Extra virgin olive oil

Olive oil dispenser containing extra virgin olive oil

The history of the olive oil is linked to the olive tree culturing. The origin of this tree (Olea europaea), according to a theory, is situated in the coasts of Syria, Lebanon and Israel . Other researchers think that it could be original of Asia Minor. Probably it was brought to Europe by the Phoenicians, coming through Cyprus, Crete, and the Aegean Sea Islands, Greece and later to Italy. The first evidence of the presence of the olive tree on the Mediterranean Spanish coasts coincide with the Roman domain. Anyway, it were the Arabs who promoted its culture in Andalusia, turning Spain into the first olive oil producing country of in the World.

About 1560, the Spanish conquerors introduced olive tree in Peru and Mexico. In 1769 it passed to California. Nowadays the culture of the tree spreads over all the countries which have adequate climate .

The Spanish name (aceite) and Portuguese one (azeite) comes from the Arabic word “az-zait”, which means the juice of the olive. It has served for centuries as food, fuel for system of illumination, medicine and liquid to reinvigorate the human organism. In Portuguese, “azeite” only means olive oil, as the Spanish aceite describes any type of liquid fat. To specify the type, you have to say “aceite de oliva” (olive oil), as in English language.

TYPES OF COMMERCIAL OLIVE OIL

Extra Virgin Olive Oil is just olive juice got by pressing at low temperature (less that 27º C) with a free acidity, (oleic acid), not superior than 0.8 grams per 100 grams (0.8%). It is better less 0,3-0,5%.

Some of the extra virgin oils are labeled as “organic”. It is a marketing term that means nothing. A “gourmet olive oil” is also a not defined expression. It is supposed to be a very high quality product, but it is not sure.

Virgin olive oil is the same than the Extra Virgin but with a limit of free acidity of not more than 2%.

When the virgin olive oil has an acidity higher oh 2% or/and inadequate odor is called “lampante” and cannot be commercialized . It is not edible and should be refined.

Olive Oil

It is a mixture of refined and virgin olive oil (10-15% of the second) with acidity not superior to 1.5%. It has not the healthy properties of the virgin one and its relation value for money is not worth it. Avoid it.

“Pure olive oil” is an old expression to describe olive oil, today prohibited in Spain. It causes confusion. Reject products with this label.

Orujo (pomace) olive oil

Oil made with the refuse of the olives (pomace) after pressing. It is a refined product and may contain a small proportion of other oils. It is also not recommended as a source of health.

WHY OLIVE OIL IS SO HEALTHY?

Olive oil and Mediterranean Diet are associates terms. There are many evidences that the Mediterranean Diet prevents from many types of cancer such as breast cancer and colon cancer. At the beginning, the supposed benefits of the Diet were only prevention of heart diseases and stroke. Later this benefits extends to Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases, asthma and metabolic syndrome, a group of risk factors of coronary heart diseases. The researches have included other diseases in connexion to artery obstruction such as belly fat, high level of cholesterol, insulin resistance, glucose intolerance, high blood pressure, high blood sugar and pro inflammatory hazard. It also keeps people away from mild cognitive impairment, diabetes, depression, rheumatoid arthritis and some other chronic diseases.

The most plausible answer for the benefits of the olive oil can be its specific composition. The balance among its different fatty acids:

• 55-85% of Oleic acid (monounsaturated)
• 9%-9.5 % of Linoleic (polyunsaturated)
• 0.5-1.5% of Linolenic, (polyunsaturated)

TIPS ABOUT OLIVE OIL

Olive oil dipping has been for centuries the “snack” of the Mediterranean people.

Olive oil is a natural product and adding to it any  flavor is something very personal.  You can put garlic or herbs and leave it for weeks (no more of 6 months as the oil may become rancid). Anyway this oil should be virgin and raw (never heated).   Olive oil for dressings should be raw. You can do lemon olive oil putting in a bottle the zest of a big lemon (properly washed) with a liter of virgin olive oil. Remove the zest after two weeks.

Olive oil calories: 9 Kcal/gram. There is not “light olive oil”. It should be another product. Not olive oil.

