Extra Virgin Olive Oil, the Gold Lymph of the Mediterranean
Every food Olive Oil touches turns to gold: for millennia, across Mediterranean lands, this culinary Midas touch has graced the tables of kings and ennobled the tables of peasants.
Greek mythology narrates that the first olive tree was planted by the goddess Athena, and that the precious juice of its fruit served as nourishment, body balm, healing ointment, a panacea for all ills and fuel for lamps. Olives and olive oil are weaved into the history of Mediterranean civilizations in countless ways. Indeed, if you have lived in or traveled through these countries, you know the glitter of olive oil is never not there. Olive oil is in fact the common denominator for the myriad diverse regional cuisines glorifying the Mediterranean basin, a body of water stretching from the Strait of Gibraltar’s revolving door on the Atlantic all the way to the Middle East, cradled by Southern and Eastern Europe and North Africa.
Through my early years in Puglia, the heel of Italy’s boot and throbbing heart of olive oil realm, I do not recall my grandparents debating Extra Virgin Olive Oil’s organoleptic or nutraceutical properties: they knew it made all victuals taste and smell great, and that it was good for common ailments like dry skin and hair, irregularity, and diaper rash - and that was that. In fact, amid generations preceding the booming sixties’ diet hysteria and witch hunt on fats, olive oil was only socially mentioned when someone needed the bottle passed to them at the dinner table. Nor did preboom Italians call it by its full name: extra virgin olive oil was just l’olio, the oil. It existed as an unquestioned part of their ecosystem and was given the same tacit respect as bread and wine.
Fast forward to present day feeding culture. To the delight (and relief) of both dieters and gourmands, scientists across the board say we no longer need to boycott fats. Despite some die-hard remnants of outdated diet trends that staked dieting success on calorie negotiations, consensus appears to eagerly grow towards modern weight loss science, which demotes calories to a generic entry on foods’ metabolic score cards, gives fats new nutritional dignity, and duly villainizes sugar. Hallelujah.
In terms of health promoting merits, the world scientific community unanimously places Extra Virgin Olive Oil above all other dietary fats. Here are some of the virtues systematically attributed to olive oil:
It sustains a healthy cardio-vascular system. The main lipid constituent in olive oil, Oleic Acid, a monounsaturated Omega-9 fatty acid, is known to reduce the small particle, dense subtype of LDL (the protein that carries cholesterol to the heart and all cells) and raise HDL (the protein that shuttles cholesterol back to the liver for detoxification). More significantly, oleic acid is proven to shield the membranes of small LDL particles from the oxidative effect of free radicals and the artery walls from getting inflamed: per modern science, oxidation and inflammation of this sub-type of LDL, not mere LDL off-chart values as such, are the real deadly cartel for the cardiovascular system. Oleic Acid content in EVOO ranges from 56% to 84%, and the balance of the fats in olive oil comprises some Omega-3, Omega-6 and saturated fats, all ranging from 0.5% to 20%. The type of cultivar (type of olive) is the primary determinant of these percentages. Olive oil helps to regulate blood pressure: through its anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative and anti-atherogenic (preventing arterial plaques) activity, it preserves endothelial integrity, keeping the lining of the arteries nice and smooth. Moreover, the high content of alpha-tocopherol, which is the form of Vitamin E the liver prefers, protects the neuro-vascular system by averting the formation of blood clots and safeguarding tissues from free radical attacks.
It thwarts oxidative damage. Extra Virgin Olive Oil contains hundreds of beneficial antioxidant compounds, many of which have not yet been identified, that vary in chemical structure and number across the thousands of cultivars in the world. They are responsible for the pleasantly bitterish taste in high quality oils. Thirty-six antioxidants in EVOO called polyphenols stand out for their protective effects on human health against cancer and age-related illnesses. Of all the biophenols in olive oil, the most remarkable one, hydroxytyrosol, has made scientific headlines over and over in the last decades for wearing many hats in the fight against disease and aging. Hydroxytyrosol, squalene, oleuropein, carotenes and oleocanthal, are olive oil’s forefront squad leaders against neuro-degenerative disease for their antiapoptotic (inhibiting heathy cell death) and anti-inflammatory activities. A working hypothesis by scientists proposes that the high squalene content in olive oil substantially lowers cancer risk; a meticulous study by Italian biochemists, published on the NCBI site in August 2020, concluded that the phenolic content in Italian Extra Virgin Olive Oils exceeded previously published nutritional claims.
