Products of the Spanish Gastronomy by Carlos Mirasierras.pdf
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Properties and benefits of extra virgin olive oil
The beneficial effects of consuming
olive
oil
are
backed
by
many
scientific studies. Fats and oils have
a common denominator: they both
provide 9 calories per gram; but the
metabolism of each different group
differs greatly from the rest. Olive oil
contains many compounds that are
very
beneficial to many of the
functions
of
the
human
because,
in
many
body
aspects,
its
biological and therapeutic value is
related to its chemical structure.
Its triglyceride composition is the first aspect to take into account as it is made up of
fatty acids. Monounsaturated fats, oleic acid principally do predominate in olive oil has
a prevalence of, while animal fats are fundamentally made up of saturated fatty acids,
and polyunsaturated fat can be found in seed oils. Monounsaturated fatty acids are
much more stable. Olive oil also has a low percentage of polyunsaturated fatty acids
and this is very significant as these type of fatty acids cannot be synthesized by the
human body.
The second aspect is can be found in its minor components. The most salient ones are
tocopherols and polyphenols. Such components have a major antioxidant function and
are closely related to virgin olive oils because refining processes do alter and remove
these minor components.
Extra
virgin
olive
oil
-
it
facilitates
-
it contains essential acids that cannot be produced by the human body;
-
it slows down aging, and
the
is
the
process
most
of
digestible
assimilating
of
the
vitamins
edible
A,
D
fats
and
and:
K;
it is useful for bile, liver and intestinal functions.
The ancient Greeks used to take 1-2 spoonfuls of olive oil every morning.
It was regarded as a matter of hygienic practice which helped deal with simple chronic
constipation and stomach ulcers. At present, this practice is recommended for its
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