Olive oil's health benefits

The greatest exponent of monounsaturated fat is extra virgin olive oil, and it is a prime component of the Mediterranean Diet. Extra virgin olive oil is a natural juice which preserves the taste, aroma, vitamins and properties of the olive fruit. Olive oil is the only vegetable oil that can be consumed as it is - freshly pressed from the fruit.

The beneficial health effects of extra virgin olive oil are due to both its high content of monounsaturated fatty acids and its high content of antioxidative substances. Studies have shown that extra virgin olive oil offers protection against heart disease by controlling LDL ("bad") cholesterol levels while raising HDL (the "good" cholesterol) levels. (1-3) No other naturally produced oil has as large an amount of monounsaturated as olive oil -mainly oleic acid.

Extra virgin olive oil is very well tolerated by the stomach. In fact, olive oil's protective function has a beneficial effect on ulcers and gastritis. Extra virgin olive oil activates the secretion of bile and pancreatic hormones much more naturally than prescribed drugs. Consequently, it lowers the incidence of gallstone formation.

Extra virgin Olive oil and heart disease

Studies have shown that people who consumed 25 milliliters (mL) - about 2 tablespoons - of extra virgin olive oil daily for 1 week showed less oxidation of LDL cholesterol and higher levels of antioxidant compounds, particularly phenols, in the blood.

But while all types of olive oil are sources of monounsaturated fat, EXTRA VIRGIN olive oil, from the first pressing of the olives, contains higher levels of antioxidants, particularly vitamin E and phenols, because it is less processed.

Extra virgin olive oil is clearly one of the good oils, one of the healing fats. Most people do quite well with it since it does not upset the critical omega 6 to omega 3 ratio and most of the fatty acids in olive oil are actually an omega-9 oil which is monounsaturated.

Extra virgin Olive oil and colon cancer

Spanish researchers suggest that including olive oil in your diet may also offer benefits in terms of colon cancer prevention (5). Their study results showed that rats fed diet supplemented with olive oil had a lower risk of colon cancer than those fed safflower oil-supplemented diets. In fact, the rats that received olive oil had colon cancer rates almost as low as those fed fish oil, which several studies have already linked to a reduction in colon cancer risk.

When buying extra virgin olive oil you will want to obtain a high quality EXTRA VIRGIN oil. The oil that comes from the first "pressing" of the olive, is extracted without using heat (a cold press) or chemicals, and has no "off" flavors is awarded "extra virgin" status. The less the olive oil is handled, the closer to its natural state, the better the oil. If the olive oil meets all the criteria, it can be designated as "extra virgin".

Why Koroneïki olives yield the best olive oil

For millennia, the olive tree has been cultivated and harvested for its special and unique-tasting fruit: the olive. There are many different kinds of olive trees, and the olives that each species produces varies in colour, size, texture, and flavour. This also applies to the olive oil they yield. Apart from being a delicious accompaniment to many dishes, olive oil is also the healthiest condiment available to humans and its medicinal properties have been long-documented and proven. For these reasons, certain kinds of olives are more prized and sought-after than others: amongst these are the renowned Koroneïki olives, which grow only in Greece.

What sets the fruits and oil from Koroneïki olive trees apart from the dozens of other varieties, and what elevates their quality to the highest levels, is the unique method of cultivation that is employed here. Unlike many other crops, they are not watered artificially and they are pruned intensively once a year, by trimming the branches quite severely, in order to keep the trees small. Whilst elsewhere the usual oil yield is approximately 10 liters per tree, in our area the Koroneïki yields only 1 to 3 liters of purest green gold. Quantity is sacrificed to produce quality. The particular flavour, perfume and richness of the oil that these olives produce is very special and unique indeed.