Argan Oil - Moroccan Argan Oil

Health Benefits of Argan Oil

Argan Oil Health Benefits

Argan oil is rich in essential fatty acids, especially linoleic acid, a precursor of vitamin E giving its moisturizing, strong antioxidant and skin anti-aging properties.
Long observed empirically, the beneficial effects, moisturizers and restructurability of argan oil have since been confirmed and explained scientifically.
By its content of essential fatty acids (EFAs), argan oil makes it possible to correct deficiencies that inevitably occur with age, and which result in dehydration and loss of skin elasticity. Argan oil and combat skin aging. Argan oil is also rich in tocopherols (vitamin E) at the rate of 700 mg per kilogram, or more than twice as much as olive oil (320 mg / kg). The latter, as well as polyphenols also contained in the argan oil, are natural antioxidants and anti-free-radicals.

Argan oil stimulates intracellular oxygenation, neutralizes free radicals and protects the soft tissue. Its skin application restores the skin and increases the nutrient content of skin cells.

Argan oil benefits summary

For centuries, Argan oil has been used locally for therapeutic, cookware and cosmetic purposes, today the whole world is appreciating this oil.
Argan oil is highly rich in essential fatty acids oleic and lineoic acids (47%) as well as in vitamin E (60-90mg/1OOg) , which positively boost our skin regenerating capabilities.
It repairs and protects the skin against droughts and external aggressions, preventing its premature aging thanks to its essential fatty acids.
Argan oil vitamin E richness, gives its antioxidant qualities
It protects muscles from degeneration associated with aging.
It can be used both for internal and external purposes.

some argan oil internal usages: Massage, for rheumatism, against hair loss, to eliminate dandruff, against acne, burns, wrinkles, to protect against skin drying.
some argan oil internal usages: positive effect against cholesterol and atherosclerosis.
some argan oil culinary usage: in dressings, its aroma couples very well with crudites.
Its nutty after-taste enhances so many dishes: whether with fish or goat's cheese, with puréed sweet potatoes or a salad of carrots and oranges.
A simple argan oil drizzle will enliven your soups, cooked dishes and even desserts.
It adds a touch of nut and sesame, bringing an oriental flavor to your cooking,

It enhances the prostaglandins synthesis. Argan oil contains no cholesterol, which makes it very suitable in the context of any cholesterol-free diet.
It protects the cardiovascular system.
For a cosmetic use, it softens the skin, revitalizes the tired and wrinkled parts by rehydrating and giving the skin its lost youthful elasticity.
Argan oil is also highly effective as a relief middle in cases of burns, scars and the like.
Argan oil has a strengthening effect for nails and hair.
Argan oil is widely used in the local recipes as well as in traditional medicine as a treatment of skin diseases such as acne and chickenpox (varicella).
Currently, it is used as a medicinal product and active ingredient in many cosmetics and increasingly used by international and famous beauty specialists.

GEI Targanine Argan Oil Products Review

Argan oil cooperatives short story:

Intrigued by ancient local claims of the Argan oil's health and nutritional properties, Zoubida Charrouf, a chemistry professor at University Mohammed V in Morocco capital, Rabat, decided to conduct chemical research on the oil in the early 1990s. What she found corresponds with the local traditional wisdom : the substance highly rich with vitamin E and unsaturated fatty acids that can lower cholesterol, reduce wrinkles and juvenile acne, and speed healing of abrasions.

Charrouf's findings renewed interest in the argan tree, as did the decision by UNESCO in the late 1990s that declared the endangered argan forest area a biosphere reserve. Conservationists, development agencies and entrepreneurs all sought ways to protect the tree and encourage the local economy growth.

In the beginning, things didn't go quite as planned. Local women couldn't deliver a high-end product; their homemade oil was often packaged in leftover plastic bottles and sold on the side of the road or in local souqs (traditional markets), or marketplaces.

Charrouf decided to found cooperatives to tackle the problems head on and start employing women who had discovered argan oil's benefits to begin with. The ooperatives now employ approximately 800 women full and part-time, many of them poor, widowed or divorced. The majority of the women work at cracking the stones; for that, they are paid an average of $100 a month and receive a share in the cooperatives' profits. To ensure the quality of the product, Charrouf replaced much of the traditional extraction methods with a mechanized process that extended the oil's shelf life from six months to two years. Women still crack the stones, because no machine can match their dexterity. On the conservation front, each of Charrouf's workers plants 10 new argan trees a year. Most significantly, as the region's economic growth is increasingly tied to the argan, villagers have become much more reluctant to let their goats graze in the trees. In addition, the Amal cooperative in Tamanar received the International Slow Food Award for biodiversity in 2001. Drawn by increasing press coverage, 100 tourists descend upon the Amal cooperative each day, buying edible oil and cosmetics products. In response to increases demand Charrouf recently grouped the cooperatives under one umbrella organization in order to standardize their operation and accounting systems and to expand their bargaining power. This organization is called GEI TARGANINE and it has been created since October 2003. GEI TARGANINE also helps these cooperatives to get in international quality system.

