Virgin olive oil and nutrition

Numerous medical studies (a study in seven countries, Monika study, Dart studies, etc. ) have shown that olive oil is one of the most important ingredient of "Mediterranean diet" associated with a reduction in cardiovascular disease and certain types of cancerous diseases. Nutritional and health value of virgin olive oil is attributed to the large proportion of monounsaturated fatty acids (mainly oleic, 55-83 %), and precious unsaponifiable ingredients that include aliphatic and triterpene alcohols, sterols (mainly β-sitosterol), hydrocarbons (squalene), volatile compounds, tocopherols (preferably α-tocopherol), pigments (chlorophylls and carotenoids) and antioxidants. Oleic acid is the most abundant fatty acid in olive oil that is claimed to affect the increase in level of high density lipoprotein (HDL) and reducing levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) in the blood plasma. For this reason it is considered that oleic acid could prevent the occurrence of certain cardiovascular diseases which are still one of the major causes of death. Besides the already mentioned high level of oleic acid, virgin olive oil is characterized by a highly valuable unsaponifiable ingredients which are attributed to exceptional biological value as virgin olive oil is classified as functional food.