NOW Foods Extra Virgin Olive Oil - 16 oz.

Now Foods Extra Virgin Olive Oil is a flavorful cholesterol-free oil that has been a mainstay worldwide since Biblical days. NOW Foods Extra Virgin Olive Oil is produced to exacting standards of less than 1% oleic acid as well as many other oil components. One serving of NOW Foods Extra Virgin Olive Oil contains 11.5 grams of olive oil. From the FDA's website: Limited and not conclusive scientific evidence suggests that eating about 2 tablespoons (23 grams) of olive oil daily may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease due to the monounsaturated fat in olive oil. To achieve this possible benefit, olive oil is to replace a similar amount of saturated fat and not increase the total number of calories you eat in a day.

What is Olive Oil? What is it used for?
Olive Oil is derived from the fruit of the olive tree, which has the distinction of being perhaps one of the earliest botanicals used by mankind, having been mentioned in the book of Genesis in the Old Testament.

Modern researchers have zeroed in on Olive Oil as one reason that the Mediterranean diet is so healthy. Mediterranean cultures seem to derive most of their fat calories from Olive Oil, while Western cultures derive theirs primarily from processed vegetable oils and animal fats. Although the Mediterranean diet is higher in vegetables, fruits, legumes and whole grains, Olive Oil is the principal source of fat and a healthy alternative to animal fats and butter.

Olive Oil's health benefits are attributable to several naturally occurring components. It is high in oleic acid, a monounsaturated fatty acid (MUFA) that may stimulate bile production, aiding digestion of dietary fats and fat-soluble nutrients. It is low in saturated fatty acids and contains a good balance of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA).

When cooking, Olive Oil has some advantages over other cooking oils. It has a higher smoke point than the typical temperature for frying food and forms a crust on the outside of fried foods that decreases oil penetration while enhancing flavor. Foods fried in Olive Oil are often not as greasy as foods fried in other oils.

Is NOW Foods' Olive Oil cold pressed?
NOW Extra Virgin Olive Oil is cold-pressed without the use of solvents or other chemicals. It is 100% pure first-pressing Extra Virgin Olive Oil with no additives, preservatives, or artificial processing aids.

Does NOW carry Olive Oil in another form besides liquid?
NOW also carries two different forms of Olive Leaf Extract in vegetable-derived capsules. These two products are extracted from olive leaves, not the fruit. NOW carries a 500mg product standardized to contain 6% oleuropeins. NOW also carry an Extra Strength Olive Leaf Extract that contains 18% oleuropeins with 500mg of Echinacea added for synergism.

Why does Olive Leaf Extract in vegetable caps contain Silicon Dioxide?
Silicon dioxide is a common excipient used in many encapsulated products, though some companies may not list it on their labels. An excipient is a safe, hypoallergenic substance added during encapsulation to prevent the powder from hardening during normal shelf life, due to exposure to moisture.

How is NOW Olive Leaf Extract processed?
NOW Olive Leaf Extract is processed using only pure water and grain alcohol (ethanol), which is then evaporated without leaving any residue. This product is free of additives, preservatives, pesticides, and synthetic chemicals like benzene.

NOW's Mission
The NOW mission is - To pro:" ": and supplement industry in its infancy, entrepreneur Paul Richard paid $900 for the purchase of Fearn Soya Foods—a Chicago based manufacturer of grain and legume-based products. This began a six-decade legacy of providing health-seeking consumers with high-quality, affordable nutrition products.

History of NOW
In 1968, NOW Foods was founded under the belief that good health was not a luxury available only to the wealthy. For the past forty years, NOW has made it their life's work to offer health food and nutritional supplements of the highest quality, at prices that are fair and affordable to all those who seek them. Today, NOW Foods is one of the top-selling brands in health foods stores, an award-winning manufacturer, a respected advocate of the natural product industry, and a leader in the fields of nutritional science and methods development. And while NOW has grown considerably over the past four decades, one thing has never changed – NOW's commitment to providing products and services that empower people to lead healthier lives.

NOW Commitments

• Customer Focused and Information Driven - NOW believes that their products, services, and the decisions they make should be primarily influenced by the desires and needs of NOW customers. The decisions that NOW makes should be based on accurate information and therefore NOW places a high value on knowledge and learning within their organization.
• Quality and Value Oriented - Acting in the best interest of NOW customers, NOW endeavors to produce the highest quality products at competitive prices. NOW's first priority is to maintain quality where it counts the most – in the products. NOW's exceptional cost-conscious team of employees then focuses their energies on driving costs down. Nurturing this competency of value drives NOW's ability to provide high quality products at the very best prices.
• Natural is Better - NOW is convinced that natural products are better than their synthetic counterparts and produce better results in human health. Therefore, wherever possible, NOW strives to provide products that contain natural ingredients because they are better for their customers.

NOW Science
NOW's experienced professional and technical staff formulates their products to be of the highest quality. NOW has a group of biochemists, chemists, nutritionists, and food technologists who review current science and nutritional parameters, and formulate our products to be effective for the intended use. NOW's structure/function claims are based on science for active ingredients, and on nutritional science for nutritional content. Serving sizes are based on doses from clinical studies and other published data. NOW's contemporary formulas are designed to meet the health and wellness needs of today’s consumers. NOW uses ingredients that have been tested for effectiveness in clinical trials and laboratory studies. The heart of NOW science is third party independent research. NOW investigates and review clinical studies and other lab studies conducted on their ingredients and their formulas. Best science is used to support best formulations which lead to best quality. NOW products are constantly being tested in clinical trials conducted at top universities and research centers around the country and in various parts of the world. NOW products are being tested to determine such things as effectiveness for joint support, quality of life for cancer patients, cardiovascular support, and athletic endurance. Effective products mean health and wellness benefits, which mean quality.

GMP Quality Assured
NOW’s GMP certification covers standard operating procedures, employee trainin:" ":ting incoming materials according to NOW Foods specifications, inspecting manufacturing processes, and testing finished products to specifications. Tests include organoleptic evaluation (human senses such as sight, taste, smell), physical testing of tablets and capsules, chemical identity of ingredients, potency and contamination testing by the company’s in-house state-of-the-art analytical testing lab, as well as microbiological testing by NOW Foods’ in-house rapid analysis microbiological lab.