Which are the properties of the olive oil for the health?
El color del aceite de oliva virgen
¿Qué aceite de oliva es el más saludable?
What is the chemical composition of virgin olive oils?
What is the saponifiable fraction of olive oil?
What is the unsaponifiable fraction of olive oil?
Which is the density of olive oil?
What are the polyphenols in olive oil?
What is Oleocanthal in Extra Virgin Olive Oils?
Benefits of olive oil against cholesterol
What is oleic acid?
Olive oil has many beneficial health properties. Many of them have been discovered and scientifically tested in the last 60 years. The first discovered properties about the olive oil were connected to their status as fat, the high percentage of oleic acid in its composition, and its beneficial effects on the cardiovascular system.
However, in recent years there have been detected other properties of the olive oil that are not attributable to the fat composition of the olive oil (saponifiable fraction), but for other components in virgin olive oils which provides a great antioxidant capacity, and that prevent or reduce many oxidative processes associated with many physical illness.
The consumption of saturated fat is connected with a high incidence of cardiovascular diseases. Most of the olive oils are composed by monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats.
On the other hand, the consumption of olive oil reduces levels of bad cholesterol (LDL and VLDL) and increases levels of good cholesterol (HDL).
This cardioprotective property was the first in being discovered. That was found in the Seven Countries Study by Ancel Keys. Then started the investigations about olive oil as a source of healthy fat in diets.
The incidence of some types of cancer is closely connected to the diet. Several scientific investigations have demonstrated the protective effect of olive oil over intestine and colon cancers, pancreas, endometrium, prostate and breast. The average reduction of incidence observed in people with high consumption of olive oil in their diet varies between 25% and 10% depending on the type of cancer.
Olive oil protection seems to come from the action of the monounsaturated, more stable action against oxidative processes, and antioxidant substances present in Virgin olive oils.
There is a close relationship between the diet and the blood pressure. It has been shown that regular consumption of olive oil in the diet has a reducing effect not only the maximum pressure (systolic) but also in minimum (diastolic).
These reductions can be attributed to the vasodilator effects of the Mediterranean diet, and, in reference of the olive oil, to the reduction of nitric oxide in the blood flow caused by the presence of the polyphenols in the olive oil.
It has been shown that diets with rich and habitual consumption of olive oil along with the intake of vegetables, fruits, legumes and cereals improve control of blood glucose and increases sensitivity to the insulin. These effects have been observed both in type I and type II diabetes.
It was formerly believed that olive oil could help the symptoms of rheumatoid arthritis, but later investigations have not been able to confirm this fact.
However, recently published reports stated that the consumption of Virgin olive oil may reduce the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis.
Olive oils have several benefits over different parts of the digestive system.
Olive oil reduces gastric motility, and therefore reduces the passage of gastric contents from the stomach to the duodenum. This generates a feeling of fullness, which favors the digestion and absorption of nutrients in the intestine.
Furthermore, the presence of sisosterol in Virgin olive oil prevents partially the absorption of cholesterol and increases the absorption of calcium, iron and magnesium.
It is also known the mild laxative action of the olive oil that reduces the constipation and halitosis.
For all these aspects: satisfying effect, partial absorption of cholesterol in the intestine and its laxative action; and although Virgin olive oil has the same calories as any other fat (9 kilocalories per gram), it is the most recommended fat for those who want to lose weight.
The most widespread biological model to understand the causes of aging is based on processes of oxidation caused by free radicals. The body normally prevents this oxidation with the natural production of antioxidants but the production of these antioxidants decreases gradually.
Virgin olive oils, with their contents in natural antioxidants help to supply the production of antioxidants and reduce the effects of oxidation.
The olive oil acts on the gallbladder ensuring its complete empty and stimulates the synthesis of bile salts in the liver increasing the hepatic secretion of cholesterol. These effects prevent gallstones.
On the other hand, it has been shown that the action of vitamins and antioxidants of virgin olive oil protect the liver cells in patients affected by chronic alcoholism, reducing their oxidative stress.
The action of the olive oil on the skin is based on the same process that acts on the general aging. As well, with age, occurs the thinning of the dermis and the epidermis, the fibrosis of the collagen and the loss of elastin.
The olive oil contain elements that have served and are used as base components for the development of moisturizing creams, such as the squalene, and vitamin E. The first of them has a molecular structure very similar to the natural elements of the skin that have been already lost, so that the skin is very permeable to it and are absorbed into a large percentage. On the other hand, it has a great antioxidant capacity, which makes it very effective.