It fights systemic inflammation and cognitive decline. Previously mentioned oleocanthal has been under leading research lab microscopes for a while because of the anti-inflammatory effect it exerts, which is comparable to that of a NSAID like Ibuprofen. This compound is deemed by research to have protective effects on the brain against dementia, Alzheimer’s and amnesia-type mild mental disorder, by inhibiting inflammation and increasing autophagy, a process by which cells break down and clear out intracellular toxins and debris like plaque. Because of its anti-inflammatory properties, olive oil is largely included in metabolic and autoimmune disorder feeding regimens and hailed as a natural co-adjuvant in wound healing. Oleocanthal is the substance that imparts that stinging, piquant quality to olive oil, which is sometimes deceivingly described as a defect.
It helps manage Type 2 diabetes in more than one way. For one, when consumed regularly, it helps revert insulin resistance, a condition in which cells don’t let insulin usher in glucose to be used for energy, forcing the glucose to dangerously linger in the bloodstream. Cell membranes are in fact made of fat and rely on consumption of healthy fats to stay biologically dynamic, supple and permeable. Most fats in the standard American diet promote inflammation and oxidation that make those cell membranes callous and unyielding, leaving nutrients out and letting toxins stagnate on the inside.
Research also lends support to the proposed positive effects of Olive Oil on the uptake of glucose, indicating that regular consumption of Oleic Acid favorably influences AMP-activated protein kinase signaling (AMPK) defined as the energy sensor that regulates metabolism, an essential pathway that prevents central obesity and all related metabolic dysfunctions (such as Type 2 diabetes). With Oleic Acid accounting for no less than 15% of total energy intake in the traditional Mediterranean Diet, it’s little wonder that the incidence of metabolic disease in Mediterranean countries is significantly lower than here in the US. For good measure, the anti-inflammatory effects of olive oil also contribute significantly to the prevention and management of diabetes and metabolic disorders.
It counteracts damage by pollutants and chemicals. Less known and worth mentioning is the link research has investigated between types of dietary fats and exposure to all-too-common environmental toxins, such as those released by plastics into our foods, cigarette smoke, pesticides and additives, just to name a few. Studies point to incremental human vulnerability to such toxins when exposure is coupled with a consistent prevalence of unhealthy and hydrogenated fats in the diet; conversely, fats such as olive oil lessen the degree of cellular damage caused by these cell predators.
It is good for the skin. Olive oil has been used to make skin care products for millennia thanks to its emollient, anti-fungal and anti-bacterial properties. The above discussed antioxidant squalene appears to be critical for reducing free radical oxidative damage of the skin. Squalene is a natural lipid component of skin surface made in the body from both endogenous cholesterol and dietary sources; studies have observed a healthier lipid and fluid balance in the epidermis of populations that routinely consume squalene rich foods like olive oil. In the bargain, as previously mentioned, olive oil contains alpha-tocopherols, the metabolically preferable form of Vitamin E, about 13% of the RDA per tablespoon. Vitamin E is an integral part of the skin’s antioxidant defenses which notably provides protection against UV radiation and other free radicals that may come in contact with the epidermis, hence the oil’s ability to help slow down the aging process.
It supports bone health. An extensive review carried out from 2001 to 2014 concluded that phenols in olive oil may be beneficial in preventing bone loss. These are reported to assist in bone formation and prevent bone deterioration. Furthermore, healthy fats support healthy hormones, for both women and men. The nutraceutical compounds in olive oil help to keep hormonal pathways clear of inflammation and oxidative stress. Since hormones have a lot of clout over making and breaking bone tissue, it is important to maintain optimal balance among all hormones that control this process, like parathyroid hormone, calcitriol, and all sex hormones. On a final note, olive oil maintains a healthy gut environment and balances your microbiome, which in turn has a positive effect on all signaling pathways, not the least of which bone tissue metabolism.
Food for thought: to further appreciate how crucial it is to introduce the right fats into your system, think of this: your cell membranes are made of phospholipids, which are basically fats; suppleness and permeability allow these membranes to let nutrients in and toxic waste out, continuously. The standard American diet (SAD) is choc-full of unhealthy trans-fats, engineered to remain shelf-stable and provide texture to processed foods, or as I call them, X-foods. These fats stiffen and degrade membrane tissue, inhibiting proper exchange and signaling, and blunt receptors to hormones and neurotransmitters . Cell biologists have established strong correlations between cellular membrane integrity and the pathogenesis of disease. As if you needed more reasons to throw some EVOO into your shopping cart!
And of course here comes my usual caveat: the health properties of olive oil, which go hand in hand with its flavor profile, depend on the extraction method used to obtain oil from olives. As a first rule, always look for extra virgin olive il that is ‘cold pressed’, indicating that the olives were mechanically crushed and the oil was separated from the fruit pulp applying high pressure, but no chemicals and no heat. Check out my article ‘Worth a king’s ransom: the non-negotiables of Extra Virgin Olive Oil’ for tips from experts on purchasing, storing and cooking with extra virgin olive oil.
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References:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/06/170621103123.htm
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3249911/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22279596/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3385446/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15830923/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4324104/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7466375/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16910164/
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/jf801794q