The beneficial properties of olive oil have been known since time immemorial: Homer attributes restorative powers to the vial of oil given by the goddess Athena to Ulysses, while Pliny the Elder writes about the olive tree and its countless benefits in his famous treatise Naturalis Historia. Many legends have grown up around olive oil, such as the one telling of the first olive tree appearing on the Acropolis, gifted by Athena to the Athenians as a source of light, food, and medicine.

The organoleptic qualities and beneficial compounds of olive oil make this product a true elixir for health and beauty. In Italy, regions such as Tuscany, Puglia, and Umbria are rich in olive groves and produce excellent quality oil, each with its own distinctive character, flavor, and color, but all equally valuable for health and wellbeing.

Characteristics of olive oil

Olive oil is made from olives, the drupes harvested between October and November from olive trees, part of the Oleaceae family, recognizable by their silvery-green foliage and curiously twisted trunks. After the olives are washed and any remaining leaves removed, milling takes place through strictly cold pressing of the pulp in the oil mill, at temperatures never exceeding 27°C: the whole process takes place without any chemical contamination whatsoever, resulting in extra virgin olive oil, the highest quality grade. Simple virgin olive oil, on the other hand, is produced at higher temperatures and blended with other refined oils previously processed using chemical agents: it can be recognized by its more transparent appearance, compared to the noticeably thicker extra virgin oil.

In extra virgin olive oil, moreover, the presence of oleic acid must not exceed 0.8%, whereas in regular olive oil it can reach up to 2g per 100ml of product.

Both the taste and aroma of olive oil depend on the presence of volatile compounds: the product can therefore come across as saltier, more acidic, sweeter, or slightly bitter. Many people, tasting olive oil and finding it particularly bitter, dismiss it as poor quality: nothing could be further from the truth, since it’s precisely the more bitter oil that’s richest in beneficial compounds.

The color of olive oil is also not always the same, as it depends on the climate in which the olive tree grew, the soil it was cultivated in, the ripeness of the olives at the time of harvest, and the amount of carotene and chlorophyll present. For example, when perfectly ripe olives, somewhere between green and bluish in color, are harvested, the resulting oil will have a beautiful golden-yellow color, whereas if the olives are picked just as they ripen, and are therefore still very green, the oil will likewise take on a greenish hue.

The main nutrients in olive oil

Olive oil is a monounsaturated fat, whose main components are triglycerides and, above all, plant-based fatty acids. Specifically, olive oil contains stearic acid, palmitic acid, linoleic acid, and above all, 62% oleic acid, the most abundant fatty acid found in the human body.

Olive oil also contains minerals such as iodine, iron, sulfur, selenium, potassium, zinc, and copper.

It’s also rich in antioxidant compounds such as chlorophyll, vitamin E, phytosterols, beta-carotene, and squalene, a compound that penetrates the skin, helping renew it and restore its hydrolipidic film.

Also notable is the presence of vitamin A (important for skin, bone health, and eyesight), B-vitamins, vitamin C, D, E, and K, considered essential for blood clotting.

The benefits and properties of olive oil

Eating olive oil every day brings numerous health benefits, especially when consumed raw, since the polyphenols and vitamins it contains are heat-sensitive and can be damaged during prolonged cooking at very high temperatures.

Here, then, are the main properties and benefits of olive oil:

• thanks to oleic acid, it helps regulate bad LDL cholesterol levels, prevents high blood pressure, and helps prevent arterial blockages (and therefore conditions such as stroke, ischemia, coronary artery disease, arteriosclerosis, thrombosis, and heart attack)
• its antioxidant content gives olive oil the ability to help prevent cellular aging and the oxidation of vitamin E, contributing to the prevention of certain cancers (particularly colon, breast, and, thanks to squalene, skin cancer) and cognitive decline (such as Alzheimer’s disease)
• it helps counter the formation of free radicals, molecules that, over time, damage DNA
• thanks to vitamin E, olive oil has antithrombotic and vasodilatory effects, helping to strengthen the walls of veins and capillaries
• the combination of vitamin A and carotenoids allows the oil to promote cell renewal, supporting collagen synthesis for stronger, more beautiful skin
• it helps promote calcium absorption and therefore bone mineralization, particularly benefiting older adults suffering from osteoporosis, as well as pregnant women, helping ensure optimal fetal development
• it’s a perfect food for weaning babies, since the balance of polyunsaturated fatty acids it contains (such as Omega-3 and Omega-6) closely resembles that of breast milk, and it’s also highly recommended in children’s diets to support the optimal development of bones and the central nervous system
• it has anti-inflammatory effects, helping relieve sore throats (comparable in effect to ibuprofen) and joint pain, and according to recent, still ongoing studies, it may also help prevent the onset of rheumatoid arthritis
• it helps regulate blood sugar levels, making it an essential food for people with diabetes
• it stimulates bile secretion, helping prevent gallstones, while limiting the production of gastric juices, benefiting those who suffer from acid reflux, duodenal ulcers, or stomach ulcers

Various uses of olive oil

The main use of olive oil is, of course, in cooking: it is, in fact, the cornerstone of the Mediterranean Diet, recognized by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity for its completeness and health benefits. Oil can be enjoyed raw, to enhance salads, soups, or broths, or cooked: extra virgin olive oil can withstand temperatures of up to 210°C, making it perfectly suited for baking or for delicious fried dishes. Today, olive oil is also used in baking, often replacing butter to make cakes and doughnuts softer, more crumbly, and more fragrant.

Olive oil has also long been used, both today and in the past, in cosmetics: consider that perhaps the oldest known beauty ointment (made from olive oil, cypress berries, milk, and frankincense grains) was found on an Egyptian papyrus, while Cleopatra herself used olive oil-based ointments to keep her skin and hair beautiful.

Olive oil can therefore be used, mixed for example with sugar, lemon, and honey, to make a homemade scrub: gently massaged onto the face and body, it helps remove dead skin cells and promotes skin cell renewal.

Olive oil is also valuable against stretch marks, dry and acne-prone skin: it can be applied pure using a cotton pad, and can even be used as a makeup remover.

It works particularly well on dry hair and can be used pure on the ends or as a hair mask mixed with shampoo, helping at the same time to combat dandruff, if present.

Olive oil strengthens eyelashes, adds shine to nails (perhaps combined with a few drops of lemon juice), and moisturizes dry lips: an excellent DIY recipe combines beeswax with oil.

In case of irritated or blocked ears, simply dropping a few drops of warm olive oil into the ear canal can provide immediate relief.