Green olives are not a food you can pick and eat right off the tree. Green olives are actually not edible. All olives -- even black ones -- start out green. Green olives must be cured to remove oleuropin, which gives them their extremely bitter taste. Olives are an excellent source of monounsaturated fats -- a healthy type of fat -- as well as vitamins and minerals.
Vitamin A
According to Livestrong's MyPlate, a serving of green olives equals five olives. One green olive contains 11 international units, or IU, of vitamin A -- a fat-soluble vitamin. This means a serving contains 55 IU of vitamin A. The daily recommended dietary allowance, or RDA, for vitamin A is 700 mcg, or 2310 IU, for women and 900 mcg, or 3000 IU, for men.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E in the form of alpha tocopherol is an antioxidant. Antioxidants can reduce cellular damage by destroying free radicals, which are unpaired electrons that damage DNA. The daily requirement for vitamin E is 15 mg for men and women. A serving of green olives supplies 0.50 mg of vitamin E, the USDA reports.
B-Complex Vitamins
A serving of green olives contains a small amount of several B-complex vitamins. Although the amounts are quite small -- less than 1 mg -- green olives contain .03 mg of niacin and .005 mg each of pantothenic acid, thiamin and B-6, according to the USDA. The RDA for niacin is 14 mg for women and 16 mg for men, and the RDA for thiamin is 1.1 mg for women and 1.2 mg for men. For B-6, men need 1.3 mg below age 51 and 1.7 mg over age 51, while women need 1.3 mg under age 51 and 1.5 mg over 51. The RDA for pantothenic acid in adults is 5 mg for men and women.
Sodium
The USDA lists a serving of green olives as supplying 210 mg of sodium. Although the USDA 2010 Dietary Guidelines recommends a daily intake of no more than 2300 mg of sodium per day, the American Heart Association suggests a limit of 1500 mg per day.
Calcium
A serving of five green olives contains 5 mg of calcium, the USDA reports. This is a small amount compared to the RDA of 1000 mg for men aged 19 to 70 and women aged 19 to 50.
Iron
A five-olive serving supplies a small amount of iron, around .05 mg, according to the USDA. Men over age 19 and women over age 51 need 8 mg of iron daily. Between the ages of 19 and 50, women need more iron -- 18 mg -- due to blood loss during menstruation, the Office of Dietary Supplements explains. Pregnant women need even more iron, at 27 mg per day.
References
- USDA; Nutrient Data Laboratory; Olives, Pickled, Canned or Bottled, Green; 2010
- LIVESTRONG.COM MyPlate: Green Olive
- American Heart Association; 2010 Dietary Guidelines; January 2009
- USDA: Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs): Recommended Dietary Allowances and Adequate Intakes, Vitamins
- WholeHealthMD.com; Olives; April 21, 2005
- Office of Dietary Supplements: Vitamin A and Carotenoids
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