In light of the cooperatives' success, it's hard to believe that Charrouf ever faced any resistance. But at the beginning, men scoffed at the notion that she could realize her plans and that the women were capable of running co-op. But as the men saw the economic benefit of the cooperatives, they began encouraging this project. Rather than tearing the fabric of community apart, the cooperatives created jobs and removed the need of urban migration. Besides offering women jobs paying them a decent wage, Charrouf offers classes in reading and arithmetic. That impacts their children well, because once they realize the issue of education, women are more likely to send their kids to school.

GEI TARGANINE product line, for natural beauty and health

ARGANIUM : a natural beauty serum

Moisturising and nourishing: with Arganium, a beauty serum made of 100% argan oil, it offers your skin a new vitality and complete beauty care. While regenerating, argan oil is well known for its moisturising, nourishing and protective effect on the skin.
Regenerating and activating: argan oil is frequently used in traditional medicine in order to heal scars ( e.g. such as those caused by acne ) or to soothe rheumatic pain.
Diminishing wrinkles : rich in essential fatty acids, argan oil re-vitalizes the skin and activates the cell's vital functions, thus diminishing wrinkles. Furthermore it protects the skin from external aggressions such as the sun while neutralising free radicals.

While keeping all its active principles, ARGANIUM is made out of non-roasted almonds and
is thus free from well known hazelnut odour which is noticeable in the edible oil.

ARGANATI : 100% pure argan oil (Certified as organic product)

ARGANATI is exclusively made out of argan almonds. It is produced with ancestral know-how of Berbers women which is transmitted from generation and with modern means in order to fit
international norms. 30 kg of fruits and more than 15 hours of work are required for the production of one liter of argan oil.

Reduction of cholesterol level : thanks to its high concentration inessential fatty acids ( linoleic acid : 34% ) and its high percentage in unsaturated fatty acids ( 80% ), natural argan oil reduces cholesterol levels and prevents atherosclerosis. It is recommended to all those who wish to lead a balanced and healthy life. ARGANATI is delicious in salad sauce and will give a special taste to your vegetables, fishes and cooked meals.

AMLOU BELDI: a tasty spread

Amlou Beldi is a tasty spread made out of almonds, honey and argan oil. It is renowned for its aphrodisiac virtues and its deliciousness on toast for breakfast.

GEI Argan oil Production Process

1. The Argan fruits are mature ( around June ), they are dried.
2. Dried flesh is removed though a machine
3. The resulting nuts are manually crushed between two stones by women in order to
obtain an intact almond
4. These almonds are then slightly roasted for culinary oil only ( Arganati )
- Temperature : 100°C for roasting machine
- 30 kg of almonds need 2 hours for roasting
- Although raw material is heated through roasting and extracting process, the peroxides value are definitely under international norms as mentioned in the here enclosed chemical specifications
5. The almonds are then pressed through a special oil press to give argan oil (the equipment is manufactured in Germany )
- Argan oil is made of kernel of argan seeds without any additives.
- It is 100% pure natural products
6. The oil is then decanted into bottle and finally filtered in a special oil filter

This Argan oil is got solely by using kernels of Argan seeds. The oil doesn't contain any additives. All GEI TARGANINE products are certified by ECOCERT as organic ones.

300 ha of Argan trees to be planted in southern Morocco

Essaouira (south), June 11 - Some 300 ha of Argan trees will be reforested in the south of Morocco, under a cooperation agreement signed in 2002 between Midi Pyrenees regions and the region of Marrakech-Tensift-El Haouz, revealed, here Sunday, the Mohammed V Foundation for Research and Argan Tree Preservation.

The foundation, which held its third general assembly, underlined the achievements mainly those pertaining to the notion of the geographical indication, which represents an important step in the process of the protection of the Argan tree.

The Foundation's director general, Ms Katim Alaoui, noted that the agreement also provides for the upgrading and the marketing of the argan oil by women's cooperatives.

She also pointed out that the foundation promoted the use of solar ovens by the population working on argan oil by installing 30 solar ovens in the region.

This project aims at saving firewood through the use of solar energy, given that each solar oven enables to save between 5 and 10 kg of wood a day, according to the project officials who estimate that the setting up of 500 solar ovens results in avoiding a loss of 50 to 100 ha of argan trees per year.

