Needless to talk about extra virgin olive oil, its benefits are almost endless.
Olive oil, unlike all other oils that are obtained from seeds, is the only one that is obtained from the fruit of the plant. Olive oil is practically a fat in the liquid state at room temperature. Extra virgin olive oil is obtained by pressing olives and excludes any mechanical treatment. To earn the designation of extra virgin olive oil, as well as being retrieved so exclusively mechanical, the oil must not be subject to any kind of heating, its acidity level should not exceed one percent.
Fundamental essence of the Mediterranean diet, extra virgin olive oil is considered an important element for the treatment and prevention of various diseases. According to studies conducted on several occasions, several beneficial properties of extra virgin olive oil have been demonstrated: its habitual use reduces LDL or "bad" cholesterol and increases the percentage of "good". Decreases by about 30% on the risk of heart attack and it lowers blood pressure. Polyphenols and vitamin E present in extra virgin olive oil, due to their antioxidant, help prevent atherosclerosis and slows down the aging of cells. As reported by several studies, there are data which relate the use of extra virgin olive oil with a reduction of some types of cancer, especially breast one. Also, the cancer-specific mortality is higher in Northern European countries compared to countries in the Mediterranean area.