Including olive oil in your daily diet brings numerous benefits, although excessive use is not recommended, especially for those who need to follow a low-calorie, low-fat diet. For those who need to keep cholesterol under control, however, the consumption of olive oil is recommended within certain limits, but the benefits also include reducing the risk of developing certain diseases such as arteriosclerosis and Alzheimer’s disease.
Other potential benefits from consuming olive oil as a condiment include the prevention of various types of cancer, including colon cancer, as well as other diseases affecting the gastrointestinal system and diabetes itself. Some studies also seem to highlight the usefulness of olive oil in protecting the health of arteries and the heart.
Furthermore, dressing food with raw olive oil can be an effective remedy for combating constipation, thanks to its laxative properties.
Read Also: Olive Oil and Natural Remedies
The quality of an olive oil depends on many factors: the cultivar, the condition of the olive tree and the fruit at the time of harvest, the technology used in production, harvesting and extraction, and storage conditions.
To obtain the highest quality and organoleptic specificity, cutting-edge technologies are employed, without forgetting local traditions and characteristics.
Here are the main stages of life to consider:
Let us now analyze each of them in detail:
Extra virgin olive oil is an essential food in children’s nutrition and should be introduced from the very first stages of weaning, around 6 months of age. Extra virgin olive oil, in fact, contributes to bone formation, the brain myelination process and growth; it is also an excellent aid for the immune system.
For baby food, extra virgin olive oil is preferable, because it is obtained from the first pressing of olives using mechanical techniques and not through chemical processes. Furthermore, its acidity level does not exceed 1 percent: during pressing, only one particle out of a hundred of a fat (oleic acid) is released from glycerin, an alcohol found in nature.
And it is precisely free oleic acid that is harmful. There are also oils on the market specifically designed for feeding young children. They have a delicate taste, are prepared with selected olives and enriched with vitamins A, D, E, and B6, substances useful for the child’s growth. Oil is important first and foremost because it promotes the assimilation of fat-soluble vitamins, which dissolve only in fats. In the absence of fats, therefore, the body could not utilize many vitamins taken in through fruit and vegetables.
Oil is also useful for facilitating intestinal function: thanks to its emollient properties, this food makes stools softer, thus facilitating evacuation. Consumed from the first years of life, oil helps prevent circulation disorders that may appear in adulthood, thanks to the fatty acids (particularly monounsaturated ones) it contains.
Tips for mothers
For a child, eating does not only mean satisfying a biological need, but is a moment rich in emotional, psychological and relational values.
Proper nutrition, an essential prerequisite for harmonious and optimal growth, must take into account the different stages of life, characterized by evolving nutritional needs and physiological and behavioral skills.
In early childhood, tastes and eating habits begin to form that will shape the eating style of adulthood, so cultivating correct eating habits by all family members is essential to guide the child toward a healthy eating style.
In the period from the 2nd to the 4th year of life, transitioning from nursery to preschool, the child may be reluctant to dietary changes and have little inclination to have new taste experiences. In this phase, the child eats only one food and then rejects it and moves on to another that becomes their favorite.
During this period, it is important to avoid resorting to sweet or salty foods to make the child eat, as the habit of consuming palatable foods could negatively affect the construction of eating habits.
If we add extra virgin olive oil to our recipes, we will get plenty of essential fatty acids (omega-6 and omega-3) that are very important for forming the structure of cells, especially those that are developing.
Nutritional maturity involves correct diets that must become life choices, a lifestyle. Wrong choices risk having consequences in future years. Which diet to follow, with what caloric intake, how to distribute calories throughout the day. This is what everyone should know by heart. Daily nutrition must always follow good rules, except for natural exceptions or digressions on particular occasions (but even celebrating with food requires rules). During this period, olive oil is the basic element of the diet.
In adults, oil performs a valuable function of reducing bad cholesterol and maintaining good cholesterol, thus contributing to the protection of arterial vessels and the heart. Added to this are an emollient action on tissues and protective functions of the gastrointestinal mucous membranes and digestive regulation.
But what makes extra virgin olive oil truly unique in its nutritional properties is the large amount of Vitamin E, which is an antioxidant. There is a large quantity in this oil, because it is cold-pressed (below 27°) and because the olives are picked at half maturity.
Precisely for these reasons, in the countryside, many elderly people still take a spoonful of olive oil a day!
When the body ages, bone mass and muscle mass (lean mass) decrease, while fat mass increases. It is a natural tendency that proper nutrition can successfully counteract. However, keep in mind that at this stage of life, nutrition is also linked to various factors (loneliness, lack of physical activity, mental state, economic resources, chewing problems, etc.).
However, thanks to its digestibility, its laxative properties, and its genuineness, olive oil is able to counteract loss of appetite, reduce digestive difficulties and promote the absorption of vitamins and minerals.
With aging, in fact, there is a loss of digestive capacity and poor absorption of nutrients, primarily vitamins and minerals. Olive oil is the most digestible and absorbable fat by the stomach, and it also has a mildly laxative function that helps combat constipation, which is very common in the elderly. In conclusion, therefore, olive oil can be consumed extensively both cooked and raw: if it is raw it is even better, because it contains many more vitamins and antioxidant substances. It is particularly suitable for being combined with and flavoring vegetables, which are rich in vitamins and minerals.
To limit the onset of possible diseases and to improve overall health, it is important that nutrition in the elderly is healthy and balanced. It is never too late to change your habits for the better and start working toward achieving a new, healthier lifestyle.
Choose healthy, fresh and wholesome foods to put in your cart, such as:
During pregnancy, a woman needs on average about 300 extra calories per day: nothing better than two large tablespoons of olive oil. The rest should be protein. Essential fatty acids (contained in olive oil) and proteins are the most suitable building blocks for the baby that will be born.
Extra virgin olive oil is the food most similar to breast milk. It has a similar composition of essential fatty acids and the same percentage of linoleic acid (omega 6), and this makes it an irreplaceable food for the myelination of nerve fibers and for brain development. It is easily digestible and helps both gastric and intestinal function, preventing constipation.
Breastfeeding is therefore a very important phase in the life of a new mother. Taking care of yourself, your body, but also your diet is of vital importance. For this reason, there are foods that should never be missing from the day of a mother who is breastfeeding her baby. Some foods are essential for the well-being of both mother and baby. Certainly a mother experiencing the delicate moment of breastfeeding is supported by supplements, but there are particular foods that should never be missing from the diet of a breastfeeding mother.
These foods are obviously rich in vitamins, properties and substances that not only help the new mother feel more relaxed but above all give energy and support the baby who receives all the substances that the mother consumes.
Technician and expert in extra virgin olive oils, registered in the National Register, Campania section. Master oil miller with diploma, obtained from International Extravirgin Agency.
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