THE MEDITERRANEAN DIET and THE EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL

THE MEDITERRANEAN DIET and THE EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL

How important is it to follow the principles of the mediterranean diet?

Studies demonstrate it’s one of the healthiest and most sustainable diets out there. The quality that makes the difference.

The Mediterranean Diet emphasizes: 

DAILY consumption of vegetables, fruits, whole grains and healthy fats; 

WEEKLY consumption of fish, poultry, beans, and eggs; 

MODERATE portions of dairy products; 

and LIMITED intake of red meat and very barely, sugar and sweets.

Easily understood is the most valid diet in the world. 

About the fats present in the Mediterranean diet, the extra virgin olive oil, is the principal natural fat used in the diet.

why: the fats it provides by the EVOO have beneficial effects on the body as they control cardiovascular risk.

Olive oil is the only fatty food that derives from a fruit, and being obtained from a fruit gives it particular health and gastronomic properties. 

Olive oil, especially in the 'extra-virgin' variety, is mostly made up of a fatty molecule that contains oleic acid in a large percentage. It also has an optimal ratio between monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids. These biochemical characteristics mean that olive oil:

• is easily digestible;

• inhibit stomach acid secretion;

• stimulate the secretion of the pancreas;

• promotes the absorption of calcium and the growth of long bones.

The so-called polyphenolic compounds present in olive oil have a strong antioxidant quality: that is, they counteract the oxidative stress of the human body due to free radicals that cause aging and disease. This means, in practice, that olive oil acts as an anti-inflammatory and prevents cardiovascular diseases and arteriosclerosis.

And, important to remember, the extra virgin olive oil slows down the aging due to the polyphenols present in the oil slows down the aging of cells.