by Phoenician traders.
Starting in Greece, they then traveled to Southern Europe and arrived in countries such as Italy, France, Spain and Portugal. This explains why the Greeks are considered the first to cultivate olive trees in the European Mediterranean area..
The olive tree was the symbol of the goddess Athena. According to ancient Greek mythology, the homeland of the olive tree is Athens and the first olive tree was planted by Athena on the Acropolis.
Through our history we discover that the olive tree is not only a symbol of peace, wisdom, fertility, prosperity, glory but also offers us protection, inspiration and food.
Olive in our diet
Olive fruit is very important for the Mediterranean diet, both as an edible and because it produces olive oil. Olives are rich in nutrients.
The fruit of the olive is wonderful source of monounsaturated fatty acids. Olive provides fiber and minerals to the body and is an important source Vitamin E, which is a natural antioxidant.
It is also considered that the Vitamin E slows down the deterioration of cell membranes. The monounsaturated fats in combination with the tocopherols (vitamin E) contained in olives have antioxidant properties, offering protection against cardiovascular disease, stroke and cancer.
Olives also contain a sufficient amount of vitamin A, which helps the body in growth-reproduction, has an important role in eye health, while in combination with vitamin E contributes to skin health.