Read moreUno de los grandes mitos sobre el aceite de oliva virgen extra es el color, ya que gran parte de los consumidores tienen en cuenta el color como un atributo de calidad.
Los aceites de oliva virgen extra pueden tener una gama de colores oscilando entre el amarillo claro y el verde oscuro, con una gran variedad de matices entre ambos, pasando por el anaranjado. Lo que determina su color son pigmentos naturales, especialmente la clorofila (pigmento de color verde) y los carotenoides (pigmento de color amarillo-anaranjado) y dependerá principalmente de:
Los aceites de oliva más saludables son los aceites de oliva vírgenes, pues conservan todos los compuestos saludables de un zumo de aceitunas.
No obstante, de entre los aceites de oliva vírgenes, ¿cuáles son los más saludables?
Para responder tenemos que saber qué compuestos del aceite de oliva son los que generan beneficios a nuestro organismo.
La Agencia Europea de Seguridad Alimentaria (EFSA) ha determinado que tres compuestos del aceite de oliva provocan de forma inequívoca efectos beneficiosos y concretos en nuestra salud:
Vamos a centrarnos en los dos primeros, pues el tercero es menos relevante ya que puede encontrarse en muchos otros alimentos.
El compuesto principal del aceite de oliva. Entre el 61 y el 83% del peso del aceite de oliva es ácido oleico. Según la EFSA el ácido oleico "contribuye a mantener niveles normales de colesterol sanguíneo". Concretamente el ácido oleico ayuda a aumentar los niveles de colesterol bueno (HDL) y a disminuir los niveles de colesterol malo (LDL).
Por tanto cuanto mayor porcentaje de ácido oleico tenga nuestro aceite de oliva, más saludable será.
Según la EFSA, los polifenoles del aceite de oliva "contribuyen a la protección de los lípidos de la sangre frente al daño oxidativo". Es decir, los polifenoles protegen al colesterol malo frente a la oxidación. Este proceso de oxidación es una de las fases de la aterosclerosis. (saber más sobre aceite de oliva, colesterol y aterosclerosis)
La EFSA indica que este efecto beneficioso es producido con la ingesta de aceite de oliva con una concentración de polifenoles de más de 250 mg/kg, mediante un consumo diario regular de al menos 20 gramos (una cucharada y media sopera).
Así, a mayor concentración de polifenoles, más saludable será un aceite de oliva.
Visto lo anterior, si queremos tomar aceite de oliva por motivos de salud, deberemos buscar un aceite de oliva virgen con niveles altos de ácido oleico y gran contenido en polifenoles.
Esto no es sencillo pues en la mayoría de los casos esta información no suele incluirse en la etiqueta.
La cantidad de ácido oleico de un aceite de oliva depende fundamentalmente de la variedad de aceituna con la que se elabora.
Así, de forma general, se muestra una tabla de variedades de aceituna y la cantidad de ácido oleico.
| Variedad de aceituna | % de ácido oleico |
| Picual | 76 |
| Cornicabra | 77 |
| Hojiblanca | 74 |
| Frantoio | 67 |
| Manzanilla | 72 |
| Arbequina | 65 |
La relación variedad vs.% de ácido oleico suele ser bastante estable y la influencia de otros factores bastante reducida.
Respecto al contenido de polifenoles resulta mucho más complicado establecer relaciones, pues la cantidad de polifenoles de un aceite de oliva depende de muchos factores:
El único indicio claro que tiene un consumidor del nivel de polifenoles de un aceite es que en la etiqueta se indique que: "el aceite de oliva contribuye a la protección de los lípidos de la sangre frente al daño oxidativo". Si así se indica, el consumidor se asegura de que el contenido de polifenoles es de al menos 250 mg/kg.
El problema es que los productores no suelen incluir dicha afirmación, unos porque sus aceites no cumplen el nivel mínimo para poder incluirlo, y otros, porque no pueden garantizar que la cantidad de polifenoles se conserve sobre 250 mg/kg hasta la fecha de consumo preferente, pues en la mayoría de los casos no pueden controlar las condiciones de conservación en la distribución y en los puntos de venta.
Como alternativa el consumidor puede optar por comprar aceites de oliva virgen extra de cosecha temprana en los que se indique que son de la última campaña de aceituna.
