The extra virgin olive oil is a blessing for our health given its numerous nutritional properties useful for keeping us fit. Essential for a healthy diet, it also helps fight important diseases and maintain ideal weight, since olive oil does not make you gain weight.
To understand why olive oil is so important for the well-being of our body, it is necessary to know what it is composed of and how these substances interact with the body.
In this article, we want to reveal everything you need to know about the nutritional properties of olive oil.
Let’s discover together all the curiosities related to the composition of green gold.
What are the nutritional properties of extra virgin olive oil?
The nutritional properties of extra virgin olive oil are attributable to the presence of iron, small amounts of vitamin A, abundant vitamin E, and the total absence of carbohydrates and proteins.
Olive oil is naturally composed of a saponifiable fraction and a non-saponifiable fraction. It is important to know this peculiarity because from this division, it is possible to better understand the components that make olive oil a useful food for the body.
It should be emphasized that it is precisely the non-saponifiable part, which varies depending on the oils consumed, that contributes to the organoleptic characteristics and especially the beneficial effects of oil on health.
The non-saponifiable fraction is composed of about 200/220 substances, many of which contribute to giving aromas and flavors that characterize the oils. Others, however, have an important antioxidant action.
The non-saponifiable part is also rich in phenolic substances, namely:
- flavonols
- flavones and anthocyanins
- secoiridoids (such as oleuropein)
From a nutritional point of view, extra virgin olive oil is a significant source of monounsaturated fatty acids, vitamins E, K, and other antioxidant substances that give it incredible benefits, especially when consumed raw. Olive oil loses many of its properties when subjected to high temperatures.
However, the nutritional properties of olive oil do not end here; in fact, inside it, we also findcarotenoids and chlorophylls which, in addition to giving it that characteristic green color, have numerous beneficial properties for our body.
The carotenoids
It is known that some carotenoids are provitamins, such as beta-carotene, while others are important for the health and proper functioning of the macula of the retina, and others still act as antioxidants.
The concentration of these substances in the oil depends on the variety of olives, their degree of ripeness, the extraction method, and the preservation of the product.
The chlorophylls
The chlorophylls are the main responsible for the typical green coloration of the olive oil, especially if made with first harvest olives. These natural substances, like carotenoids, are liposoluble pigments that are easily oxidizable.
Chlorophylls are very important for our well-being because they have anantioxidant action, that is, they counteract cellular aging.
A single food with many properties
The nutritional properties of extra virgin olive oil are multiple, especially when consumed raw.
Many of its qualities are due to the natural substances contained within it, such as chlorophylls and carotenoids that also give the typical coloration to olive oil.
The extra virgin olive oil is therefore a food that should be included in the daily diet, preferably to be used raw.