Set up in May 2004, the Foundation aims at guaranteeing a legal protection of the argan trees exploitation, promoting and protecting natural equilibrium, improving the standard of living of the population working on argan trees and guaranteeing the quality of the argan products.

A forest, fruit and fodder tree, the argan tree covers currently some 870,000 ha, that is around 10% of Morocco’s forest areas.

source MAP

Argan oil - The oil of miracles from the land of magics

Argan tree, the geographical exception of being local to southern Morocco, is a tree with a life spreading between 150 and 200 years. Argan tree is very resistant to drought and heat.

Originally uploaded by euanpreston

Argan tree geographical area span over 830,000 ha along the Atlantic coast from Essaouira (Morocco) to Souss valley (Morocco) where it represents 71% of forests. But there are colonies of Argan trees in places where they are not expected witnessing an extension of the old area.

One of the main ecological characteristics of Argan tree

lies in its adaptability to all kinds of soils. It's found on clay soils, limestone, and so on. However, it does not grow on sandy soils, hence its absence on the dunes surrounding the town of Essaouira .

It is interesting to note that soil fertility is higher beneath the Argan tree where the soil is always wet and microbial activities are more important. Researchers have identified varieties of plants that owe their survival to the micro-climate Argan tree offers.

Argan tree area expands from sea level up to an altitude of 1500m southern of Morocco, and 700 m on the northern mountains of Morocco.

This ever green and thorny tree is perfectly adapted to aridity. Thanks to its deep root system, Argan tree helps maintain soil fertility, and protect it from water and wind erosion keeping away desertification threat.
Argan tree belongs to the Sapotaceae plant family. It grows in the southwest of Morocco, on dry lands, and plays an important role in the ecology of the area by maintaining humidity keeping the surrounding land fertile.

The Argan tree is characterized by its roots that are so deep (five times the upper part). It can spontaneously get rid of its leaves to minimize evaporation of moisture once traversing prolonged drought periods that may endanger its existence. Argan tree wood is used for construction and its leaves are the daily camels' food as well as that of goats which don't hesitate climbing up the tree to graze the seedlings. Argan fruits, which are concealed within a very hard shell, take two years long to reach maturity and finally be ready for the extraction of the miracle oil: the Argan oil.

Argan nuts enclose one or more almonds (up to three), containing a very thin oil with a light nutty flavor.

Unfortunately, Argan tree is an endangered species due to intensive agriculture and other tree wood usages. However, UNESCO recognized in 1999, the Argan forest as a World Heritage of Humanity.

Argan oil benefits en recipes

Traditionally in Morocco, Argan oil is used in tajines, couscous, salads, grilled tomatoes and other famous moroccan recipes (see how argan oil is traditionally produced in Morocco).

Argan oil contains 80% of unsaturated fatty acids. This acid is essential because it can not be synthesized by our body and must be provided in diet.

Argan's oleic acid content makes it a particularly interesting oil in the regulation of cholesterol. There are some ongoing studies that tend to show that two soup-spoonfuls Argan oil per day for a month could significantly reduce blood cholesterol.

The Argan oil is rich in vitamin E (620 mg / kg for Argan oil compared to 320 mg / kg for Olive oil) which is a powerful fat-soluble antioxidant that captures free radicals and neutralizes destructive oxidation.

Some Argan oil medical properties:

Anti-oxidant (phenolic compounds)
Reduces hyper tension
Reduces cholesterol damage
Reduces rheumatic an articular pain
Stimulates brain capacity
Facilitate digestion by increasing the concentration of pepsin in the gastric juice

Some Argan Oil recipes

How to prepare original Moroccan Amlou:

Purported by native Moroccans to be a natural aphrodisiac and energy booster, argan is mixed into a paste with roasted almonds and honey then spread on rolls or bread. Eaten in the morning, the dip is also cited as an appetite suppressant and dietary aid.

Amlou Ingredients:

8 oz. regular almonds, roasted and salted
8 tbsp. argan oil
4 tbsp. honey

Grind almonds in a food processor to desired texture. Place ground almonds in a mixing bowl and slowly stir in argan oil, one tbsp at a time. Slowly stir in honey to a well mixed paste. Serve on Pita bread, croissant, toast or rolls.
You should store Amlou at room temperature in a sealed container for good conservation.

How to prepare Argan and Honey Spread
A delicious spread For a quick, energetic start of your day

Argan/honey spread ingredients:

2 tbsp. argan oil
2 tbsp. honey

Mix honey and argan in a bowl. Use on bread or pancakes. For good conservation, store it at room temperature in closed container.

Preparing Couscous - Morocco

, originally uploaded by mcprincenw.