En la finca Las Valdesas elaboramos aceites de oliva virgen extra monovarietales: picual, hojiblanca, arbequina, frantoio y manzanilla.
En cada cosecha facilitamos las analíticas de polifenoles de cada variedad de aceite, con lo que el consumidor puede tener la información claramente.
Así, conociendo la variedad y la analítica de los polifenoles puede determinar qué aceites son los más saludables.
Actualmente los beneficios perfectamente contrastados de forma concreta y unívoca, y que tienen una acción preventiva en el conjunto de la población, son los dos que hemos indicado aquí. Ambos están relacionados con la protección del sistema cardiovascular con dos mecanismos claros: la disminución del colesterol malo y su protección frente a la oxidación.
Los estudios de estos y otros componentes del aceite de oliva, involucrados en otros mecanismos beneficiosos sobre la salud están en diferentes fases de comprobación.
Read more
Virgin olive oils have a peculiar chemical composition compared to other vegetable oils.
One of the reasons for its specific composition is that most of the vegetable oils are extracted from seeds using solvents, with what only the fat is removed; on the contrary, Olive oils can be extracted directly by mechanical means from the olives because the olive oil is located in the fleshy part. This makes that many of the compounds that are naturally associated to the fat in the olives pass into the virgin olive oil.
Another reason is that the olive contains “exclusive” components that any other vegetable oil contains, and that have a significant intervention for the health and for the organoleptic characteristics of the oil.
Finally, the profile of the fatty acids in olive oil, with a preponderance of the oleic acid, also makes it unique within the oils of vegetable origin.
In the composition of virgin olive oils are distinguished two main fractions with the following items:
A) Saponificable Fraction (98-99%)
A.1 Triglycerides (96%)
A.2 Diglycerides (2%)
A.3 Free fatty acids (0.5%)
B) Unsaponificable fraction (1-2%)
B.1. Compounds from fatty acids:
B.1.1 Phospholipids (40 - 135 mg/kg)
B.1.2 Waxes (250 mg/kg approx.)
B.1.3 Esters of sterols.
B.2. Non-fatty acids compounds:
B.2.1 Hydrocarbons
B.2.1.1 Squalene (8000 mg/kg)
B.2.1.2 β-carotene, a precursor of vitamin A (4 mg / kg)
B.2.2 Fatty alcohols (1500-2000 mg/kg)
B.2.3 Sterols (1000-2000 mg/kg)
B.2.4 Tocopherols, vitamin E (50 - 300 mg/kg)
B.2.5 Pigments (40 mg/kg)
B.2.6 Polyphenols (50 - 800 mg/kg)
B.2.7 Volatile and aromatic
a) Olive oil is mainly composed by the saponificable fraction, i.e. by fat. Most of this fat is composed of triglycerides like all vegetable oils, as it is the way that plants synthesize fats. Diglycerides and free fatty acids would be non finished parts, or are the result of the breakdown of triglycerides.
b) Unsaponificable fraction in olive oils is very small compared to Saponificable. It contains a large number of components in small quantities. These compounds are responsible for some of the most important characteristics of the Virgin olive oil as the color, flavor and aroma; through antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties beneficial to health.
c) The quantities of each unsaponifiable fraction compounds can vary significantly, since they depend on many factors.
d) Most of the unsaponifiable fraction is lost in the refining process.
Read moreThe saponifiable fraction represents more than 98% of the composition of the Virgin olive oils. It is formed by all the fatty acids, as they are grouped forming triglycerides and diglycerides, or are free.
What we usually know as fats are these fatty acids. These are classified according to their saturation degree. There are saturated, monounsaturated and polyunsaturated, according to the following scheme:
Classification of the fatty acids by saturation degree:
Fatty Acids:
Saturated: predominant in animal fats.
Unsaturated: predominant in vegetal fats:
Monounsaturated
Polyunsaturated
Physical, chemical and nutritional characteristics of an olive oil depend on the proportion in which the different fatty acids are present, since all the plants generate nearly the same. For example, in the chart below we show the composition of some vegetable oils on the basis of their main fatty acids. This is what is known as the lipid profile of an olive oil.
Olive, Sunflower, Soya, Peanut, Palm.
Palmitic and stearic acids are saturated, oleic acid is monounsaturated, and linoleic and linolenic acids are polyunsaturated.
