November the 9th, 2024 | Once the enthusiasm for the “new olive oil” is over, it seems almost as if we forget how precious and essential the good quality extra virgin olive oil is in our lives on our dining table, but also – and above all – as a long life elixir and, last but not least, for the best preservation of the territory.
The good extra virgin olive oil is a founding element of the Mediterranean Diet, the healthiest diet in the world, and is one of the very few foods that combines three values that hardly coexist…a dream (or three dreams!) coming true at once!
We are talking about TASTE – HEALTH – LANDSCAPE
Let’s dispel a myth
It’s bitter and spicy because of the leaves… FALSE!
What gives olive oil its TASTE of bitterness and spiciness are the polyphenols found in the olive itself.
Polyphenols are a class of compounds found in abundance in EVO oil, as well as in wine, tea and pulses.
Some of these compounds are responsible for the aromas and flavours of olive oil, while others have a strong therapeutic value as natural antioxidants that can give great resistance to ageing …to both the olive oil and those who consume it.
Among the major cellular ageing retardants are tocopherols (e.g. Vitamin E): these molecules in olive oil are usually found in a concentration of about 150-300 mg/kg.
Psssss…! The Plenum 2023 analysis reports a tocopherol content of 446.4 mg/kg!
Food, medicine or both?
We can say it: 20g of oil a day keeps the doctor away!!!
Good extra virgin olive oil is truly the long nlife elixir : it is considered a ‘medicinal food’ due to its acid composition and not only.
Approximately 98% of oil is composed of fatty acids and, of these fatty acids, 70-80% is oleic acid, which is essential for regulating cholesterol levels as it can
- lower bad cholesterol
- increase good cholesterol
…what else could we want?!
This predominance of oleic acid, together with the presence of linoleic acid, palmitic acid and stearic acid, makes the composition of extra virgin olive oil very similar to that of human fat, thus making olive oil easily assimilable and digestible.
The fatty acid composition of extra virgin oil is also very similar to the composition of breast milk, which is why evo is also suitable for weaning babies!
Moreover, as they do not stimulate insulin and are so easily assimilated, vegetable fats hardly generate fat. Yes, you got it right: good extra virgin olive oil is a fat that is not fattening!
On the contrary, the fats we take in by eating pasta or bread become fat mass if they are not consumed within 2 to 3 hours.
What’s more, quality EVO oil also has positive effects on the skin, simply by using it in place of a moisturiser or to combat dandruff and seborrheic dermatitis, or even to treat and soothe minor burns and sunburns.
HERE are the “recipes” to save money on cosmetics and improve your skin and the environment!
Landscape has its own Ghost-Writers
Every purchase influences the Landscape
The Tuscan landscape is known and recognised the World over for its olive groves and vineyards, which would not exist as we are used to seeing them if it were not for the farmers who carry out careful and constant maintenance.
A farmer’s product is not only oil, wine, wheat, fruit,… but also the landscape!
So here is the secret: the landscape, which we all look at and admire, is not ‘free’.
We all pay for it, not only farmers who cultivate and care for it, but also all those who buy and consume its products.
Therefore, buying a product from a short supply chain, organic and, in general, respectful of the environment and labour, means making a very strong contribution to the beautiful landscape that has made Tuscany one of the most famous Italian regions in the world.
On the contrary, choosing an industrial product, has as its last but not least consequence the abandonment and uprooting of olive groves, as well as the introduction of modern farming systems that are often oriented towards a quantitatively very important production, but losing sight of the quality of the supply chain, the product and obviously also the Landscape.
Good extra virgin olive oil is therefore an elixir of long life for us, for future generations and for the environment!
👇🏻
If you want to learn more, we recommend a concise yet interesting read by Dr Giacomo Trallori entitled ‘Man’s Golden Friend’.
You can buy it online here or at Poggiopiano, where we will be able to let you experience for yourself how all this is contained in a bottle of oil!
Psss…! If you can’t come, we’ll come, or rather our bottles will: have a look at our online shop!
