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Podere I Tre Pini
E-mail tre.pini@tiscalinet.it
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What is the extravirgin olive oil |
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Olive oil is an alimentary fat, like all vegetables oils. As all of the vegetable oils, olive oil has a have a very high caloric valure: 930 kcalories for 100 grams. Extravirgin olive oil is however the only one obtained by pressing, without the chemical process used to obtain seed oil (soja, peanut, sunflower etc.). Olive oil is rich in E, A, K, D vitamines that have antioxidant properties and a protective effect on body cells. It is mainly constituted by triglicerides; it is also rich in essential polynsatured fat acids: oleic, linoleic and linolenic acid. Fat acids contained in seed oil are instable during the cooking and produce free radicals and peroxides, potentially dangerous for health. On the contrary, olive oil resists high temperature. From Hove and Harris' study results that the ratio between fat acids and antioxydants should never be lower than 0.79. In olive oil it is 1.87, in peanut oil 0.50 and in soja oil 0.30. |
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Oil and diet |
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Seven Country Study, a research begun in 1960, showed that "Mediterranean Diet" reduces the mortality caused by ischemic cardiopaty (infarct, thrombosis) and obesity, often caused by a not correct nutrition, rich in animal fats. Mediterranean Diet is the right (and tasty) way to fight against these diseases; it is based on farinaceous food, fish, fresh vegetables and fruit, and olive oil. This kind of diet favourites a correct intake of calories and fats. Olive oil has uncommon nutritional values: its biochemical composition is similar to maternal milk, so it particularly fits for children and old people, both for its digestibility and for its light laxative action. Olive oil is the best oil for cooking and frying, as it resists high temperature without deteriorating. |
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Oil and health |
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For the regular functions of our body we need proteins, carbohydrates and fats. A groundless commonplace says that all fats are dangerous for health, as they increase cholesterol blood level, causing serious diseases, like thrombosis, atheroscleris and infarct. This is not true for olive oil: it does not increase cholesterol level because it reduces LDL quota ("bad cholesterol") and increases the HDL one ("good cholesterol"). HDL lipoproteins have a protective effect on the risk of arterial obstruction, as they work like "blood sweeper". This is not the sole good quality of extravirgin olive oil. |
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Olive oil is the best absorbed fat by the intestine: if we consider its digestibility equivalent to 100, sunflower oil reaches the score of 83, peanut oil 81 and mais oil only 36. Olive oil reduces hyperchloridia and protects gastric mucosa. Olive oil reduces the risk of gall-stone; it helps the liver favouring biliary defluxion. It is, in fact, the only alimentary fat allowed to people who suffers from severe hepatic diseases. Moreover it has a light but continuous laxative effect. Olive oil is also used in cosmetic products as it is well suited to human skin and has curative properties, too. |
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