Most vegetable oils are unsaturated fatty acids, with a few exceptions such like palm and coconut oils. The predominant fatty acid in olive oil is oleic acid, with a greater proportion than any of the other vegetable oils.
Read moreThe unsaponifiable fraction is the part of Virgin olive oils which is not formed by fatty compounds. It only represents 2% of the weight of the oil, but it contains some of the substances that add to the olive oil many of its main features, such as its colour, its aroma and flavor; apart from other benefits to health with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory capacity.
Most of these substances are removed during the refining process, due to they are only found in the Virgin Olive Oils composition or, in lower concentrations, in oils which are a mixture of refined and Virgin.
The unsaponifiable fraction is made up of a large number of components, many of which are in very small concentrations, and can be very variants depending on the variety of the olives and the time of harvest. The family of compounds can be found by clicking here.
We are going to focus our explanation below on the main compounds, either for being the main constituent of the fraction or for its contribution to the oil.
They are phospholipids and waxes. They are in small quantities and are responsible for the occasional formations of mucilage and grounds with gummy appearance in the packagings.
This component can reach 40% of the weight of the unsaponifiable fraction. Its name comes from shark, because one of the main sources of squalene is the shark´s liver oil.
It is a substance that the body produces naturally. Squalene is a natural fat from the skin, whose function is to keep it hydrated to preserve its elasticity and flexibility. However, its production decreases progressively with age. For this reason, many body creams and lotions incorporate squalene in its composition.
The main application of this component is in cosmetics, although, given its antioxidant and reducing properties of the "bad" cholesterol (LDL), is beginning to be used in pharmacology and as functional food additive.
Squalene is present, apart from in sharks, in all vegetable oils, being the Virgin olive oil which has higher concentration of squalene. Since squalene demand is on the rise, the cosmetic industry begins to be interested in Virgin olive as a source of squalene oil.
Β-carotene is the precursor substance of vitamin A. It is a fat-soluble antioxidant and increases the efficiency of the immune system. In the northern countries is administered orally as a protector against UV rays since its intake reduces the incidence of some cancers of the skin.
B-carotene gives to the olive oil its characteristic yellow-orange colour.
The a-tocopherol or vitamin E is a powerful natural antioxidant agent and a natural protector of fat against oxidation. It is an element which gives great stability to the olive oil.
The concentration of tocopherols varies depending on the time of harvest. In the early crops, when the olive is passing from green to purple (maturation process), the level of concentration is the highest and it decreases progressively as mature.
Exclusive components of the virgin olive oils, because they are not in any other vegetable oil (They are present in wines and other vegetal foods). They are responsible of the characteristic bitter taste of the Olive Oils. The most representatives in the olive oils are the hydroxytyrosol and oleuropein.
The most important of polyphenols is that they are the main responsible of the antioxidant properties of olive oil and therefore they are protective substances against diseases caused by oxidative damage (cancer, heart disease, stroke, etc).
Their antioxidant properties, as well as a-tocopherol, give also stability to the saponificable fraction, preventing and delaying the oxidation of triglycerides.
Its concentration in Virgin olive oils is highly changing and depends on many factors, among them the variety of olives used and the time of harvesting. Picual harvested at early date oils tend to have high polyphenol levels.
Recently, the UE has approved a rule that allows to label as heart-healthy product those virgin olive oils with concentrations higher than 250 mg of hydroxytyrosol and its derivatives per kg of olive oil.
Another phenolic component in extra virgin olive oil is the oleocanthal. This compound has anti-inflammatory properties like ibuprofen. It is responsible of the pungent sensation that the olive oils produce in the throat. Currently there are some investigations about the protective function of the oleocanthal and the Alzheimer's disease, although our opinion is that the results are not conclusive yet.
In the same way, there are investigations describing antitumoral properties of the olecanthal in some kinds of tumors. (Scientific Report of the hospital of Santiago de Compostela).
We have already commented that the beta carotene is the substance that gives the olive oil its yellow-orange color. Following we have to comment those which colored in green the olive oils, which are the chlorophylls.
From the presence of the B-carotenoids and chlorophylls, and their relative proportion, are obtained all the colors of the Olive Oils, from greens to the intense golden.
The presence of chlorophylls in the green olives is higher than in the ripe ones, so that olive oils produced with green olives will be of an intense green. When the olives are becoming mature, the levels of chlorophyll decrease and the golden tones of B-carotenes start to appear.
