When, in the 40s, Dr. Ancel Keys first noticed the low incidence of cardiovascular pathologies in the populations of the Mediterranean and Southern Italy, he still did not imagine that one of the main culprits for his observations was olive oil . Extra-virgin oil (EVO) which together with cereals, fruit, vegetables, legumes, fish and little meat represents the heart of what years later was called the Mediterranean Diet. This eating pattern is associated with a lower incidence of chronic-degenerative diseases and for some years it has become an intangible heritage of UNESCO.
Among the elements that characterize the Mediterranean Diet, the almost exclusive use of extra-virgin olive oil as a condiment fat and an ingredient in countless recipes is certainly responsible for the health characteristics of this food model. So let's analyze this very precious food and, as if we could observe it with a powerful magnifying glass, let's see what it contains and try to understand which components are responsible for its properties.
Let's start with the classic nutritional characteristics: the composition of EVO oil is totally made up of fat and lipid matter. In fact, pausing to count the kcal (they are 899/100g) it is noted that this food provides more than other products typically fats such as butter (758Kcal/100g) which still contains a certain percentage of water in its composition. But we know that focusing only on counting calories is something "dietarians" of the past did, while today we are able to evaluate foods for their actual composition. From this point of view the EVO oil is made up for the 73% from monounsaturated fats (mainly oleic acid), 7,5% from polyunsaturated fatty acids and 14,5% from saturated fats.
Butter, to make the comparison between the two main seasoning fats, is 49% made up of saturated fats. In addition to fats, EVO oil brings important quantities of vitamin E, of which it is in fact one of the main sources in our diet. There Vitamin E for its antioxidant characteristics it has the function of protecting the oil from photo-oxidation and heat, thus improving its stability. Alongside nutrients and micronutrients, in EVO oil we also find other compounds such as squalene and polyphenols which, as we will see, are currently being studied to explain the beneficial actions of this food.
From the point of view of the effects on human health we can say that all its components contribute to the final result. Some studies have shown that the monounsaturated fatty acidsi, of which EVO oil is particularly rich, have effects comparable to those of essential fatty acids on the serum profile of lipoproteins, in fact, they act by reducing the levels of LDL cholesterol (the bad one to be clear) and increasing those of good cholesterol (HDL). In 2004, this evidence led the Food and Drug Administration to authorize the claim: “The benefits on the risk of coronary heart disease of eating about two tablespoons (23 g) of olive oil daily, is due to the MUFAs in olive oil”.
The peculiarity of the EVO lies in its polyphenols, especially hydroxytyrosol and oleoeuropein (on average 230 mg/Kg, range 130-350 mg/Kg), which have high bioavailability and are responsible for a protective action on the cardiovascular system by decreasing the risk of atheromatous plaque formation, thrombogenicity, LDL cholesterol levels and containing inflammatory damage. The new discoveries regarding the oil continued to follow one another until the early 2000s, in 2005, in fact, an important study demonstrated in EVO oil the presence of a compound which was then called oleocanthal. It is responsible for the sensation of throat irritation that is typical of younger oils, but above all it is a molecule with marked anti-inflammatory properties, comparable to those of known molecules with a pharmacological action such as ibuprofen.
Alongside the protective action that EVO oil and its polyphenols can have against cardiovascular diseases, more recently the polyphenols of EVO oil have been studied as potential protective agents against neurodegenerative diseases where they seem to have interesting fields of use.
Olive oil is therefore a food from strong health properties and certainly contributes to the validity of the Mediterranean Diet as a food model capable of protecting health. For an oil to possess and maintain the characteristics described are some basic precautions, many depend on the quality of the olives and their variety, others depend on the precautions that are taken during harvesting and production, others also depend on the consumer. For example, not everyone knows that oil should go stored away from light, heat sources, humidity and in tightly closed containers.
Therefore, the containers are essential: if they are made of glass they should be made of dark glass, but better still those in stainless steel. An essential characteristic for an oil to be defined as extra-virgin is the degree of acidity which must be less than 0,8% and that only mechanical methods are applied for its extraction. In Italy, moreover, great attention is paid to the time that passes between the harvest and the pressing of the olives which usually does not exceed 48 hours, this is in fact one of the tricks that help to contain the degree of acidity.
Given the complexity of the production process, a speech during the LSDM2019 congress was very interesting when one of the speakers pointed out how high quality EVO oil deserves to be more valued. The properties should be better communicated, the unique fragrances that differentiate one product from another discovered and the polyphenol content declared. A process of valorisation in some ways similar to the one undertaken a few decades ago for wine, leading Italy to contend for the title of the world's largest producer not only in terms of quantity, but also in terms of quality and variety of labels.
It will be a long journey, however in Italy numerous PDOs are already registered for extra virgin olive oil and as was the case for wine, also for EVO oil it will probably be the small producers who, with their tenacity, will be able to transform an excellent condiment into a product that we will get to choose on the shelves of a specialized shop as is the case with wine. It is the path that some producers are following who communicate to their consumers the results of the analysis of acidity and total polyphenol content to confirm the validity of their product like the guys who manage the company Wildsworn which is located within the Sentina Regional Nature Reserve in the province of Ascoli Piceno. After reviving the family farm, they dedicated themselves to the production of a very high quality extra virgin olive oil.
Selva Giurata Farm
The company is located within the suggestive Sentina Regional Nature Reserve whose landscape is characterized by its environmental value. The landscape characteristics and the natural habitat are an important stage for the rest and reproduction of a large amount of wild and migratory fauna.
The lands that correspond to the Reserve are mentioned for the first time with the toponym of Selva Giurata in a document conserved in the State Archives of Ascoli Piceno dated 12 December 1538.
The same lands were granted, in long lease, by Pope Pius VI to Gioacchino Laureati in 1790 who provided for the reclamation of the territory.
Selva Giurata® – Azienda Agricola Rebez Laureati is located in these lands.
An old company to renovate with the desire to change life. This is how this small family-run production company is reborn with the aim of modernizing what remains of the historic company while respecting tradition, aiming at production of small quantities set on the search for the highest quality, respect for the environment and for the consumers who grant us their trust.
The lands, far from urbanization, are located for half, dedicated to cereal crops, in the Sentina Regional Nature Reserve. The remaining half is located on nearby Monte Renzo, where the olive grove is located and another part dedicated to cereal growing.
The production focuses on the creation of Extra Virgin Olive Oil, olive wood shavings for smoking, pasta and wholemeal flours.
Selvagiurata farm
Sentina Regional Nature Reserve
Contrada Sentina, 4 – 63074 San Benedetto del Tronto (AP)
Phone: 338 874 1742
