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Olive oil and health  -  Production of olive oil  -  Olive oil and other fats  -  Classification of olive oils

 

All fats and oils contain 98% triglycerides, which in turn are made up of fatty acids. Fatty acids can be saturated, monounsaturated or polyunsaturated. In order to find the right balance for our diet we need to know that:

Saturated fatty acids are abundant in animal fats, and increase the cholesterol level in our blood, with all of the consequences mentioned above on atherosclerosis and coronary cardiopathies,

Polyunsaturated fatty acids (linoleic and linolenic) are abundant in seed oils, reducing the LDL cholesterol levels (the bad one), but also reducing the HDL levels (the good one!) in our blood. It important to know that animals are not able to produce linoleic and linolenic acids so we therefore must include them in our diet. BUT WITHOUT EXAGERATING! In fact, polyunsaturated fatty acids are also highly unstable and an excess of them, other than being unnecessary, is dangerous for the body. They oxidize very quickly, forming free radicals, thereby contributing to cellular ageing and causing different kinds of cancers, especially colon cancer and breast cancer.

Monounsaturated fatty acids (oleic acid) are abundant in olive oil, sensibly reducing the LDL cholesterol levels (the bad one!), without reducing the good HDL cholesterol levels in the blood. Furthermore they have an excellent resistance to oxidation.