This group of compounds is formed by more than 100 different substances such as hydrocarbons, alcohols, aldehydes, terpenes, furans, etc. They are responsible for the aroma of the oil.
Their analysis is very complex because they are present in very small concentrations. Like the polyphenols its concentration decreases with the maturation of the olive. They are the main responsible of the green and fruity attributes of the virgin olive oil.
To be volatile, if the oil is heated, disappear in the air. This is one of the reasons why some olive oils are extracted in cold, to preserve all the volatiles and keep all the aromas of the olive oil.
Read moreThe density of the olive oil is 0.916 kg/liter. This density corresponds to a temperature of 17º C. The olive oil expands with the increase in temperature and therefore decreases its density.
The difference in density of between olive oil and water has been used by olive oil producers to separate the water in the olives from the olive oil. Formerly they were separated in pools through the decantation process. After a certain period of time the olive oils were in the top of the tank and the water, more dense, was on the bottom with the rest of the solid remains.
Currently the modern processes of extraction also used the difference of density of the olive oil and water to get it. The mass of the olive and the rest of the components are separated naturally according to their density by a centrifugation process.
| Temperature (ºC) | Density (kg/ litro) | Temperature (ºC) | Density (kg/litro) |
| 6 | 0,9230 | 18 | 0,9150 |
| 7 | 0,9224 | 19 | 0,9144 |
| 8 | 0,9217 | 20 | 0,9137 |
| 9 | 0,9210 | 21 | 0,9130 |
| 10 | 0,9204 | 22 | 0,9124 |
| 11 | 0,9197 | 23 | 0,9117 |
| 12 | 0,9190 | 24 | 0,9110 |
| 13 | 0,9184 | 25 | 0,9104 |
| 14 | 0,9177 | 26 | 0,9097 |
| 15 | 0,9170 | 27 | 0,9090 |
| 16 | 0,9164 | 28 | 0,9084 |
| 17 | 0,9157 | 29 | 0,9077 |
I have always heard that olive oil "grows" in the frying pan when it is heated. This is something that can be seen easily when the temperature is increasing. But, How much it really grows?
To make a calculation, we need to know the oil expansion module. This is between 7, 2.10-4 and 7, 9.10-4. (Assuming for calculation 7, 9.10-4).
Supposing that the olive oil is heated from 20 ° C to 180 ° C for frying, it grows a 12,7% in the frying pan.(α x ΔT; 7, 9.10-4 x (180 - 20)).
Polyphenols are a group of chemical compounds in most of vegetables. For example, there are polyphenols in tea (flavonoids), beer, red wine (tannins), chocolate, and in olive oils (tirosoles).
In general, polyphenols have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. In olive oils, polyphenols protect the fatty acids of the olive oil from oxidation, which prevent the rusting fat in the bloodstream avoiding the formation of atheromas plaques in the blood vessels. There are also indications of the antitumoral properties of polyphenols.
The amount of polyphenols can vary significantly between different olive oils. Their levels in olives are maximum just before the veraison, i.e. in green olives or at the moment that they change from green to purple. Therefore, the early harvested green olive oils will have more amount of polyphenols than others.
Another subject of that depends on the amount of polyphenols is the variety of olive trees. There are some in which levels of polyphenols are higher than in others. For instance, olives from the picual variety tend to produce more polyphenols than arbequina.
There are several clues that the consumer can check to know it:
First, the olive oil has to be Virgin because the refining process removes most of the polyphenols in the olive oil.
Second, it is important that the virgin olive oil is of early harvest. An indication could be the color of the olive oil. In general, the more green, the better. Late harvested olive oils tend to be more Golden.
Third, the virgin olive oil must have a certain bitter taste, leaving a slight pungency in the throat. Polyphenols add to the olive oils that bitter flavor due to the oleuropein, an exclusive polyphenol of olive oil. On the other hand, the pungency in the throat is due to the oleocanthal, another different polyphenol of the olive oil, which has strong anti-inflamatory effects, and that is a natural "version" of ibuprofen.
Fourth, it is important to know the year of harvest. The olive oil should be from the last harvest because the polyphenols are oxidized and loose their properties quickly. So, it is a good idea check in the label the year of harvest (although only the top quality extra virgin olive oils tend to indicate it).
