Olive Oil: Characteristics, Properties, and Uses

by Enzo Zak Expert in Italian Lifestyle

Olive oil is a monounsaturated fat composed mostly of triglycerides. The most prevalent fatty acids in it are oleic, linoleic, and palmitic acids. This versatile foodstuff contributes to body growth, brain myelination, and bone formation. Learn more.

Characteristics of Olive Oil

Olive oil is derived from the fruit (drupes) of the olive tree, which belongs to the Dicotyledons, Oleaceae family, Olea genus, and Olea Europaea L. species. Olive oil is obtained by cold-pressing the pulp of olives and, as we all know, it is a fluid oil with a distinctive aroma and a color ranging from golden yellow to green.

It is one of the richest in oleic acid (about 62%), which is the most abundant among long-chain monounsaturated fatty acids in our body, with significant nourishing and emollient properties for the skin.

In addition to oleic acid, olive oil contains approximately 15% linoleic acid, 15% palmitic acid, and 2% stearic acid.

It also contains an unsaponifiable fraction ranging from 1 to 2%, which gives this oil a significant concentration of active antioxidant ingredients, including phenolic compounds, chlorophyll, Vitamin E, phytosterols with reparative and anti-inflammatory action, and squalene, one of the main components of the skin surface.

Information on Olive Oil

According to a study conducted in Sweden, monounsaturated fatty acids in olive oil have a protective effect on women's breast health.

Other Swedish researchers studied 61,471 women aged 40 to 76 from 1987 to 1990. The women underwent mammography, completed a self-administered questionnaire on their dietary habits, and were closely monitored.

Data were collected from the Swedish Cancer Registry to determine which women in the group developed breast cancer during the study period. The findings led researchers to highlight a potential protective action of monounsaturated fats, and the study was published in the Archives of Internal Medicine.

Properties of Olive Oil

Olive oil is a monounsaturated fat composed mostly of triglycerides. The most prevalent fatty acids in it are oleic, linoleic, and palmitic acids. It is a food with multiple virtues.

Essential during childhood as it contributes to body growth, brain myelination, and bone formation, olive oil also aids in resisting infections.

During adulthood, it is effective in preventing artery and heart disorders and lowers blood cholesterol levels. In addition to reducing the risk of heart disease, it has an anti-aging function for the skin and bones due to its richness in Vitamin E, which protects against decalcification, osteoporosis, and fractures.

Among its constituents, along with Vitamin E, are beta-carotene (provitamin A) and a whole range of antioxidant substances like phenolic compounds.

Olive oil is widely used in the Mediterranean Diet and is found in many Italian food products and recipes. Learn more.