Why the extra virgin olive oil is "food-drug"

Why the extra virgin olive oil is "food-drug"


Anthony Bruno

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Saturday, November 27, 2010 in the beautiful setting of the stables of the castle Gallon Tricase Dr. Stefania Leone, Biologist nutritionist gave a report on "The 'olive oil, nutritional and health aspects." In this note the interesting news that we have learned

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I'm going to Tricase del Salento Lecce because in the Castle or Palace of the Princes FOREMA Gallon's final event of the "Voices, Looks, Tastes Rural and marine routes between the South Salento.

The project idea has been the rediscovery and redevelopment of the Salento, in the specific Tricase and Castro, and the two municipalities have historically been characterized by rural and marine activities. The project has gained a deeper understanding of the environments as a web of material and symbolic culture, the true "living museum" full of history and deposit products to its traditions, customs and artistic creations. The search for evidence items and has dug deep into the activities that have traditionally characterized Tricase and Castro.

Attention has focused on stories, life stories, narratives of place.

I like being in that building that was built in 1661 by Stefano Gallone II, first Prince of Tricase who wanted to do a lot of rooms for each day of the year and a room called "the throne", 24.30 x 11 meters, 70, big enough to contain more than a thousand people.

On the evening of November 27 in the stables of this castle I took part in a workshop entitled "Knowledge of flavors: the universe of olive oil. Quality health and taste tests. "

In this circumstance could not appreciate Dr. Stefania Leone, Biologist nutritionist who gave a report on "The 'olive oil, nutritional and health aspects."

Yeah! Why is it always we eat olive oil but we often do not agree that we know what we are eating. Olive oil is composed mainly of 98% of triglycerides which are the most important group of dietary fat. The remaining 1-2% is the part of "unsaponifiables" represented by "minor constituents" but very important nutritional substances, belonging to various classes, such as sterols, squalene, phenols, polyphenols, aliphatic and triterpene alcohols, chlorophyll, vitamins A, D, E, K. Did not you know it? You did not know there were so many substances in the olive oil you eat every day!

Its caloric value is very high in fact 100 grams of olive oil containing 100 900 kilocalories (kcal). But in olive oil, there are two substances, the acid lineola ω-6 and α-linolenic acid which are ω-3 fats, called essential because they can not be synthesized by the human body and therefore must be introduced through the 'power.

Oleic acid is the fat found in most human cell membranes, thus

oleic acid made from olive oil and absorbed after digestion, is used for the synthesis of biological membranes to give them more fluid.

The ratio of linoleic acid / linolenic acid content in olive oil instead is in the same proportions of milk.

The intake of these fatty acids is important during pregnancy and the first days of life for the development of the nervous tissue of both the fetus and newborn.

Dr. Stefania Leone explained that in terms of digestibility of olive oil is the best among the oils and added that the healing properties of olive oil have been known since ancient times and this reason was considered a substance halfway between the food and medicine. The particular fragrance conferred on foods with olive oil and its components more tasty food, pleasant and attractive. This contributes to secretory stimuli activate the digestive system by promoting better digestion and metabolism and an excellent gastric and intestinal tolerance.

Olive oil for the presence of oleic acid in particular, reduces the secretion of hydrochloric acid (HCl), protecting the gastric mucosa, improves the emptying of the gallbladder bile, preventing the calculation produces a lower secretory activity of the pancreas, facilitates the 'absorption of fat soluble vitamins and calcium, exerts a laxative effect, especially on an empty stomach and

maintains low levels of LDL cholesterol, raising HDL cholesterol levels. You know how good it makes you eat olive oil genuine?

Dr. Stefania Leone has continued his interesting report stating that the olive oil in the presence of antioxidants and the presence of monounsaturated fatty acids, appears to be suitable for cooking and frying of food. The antioxidants present in olive oil reduce the formation of free radicals during frying and cooking of food

In addition, olive oil has a smoke point of 210 ° C, higher than the most commonly used vegetable oils (palm and coconut) and margarine and butter and we all know that when the oil smoke must be changed because it is toxic! Acrolein (propenal or even 2-2-propene-1-ale or acrylaldehyde) is toxic to the liver and irritate the gastric mucosa that is produced by dehydration of glycerol, a reaction that occurs during frying beyond the point smoke oil used.

Dr. Stefania Leone has also spoken of the minor constituents of olive oil. Although present in small amounts (2%), represent important elements of functional and nutraceutical. How do you say? Do not you know that means "importance nutacetica? Look, there's nothing wrong and now you write that I mean. Refers to the study of foods that have beneficial effects on human health. The nutraceuticals are also called functional foods, pharmaceuticals or food farmalimenti. A nutraceutical is a food-drug "or a health food that nutritional components associated with selected characteristics such as high digestibility el'ipoallergenicità, the healing properties of natural active ingredients extracted from plants with proven, and proven effectiveness. In olive oil are: squalene, phenolics, acididiidrossifeniletanolo, coumaric acid, quercetin, lignans, carotenoids, tocopherols, catechins, triterpene alcohols and phytosterols. How do you say? You had no idea of swallowing all these words that seem even the words?

But I am sure that you never knew that these compounds are vital to the health of the person for their antioxidant action, vasoprotective, anticoagulants, anti-inflammatory, antitumor and anti-allergic. Do you understand now the importance? Squalene, so named because it was isolated for the first time in the liver of sharks, in the intestine results in the formation of β-sitosterol, a substance capable of inhibiting the absorption of cholesterol.

Its antioxidant action is slightly less than β-carotene.

Vitamins A and vitamin E play over the action, an important role as antioxidants in lipid metabolism and cellular.

Dr. Stefania Leone has thus said that the antioxidants in olive oil are important for the prevention of cell aging, the onset of serious diseases such as atherosclerotic disease, breast cancer, prostate, colon, skin and even diabetes.

Vitamin D, also fat soluble, it allows a good absorption of calcium in the gut, useful element in the developmental age for the bones and prevent osteoporosis in the elderly.

In addition, regular consumption of olive oil has a role against cognitive decline observed during aging.

The protective role has been attributed to the balanced content of essential fatty acids and monounsaturated (neuronal and synaptic membrane constituents) and also for the high intake of antioxidants, tocopherols and polyphenols.

Finally, Dr. Stefania Leone stated that since aging is associated with a decline in physiological function and reduction of digestive absorption of vitamins and minerals, extra virgin olive oil is to be recommended in the diet of the elderly for its high digestibility and its ability to facilitate digestion as a whole.

The last thing: this is only valid for the extra virgin olive oil and genuine!