Fifth, and this is the easiest clue, if it is written on the label. The problem is that the issue of the polyphenols in olive oil has not been developed yet, there are different procedures for analysis that are not equivalent, and most of producers neither do any analysis nor are focused to get extra virgin olive oils with high levels of polyphenols.
However, the International Olive Oil Council (IOOC) has already approved an official method of analysis of polyphenols and the EU, in its list of authoritative statements from properties of the healthy food, has included the polyphenols of olive oils as a beneficial substance.
The sentence that EU allows to be written in the labels of olive oils with high levels of polyphenols is:
"The polyphenols of the olive oil contribute to the protection of the blood lipids against oxidative damage”.
This statement may only be used on the labels of olive oils with a concentration of polyphenols over 5 mg per 20 g of olive oil. (250 mg/kg). For this reason, we consider that an olive oil, to be called "olive oil with high polyphenols", must have at least 250 mkg/kg.
In order to have an idea about it, 20 gr is more or less a tablespoon and a half of olive oil. In the list of EU (EU Regulation no. 432/2012 of the Commission) is also indicated that these 20 gr is the minimum daily intake to get the beneficial effects from polyphenols.
We have been studying the concentrations of polyphenols in our olive oils for a long time. We have got values of 500 mg/kg in some of our varieties and in all of them we have exceeded the levels of 250 mg/kg. However those analysis reports were done just after milling the olives, and we still don't have details for the levels of polyphenols in an entire year, so that we cannot guarantee that these levels have been maintained throughout the year on the minimum required by the EU.
Henceforth, our intention is to publish the results of our olive oils at the beginning of campaign for knowledge of our customers and consumers. To find out the amount of polyphenols, you can check the reports of the olive oils of the last harvest.
You can learn more benefits of Extra Virgin Olive Oil here.
Read moreOleocanthal is a Virgin Olive Oils natural organic compound. It is part of the polyphenols family, substances with antioxidant properties in some foods of vegetable origin.
The importance and uniqueness of Oleocanthal is that it has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Its anti-inflammatory action on the body is very similar to ibuprofen, one of the no steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs most widely consumed.
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDS) such as aspirin, paracetamol and ibuprofen, can be differentiated from the steroidal ones because they have far fewer secondary effects, and its analgesic effect does not belong to narcotics.
On the other hand, this discovery is very interesting, because the NSAIDS have proven to have very beneficial effects in diseases that involve chronic inflammation processes, such as degenerative and neurodegenerative illnesses (Alzheimer). Similarly, some NSAIDs have been associated with less impact on the risk of cancer.
In the last years there have been done some essays to check the potential benefits of Oleocanthal.
The discovery of the Oleocanthal has to be attributed to the Doctor Gary Beauchamp. This American scientist and biologist, works for the Monell Chemical Sense Center of Philadelphia, an organoleptic laboratory, that among other activities is dedicated to test different substances and quantify their sensorial characteristics.
Dr. Gary was present in a molecular nutrition Congress celebrated in Sicily and he was invited to taste some extra virgin olive oils in a local mill. When he tasted the extra virgin olive oil, (we suppose that had not tasted any good extra virgin olive oils before), he found familiarthe pungency that olive oil left him at the end of the throat.
At that time, Dr. Gary was working on an essay on the taste of different solutions of liquid ibuprofen, and the pungency of the Olive Oilsreminded to him the ibuprofen. He ordered some samples to the mill and the rest is history.
Of this story, comes the etymology that Dr. Beauchamp gave to the molecule that he discovered:
Oleo-Canth-Al:
"Oleo" from the Latin, Oil
"Acanth" from the Greek, thorn (of the pungency)
"Al", from the aldehyde chemical compound chemical.
Currently there are many essays s and technical works under investigation about the Oleocanthal.
Perhaps the most spectacular till now has been made by Paul Breslin, colleague of Gary in the Monell Center, along with biologists and oncologists David Foster and Onica Legendre, from Hunter College, which showed that the oleocanthal kills cancer cells in 30 minutes and it does not damage the healthy ones. This report was developed in vitro. The oleocanthal destroys lysosomes, of the damaging cells. Their discovery has been published in “Molecular and Cellular Oncology”.
On the other hand, Amal Kaddoumi and his team, describe in the report published in the prestigious newspaper ACS Chemical Neuroscience, some test results in mice. Mice to which they were given with oleocanthal saw reduced the buildup of beta-amyloid plaque, responsible of Alzheimer's disease.