The temperature of the olive oil shouldn’t go higher than 190º C.

Do not use olive oil sprayer. It is not “Mediterranean” and can ruin your dresses. Children also like to play wars with them. Use cruets.

Spain is the World bigger  producer, with more than one billion tons. Italy is the second with more than 600.000 Tm and Greece the third, with more than 300.000.

Olive oil must be bottled. In Spain it is not allowed to sell it bulk, loose or unpacked to final consumers.

Beauty

There are olive oil soaps and lotions. Thir properties depend more on the final product that on the oil.

There is no relation between olive oil and hair loss. Of course you can put olive oil in your hair, to make it more manageable and make it look healthier. But don’t forget it will be “oily” until you wash it.

Anyway, it has been revealed that many unbalanced diets may provoke hair loss. Being balance and natural, Mediterranean Diet is a good option for alopecia.

One of the types of fatty fish in the Mediterranean Diet: Sardines.

Mediterranean Diet has a little of everything in it. The name was really a creation out of the amplified world region where it was really discovered: The Island of Crete. And it was largely the result of circumstances beyond any plan or design. The circumstances in which the population had to live: poverty and limited resources.

What they used to eat?

They had plenty of cereals, vegetables, some fruits like grapes, olives, wine, small fatty fish, eggs, milk, yogurt, dried fruits and nuts, cheese and something very extraordinary: Olive oil, virgin olive oil as they didn’t have any means to refine pomace. Sugar was very scarce. A rarity.

They used to eat very little meat. From time to time, “rich people” used to kill a free-range chicken. Sometimes, it could be a goat.  More frequently, several times a week, they used to cook legumes mixed with vegetables and pork conserves. Once a year, generally around winter solstice, they used to perform a pig slaughtering ceremony, the Choirosfagia, in which the sacrificed as many pigs as they could. This ceremony is inherited (still lives) from the old Greek tradition to worship Apollo in the same way and time of the year. All the meat, viscera, blood, skin was transformed in cured ham, lomo sausage, salami, chorizo, blood sausage, and many other pork products.

Anyway, one of the most important source of daily calories was bread and olive oil. They were the traditional “snacks” and sometimes no much more.  Bread and oil could reach until 40% of the calories intake in certain segments of the population.

As the same time, physical activity was very intense, generally men working as a peasants and women as housewives. Almost all day long.

Actually, the same thing was happening all around the Mediterranean Basin those years.  This is the reason why the pattern was called “Mediterranean Diet”.

This was the Crete that visited Dr. Keys team in the late 50’s.

The Sevens Countries Study

In 1965 Dr. Ancel Keys, after completing the “Seven Countries Study” divulged the fact that in Crete, where 40% of people food intake was olive oil, the heart diseases were considerably low. The research covered more than 12.000 persons from Finland, Greece, Italy, Japan, Holland, USA and Yugoslavia.

A few years later, the “Mediterranean Diet” was born.

In reality, there is not an exact formula for the Mediterranean diet, but olive oil, vegetables, cereals, legumes and physical activity were the most significant common factor.

About eighteen countries border the Mediterranean Sea. Countries with very different cultures, religions, ethnic background, economy and agricultural production. It’s difficult to say that there is only one Mediterranean Diet. Anyway, the common Mediterranean dietary pattern had these characteristics:

High intake of vegetables, fruits, bread, pasta and other cereals, potatoes, beans, nuts and seeds

Olive oil was the most important fat source and almost the unique vegetal oil used.

The proportion of dairy products, fish and poultry was low to moderate. They did not eat red meat.

Egg consumption was from one to four times a week

Wine was consumed regularly and was a habit in the meals, but in low to moderate amounts (except in Muslim countries).

Nowadays, the Mediterranean Diet has almost disappeared in many of these countries. Obesity is becoming a problem and cardiovascular diseases are rocketing.  We are trying to preserve the pattern of those years as a legacy for the future.

By the way, many people, even Institutions as Empowered Hospital write:

mediterranian diet

Others write:

mediteranian diet

The correct spelling is:

mediterranean diet