The unique combination of its lipid component, with the high content of oleic acid with minor compounds such as hydrocarbons and phenols, has beneficial effects both in the prevention of hypertension and in the reduction of blood pressure in hypertensive patients.
A diet rich in olive oil is not only a good alternative in treating diabetes, but it can also help prevent or delay the onset of the disease. This is because the components of the oil act by regulating blood sugar and reducing blood glucose levels, as well as LDL cholesterol levels. For the prevention and control of the disease there are two essential components of the oil subject to various scientific studies. On the one hand, hydroxytyrosol, one of the polyphenol compounds, which is able to reduce and prevent vascular problems and triglycerides in people with diabetes; on the other hand, oleuropein which reduces blood glucose levels after meals and therefore can help counteract the onset of the disease in people at risk.
Olive oil is a nutrient of great biological value. Like all other fats and oils, it has a high calorie content (9 Kcal per gram), which might suggest it contributes to obesity. However, evidence shows that obesity levels among Mediterranean people, who consume more olive oil, are lower compared to other parts of the world. It has recently been shown that hydroxytyrosol, belonging to the family of phenols that make up olive oil, improves oxidative stress, insulin resistance and hepatic steatosis disease in obese children.
Using large quantities of saturated fats in cooking can cause an increase in blood cholesterol, responsible for the formation of "atherosclerotic plaques", which causes a dangerous thinning of veins and arteries with very serious damage to health. Replacing these fats with monounsaturated ones allows you to reduce the presence of LDL cholesterol in our blood vessels, replacing it with HDL. The fatty acid composition of olive oil makes it one of the most suitable condiments for those suffering from high cholesterol.
If aeolic acid has emollient and calming effects on the gastrointestinal tract, the polyphenols in olive oil possess anti-inflammatory properties that help with disorders such as irritable bowel and colitis. In addition, olive oil has a laxative effect that helps fight constipation and bad breath.
Olive oil is also a panacea for the stomach: it reduces the risk of flow or reflux of food and gastric juice from the stomach to the esophagus and partially inhibits gastric motility. As a result, the gastric contents of the stomach are released more slowly and gradually into the duodenum, giving a greater feeling of "fullness" and aiding in digestion and absorption of nutrients in the intestine.
Several scientific studies have demonstrated the beneficial effects of polyphenols contained in olive oil on the brain, contributing in particular to lowering the risk of developing diseases such as Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease.
Monounsaturated fatty acids and various bioactive compounds, including polyphenols, have an antioxidant action that prevents inflammatory reactions by counteracting free radicals and fighting oxidative stress, helping to slow down the natural cellular aging process.
It has been documented that taking olive oil strengthens the immune system against external attacks by microorganisms, bacteria or viruses.
Recent research has concluded that the fatty acids present in the composition of olive oil are good allies in lowering important immunological parameters such as lymphocyte proliferation induced by specific mitogens of B and T cells.
These fatty acids have been reported to play an important role in various immune functions. They are involved in regulating inflammatory processes and can be effective in the treatment of some autoimmune diseases and in the maintenance of the immune system in general.
Olive oil helps prevent osteoporosis, thanks to the presence of vitamins D, K and B6 which favor the process of absorption and fixation of calcium in the bones and of some polyphenols such as ferulic acid, caffeic acid, coumaric acid, which stimulate the proliferation of osteoblasts (the cells that build the bone tissue matrix) thus counteracting the phenomena of aging and bone degeneration.
The fetus needs vitamin E to grow, and the newborn needs it to fight the oxidative stress caused by entering an oxygen atmosphere. Although it is not very abundant in olive oil, it is present in sufficient quantities because of the resistance of olive oil to oxidation. Therefore olive oil plays a key role in: fetal development during pregnancy, precisely because it contributes to the formation of bones, in the process of myelination of the brain, in general development of children and in helping the immune system. Olive oil is an indispensable aliment in the feeding of infants and should be introduced from the early stages of weaning, which usually happens after 6 months from giving birth.
