scholarly journals Health Benefits of Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anka Trajkovska Petkoska ◽  
Anita Trajkovska-Broach

Extra virgin olive oil (EVOO), also called the”Elixir of the youth and health” by the Ancient Greeks, is a cornerstone in the Mediterranean diet, which has been recognized as one of the healthiest and most sustainable dietary pattern and lifestyle. In this chapter, a brief overview of the major and minor components of EVOO is given followed by a review of their health benefits. In particular, the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer and cardiovascular protective effects of EVOO are emphasized. At the end of this chapter, the reader would benefit by realizing that EVOO, as a functional food, proves the Hippocrates’s quote “Let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food”.

Molecules ◽  
2022 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 477
Author(s):  
Raquel Moral ◽  
Eduard Escrich

Breast cancer is the most frequent malignant neoplasia and a leading cause of mortality in women worldwide. The Mediterranean diet has been proposed as a healthy dietary pattern with protective effects in several chronic diseases, including breast cancer. This diet is characterized by the consumption of abundant plant foods and olive oil as the principal source of fat, which is considered one of the main components with potential antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anticancer effects. Extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO) has several bioactive compounds, mainly including monounsaturated fatty acids, triterpenes and polyphenols, such as phenolic alcohols (e.g., hydroxytyrosol), secoiridoids (e.g., oleuropein and oleocanthal), lignans (e.g., pinoresinol) or flavonoids (e.g., luteolin). While epidemiological evidence is still limited, experimental in vivo and in vitro data have shown a protective effect of this oil and its compounds on mammary carcinogenesis. Such effects account through complex and multiple mechanisms, including changes in epigenetics, transcriptome and protein expression that modulate several signaling pathways. Molecular targets of EVOO compounds have a role in the acquisition of cancer hallmarks. Although further research is needed to elucidate their beneficial effects on human prevention and progression of the disease, evidence points to EVOO in the context of the Mediterranean diet as a heathy choice, while EVOO components may be promising adjuvants in anticancer strategies.


Foods ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 995
Author(s):  
Theodoros Varzakas

The prevention and bioactivity effects associated with the so-called “Mediterranean diet” make olive oil the most consumed edible fat in the food intake of the Mediterranean basin [...]


2020 ◽  
Vol 78 (11) ◽  
pp. 952-968 ◽  
Author(s):  
João Tomé-Carneiro ◽  
María Carmen Crespo ◽  
María Carmen López de las Hazas ◽  
Francesco Visioli ◽  
Alberto Dávalos

Abstract Consumption of highly processed foods, such as those high in trans fats and free sugars, coupled with sedentarism and chronic stress increases the risk of obesity and cardiometabolic disorders, while adherence to a Mediterranean diet is inversely associated with the prevalence of such diseases. Olive oil is the main source of fat in the Mediterranean diet. Data accumulated thus far show consumption of extra virgin, (poly)phenol-rich olive oil to be associated with specific health benefits. Of note, recommendations for consumption based on health claims refer to the phenolic content of extra virgin olive oil as beneficial. However, even though foods rich in monounsaturated fatty acids, such as olive oil, are healthier than foods rich in saturated and trans fats, their inordinate use can lead to adverse effects on health. The aim of this review was to summarize the data on olive oil consumption worldwide and to critically examine the literature on the potential adverse effects of olive oil and its main components, particularly any effects on lipid metabolism. As demonstrated by substantial evidence, extra virgin olive oil is healthful and should be preferentially used within the context of a balanced diet, but excessive consumption may lead to adverse consequences.


2018 ◽  
Vol 378 (25) ◽  
pp. e34 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ramón Estruch ◽  
Emilio Ros ◽  
Jordi Salas-Salvadó ◽  
Maria-Isabel Covas ◽  
Dolores Corella ◽  
...  

Nutrients ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (5) ◽  
pp. 1289
Author(s):  
Ignacio Molina-Leyva ◽  
Alejandro Molina-Leyva ◽  
Blanca Riquelme-Gallego ◽  
Naomi Cano-Ibáñez ◽  
Laura García-Molina ◽  
...  

The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effect of a Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra virgin olive oil and nuts on dry eye parameters. The participants in this study were randomized into one of the two interventional arms: (1) a standard intervention group, a Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra virgin olive oil and nuts; and (2) an intensive intervention group, based on a hypocaloric Mediterranean diet and an intensive lifestyle program with physical activity and weight-loss goals. In both groups, common dry eye tests were conducted at baseline and after six months: the Ocular Surface Disease Index (OSDI), the Dry Eye Scoring System (DESS), tear break-up time (TBUT), the Schirmer’s test, and the Oxford staining grade. Sixty-seven eyes were examined. After six months, dry eye parameters improved in both groups; differences between groups were favorable for the intensive intervention group. The implementation of a Mediterranean diet pattern was beneficial for the selected patients with dry eye, and could be beneficial for patients with dry eye in general. Behavioral support for diet adherence and the promotion of healthy lifestyles (exercise) and weight loss (calorie restriction) have an added positive effect.


2018 ◽  
Vol 84 ◽  
pp. 508-514 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. Giacintucci ◽  
C.D. Di Mattia ◽  
G. Sacchetti ◽  
F. Flamminii ◽  
A.J. Gravelle ◽  
...  

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