Olive oil: the king of Mediterranean diet

Not longer than fifty years ago’ it was looked down as a poor cousin, passed by in favor of a rich diet with mains as butter, animal fats, commercial margarine and red meat. Along the way researchers have discovered that those eating a diet low in animal fat and red meat have significant impact diminishing the risk of heart disease and lower cholesterol levels. The Mediterranean diet is based on olive oil and is rich in vegetables, fruit, light cheeses and fish, just as it has been since the days of ancient times.

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Considerable is the nutritional variety and the freshness that a diet based on pasta, bread, fresh vegetables, fruits, poached or grilled fish all dressed with olive oil has to offer. Nutritional properties values are essential for choosing the right diet for us. The previously ‘poor’ the Mediterranean diet has been redeemed in the name of natural foods and plain good health, in view of the beneficial effects on coronary disease. Too often wrong diets are the real cause behind our most popular social diseases such as obesity, arterio-sclerosis, diabetes, digestive troubles and hypertension. Here there are few reasons to explain the role and importance of olive oil in one of world’s beneficial diets.

Alimentary habits of Mediterranean countries were attentively researched and amazingly proved among one of the healthiest of the world: amazing to know that among olive oil surprising nutrition al values researchers found the same biochemical composition of mother's milk. Research demonstrates that among the various dressing and cooking oils, olive oil (especially extra virgin) is for sure the best for a healthy and balanced diet. Both raw and for cooking olive oil is the best for easiness in being assimilated, genuineness, nutritional contribution not to mention wealth and variety of taste.

The olive oil is among all cooking oils the most digestible. In fact, it is costituted for three parts of fat acids monoinsaturated. The fat acids is constituted from a carbon molecule can be of three types: without satured fat acids, with monoisaturated, with two polinsaturated fat acids. The presence of high percentage of polinsatured fat acids makes inhibits the process necessary to form peroxides (when the molecule engages the oxygen) or free radicals. Based on these considerations and the values in following the table it is possible understand how much important are the advantages of extra virgin olive for the organism.



Its acidic base and lack of saturated fats make it perfect seasoning for a healthy diet. In fact, it is the most digestible fat among all. This theory is universally supported by contemporary medicine.