The information and the current investigations are not conclusive, but they seem to be quite promising.
In order that the Oleocanthal may have protective effects on our health, like the rest of the Extra Virgin Olive Oils polyphenols, is recommended a daily and a regular consumption.
In this way, four daily tablespoons of an Extra Virgin Olive Oil rich in Oleocanthal is equivalent to a consumption of 125 mg of ibuprofen, which would be, according to the researchers of the Andalusian society of Oleocanthal, a good basis to prevent or relieve chronic inflammatory processes.
Read moreThe Mediterranean diet, according to epidemiological investigations carried out in the last forty years has proved to be a protective tool from the cardiovascular point of view.
Within the same, the study of olive oil as one of the main responsible for the cardio protective effect has a lot to do with his influence on the behavior of cholesterol.
Below we show some Virgin Olive Oil substances that help to protect our health against cholesterol and its consequences.
1-Sitosterol: It is a molecule in Olive Oils very similar to cholesterol, so it partially prevents it to be absorbed by the intestine.
2- Oleic Acid. The Oleic acid reduces levels of bad cholesterol (LDL) and increases levels of the good ones (HDL).
3- Extra Virgin Olive Oil natural polyphenols, high in antioxidant activity, prevents the oxidation of bad cholesterol (LDL) and avoids the accumulation in the blood vessels.
4-Oleocanthal, a specific Virgin Olive Oil polyphenol, with its anti-inflammatory activity, reduces inflammatory markers of atherosclerosis.
Read moreOleic acid is a monounsaturated fatty acid from the omega 9 family of fatty acids.
It is mainly present in oils of vegetable origin such as olive oil, avocado oil, safflower oil, or canola oil.
Olive oil is composed of between 61 and 83% oleic acid, depending on the variety and climate. The amount of oleic acid in the oil does not depend on the quality of the oil; nor of its form of extraction, mechanical or through chemical solvents; or if the olive oil has been refined.
The main feature of oleic acid is that it is the most stable unsaturated acid:
Many of the beneficial properties of olive oil come directly from oleic acid. The main benefit of consuming oleic acid is its protective nature of the cardiovascular system with several mechanisms: firstly, it helps to reduce blood pressure, and secondly, to reduce bad cholesterol and increase good cholesterol (More on the effects of oleic acid and olive oil on cholesterol).
You can see all the beneficial properties of olive oil by following the link below.
Chemically isolated oleic acid is a colorless and tasteless liquid.
Its melting point is 15 ºC. Hence, olive oil solidifies when the temperature drops below this limit.
Its boiling point is 360 ºC. Although culinarily speaking and for its use in the kitchen, the smoke point or smoke temperature is more relevant, which sets an upper limit to the maximum temperature that can be used in frying without decomposing. Thus, olive oil, composed mainly of oleic acid, has a smoke point below 220 ºC.
The molecular formula of oleic acid is C18H3402.
The molecule of oleic acid, like all fatty acids, has a carbon chain structure where at one of the ends the functional group C-O-OH is located.
Within the carbon chain, in the carbon that occupies position number 9 counting from the functional group, there is a double bond with the following carbon, this is what gives oleic acid its monounsaturated character. It is a fatty acid of the omega 9 family. Many of its health properties are derived from this chemical characteristic.
Most of the olive oil is made up of oleic acid. However, the amount varies depending on the variety of olives with which the oil has been made. There are varieties that naturally tend to contain a bigger proportion of oleic acid. We have attached a table with some varieties of olive oil and an orientation on the amount of oleic acid they contain.
| Olive variety | % oleic acid |
| Picual | 76 |
| Cornicabra | 77 |
| Hojiblanca | 74 |
| Frantoio | 67 |
| Manzanilla | 72 |
| Arbequina | 65 |
Each vegetable oil has a certain proportion of different fatty acids in its composition. The fatty acid part of the oils is called the saponifiable fraction. A chart of the saponifiable fractions of various vegetable oils can be viewed here.
In addition to most vegetable oils, in which oleic acid can be found to a greater or lesser extent, another source of oleic acid is nuts: almonds, peanuts, hazelnuts, pistachios and walnuts.
Also, although to a lesser extent, in some meats such as pork.
High oleic sunflower oil is sunflower oil from sunflower plants that have been genetically modified to produce more oleic acid. It is widely used in the food service industry.
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