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Nutraceutical extra virgin olive oil
Nutraceutical extra virgin olive oil is a food product that is gaining popularity thanks to its beneficial effects on health. Here we will see in detail what nutraceutical extra virgin olive oil is, the production systems and the advantages for human health.
Nutraceutical is defined as a food which, rich in nutritional properties, acts like a drug when taken, that is, with healing properties. The term was created by Dr. Stephen De Felice in 1989, Italian-American doctor, and is the combination of "nutrition" and "pharmaceuticals". Therefore, a food defined as "nutraceutical" has improved effects on health. Extra virgin olive oil, with its peculiar organoleptic characteristics, can be defined as a natural nutraceutical as long as it satisfies the directives of the reg. EU 432/2012. In particular, the contents of polyphenols and vitamin E must be at least 2.5 mg of Vit. E and 5 mg. of polyphenols for every 20 gr. of product, that for 100 gr. of EVO oil (how the nutritional labels of any food are structured) means that the minimum quantity must be 25 mg. of polyphenols and 12.5 mg. that is, "minimum 15% of the recommended daily dose (10 mg according to Directive 90/496/EEC)". Recent studies have shown that about 34% of tumors are caused by food factors, so the daily use of extra virgin olive oil is strongly recommended.
Already from the olive harvest we begin to understand the type of EVO oil that will emerge at the end of the processing. It is important that the olives are harvested, by hand or with the aid of machines, at the right point of ripeness to obtain a high quality extra virgin olive oil.
After harvesting, the olives, suitably washed, are pressed to form a paste; the milling with the traditional method takes place with stone millstones, but today there are also machines that carry out the same work.
The oil is extracted from the paste, separating it from the water and any solid residues: here too the traditional system is pressing, but there are now many mills that use machinery which extracts the extra virgin olive oil through centrifugation, maintaining, during the whole process, low temperature (24°-26°) preserving the organoleptic characteristics of the EVO oil. In the end, compounds such as polyphenols, vitamins, antioxidants can be added which enrich the extra virgin olive oil and this enrichment of substances makes it a "nutraceutical" food, which meets the requirements of the directives of the reg. EU 432/2012 with its beneficial effects on health.
What are the beneficial advantages of a “nutraceutical” extra virgin olive oil?
Let's see them:
Antioxidant effect: it is the effect that the polyphenols together with the vitamins present in the extra virgin olive oil produce by reducing the oxidative stress that the free radicals cause in our cells. Free radicals are a physiological effect of our body, they are regularly produced by our cellular metabolism and are very harmful, they cause tissue aging, chronic and above all cardiac diseases. Our body is equipped to reduce them, but there is often an excessive production due to various factors such as smoking, alcohol, incorrect diet. Nutrition with nutraceutical extra virgin olive oil is highly recommended.
Anti-inflammatory effect: inflammatory processes are harmful to health and represent a major risk factor that can cause many diseases, including chronic ones. The nutraceutical Evo oil, with its peculiarities, inserted in our diet helps to lower the inflammation levels of our organic tissues.
Beneficial effect on the cardiovascular system: it has been demonstrated that the regular intake of nutraceutical extra virgin olive oil contributes to the reduction of cholesterol levels, in particular LDL cholesterol (the bad one) and on the other hand by increasing HDL (the good one), with the result of improving the circulatory system by reducing the risk of stroke, ischemia and heart damage
Brain beneficial effect: by improving the circulation especially of the small vessels present in our brain, thanks to the active ingredients and antioxidants present in the nutraceutical EVO oil, significant protective results can be obtained for the neuronal cells, reducing the risk of diseases such as Alzheimer's and improving the cognitive abilities of the individual.
Positive effect on metabolism: regular consumption of extra virgin olive oil can have a beneficial effect on metabolism and weight loss. The bioactive complexes present in the nutraceutical extra virgin olive oil can contribute to the increase in thermogenesis, resulting in a virtuous circle in weight loss.
Positive effect on digestion: the nutraceutical EVO oil with its bioactive components has a positive effect on the microbiota of our intestine, facilitates digestion and can limit the risks of gastrointestinal disorders due to irritation of the intestine.
Peculiarities anticancer: recent studies in the United States have established that about 34% of cancers are caused by dietary factors. A healthy and balanced diet such as the Mediterranean diet is strongly recommended and nutraceutical extra virgin olive oil, an essential element of the diet, with its bioactive components can help prevent and limit the onset of even serious pathologies.
In conclusion, we can say that nutraceutical extra virgin olive oil is a food that has beneficial effects on our health by linking the undoubted characteristics of EVO oil with the effective bioactive principles of the nutraceutical. It is important to know that to produce a quality nutraceutical extra virgin olive oil you need a lot of attention from the olive harvest to the extraction and bottling of the product. Furthermore, accurate laboratory analyzes are necessary to establish that an extra virgin olive oil is nutraceutical and the label affixed to the package must contain all the information on the origin, the variety of the olives, the extraction method and, fundamentally, the nutritional values for facilitate consumer choice